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Askov American
Askov, Pine County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
In a reflective letter, S. J. Simonsen from Pease, Minn., discusses how the Farmer-Labor party and liberals pushed economic reforms like social security and pensions in Minnesota over 25 years, now accepted broadly. He accepts conservatives may refine them, satisfied that virtue is its own reward. Dated Nov. 11, 1938.
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Editor Askov American:
After some of us have regained our composure and got ourselves oriented a little, things do not look so bad. The one striking conclusion a person comes to is to marvel at the thoroughness of the job, here in Minnesota as well as the surrounding states.
The Farmer-Labor party, in conjunction with the New Deal and other liberal organizations during the past 25 years, has forced certain issues to the front and put them into a crude, workable form. Old age pension, social security, taxation based on ability to pay, a farm program, bank insurance and in general the principle that government is responsible to the individual for his economic well being, provided the individual does his part. This has generally been accepted by all parties.
While the radicals and liberals were particularly well equipped to force new things to the front, they are usually not best equipped to put these things into a smoothly working form. The more conservative, scientific and painstaking are often better equipped to coordinate the things which the radicals force to the front.
It can be assumed that the era has passed its first phase. It might seem that those who forced these things to the front should have the reward of putting them into operation in the final analysis. Yet, we liberals have always claimed that the movement was greater than any one man or group of men; this has been brought home to us—we can now take the back of the stage and watch the results of our efforts—with the smug satisfaction of knowing "that virtue is its own reward."
S. J. SIMONSEN.
Pease, Minn., Nov. 11, 1938.
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Letter to Editor Details
Author
S. J. Simonsen.
Recipient
Editor Askov American
Main Argument
liberals and the farmer-labor party advanced key economic reforms like old age pensions, social security, and ability-to-pay taxation over the past 25 years, which are now widely accepted; though conservatives may better implement them, the movement's success is its own reward.
Notable Details