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THE PEOPLE'S VOICE Published weekly by The People's Voice Publishing Co. at 1205 Lockey Street, Helena, Montana Phone 26-J P, O. Box 838 H. S. BRUCE, Managing Editor HARRY L. BILLINGS, Associate Editor Entered as Second Class Matter December 7, 1939 at the Post Office at Helena, Montana, under the Act of March 3. 1879. CO-OP PUB. CO., HELENA Subscription Price: $2.00 Year; Trial Subscription: Five Months $1.00 No Commercial Advertising except from Co-operative Business institutions accepted. Rates on application. Montana Calls for a New Deal Last Tuesday, the eyes of the entire nation were on Mon tana. Indeed, the election results in Montana were no doubt watched in many of the European nations. And the great masses of the common people in those countries, must have heard or read of the results of the election then held here with feelings of encouragement and new hope. The election in North Dakota where Nye was decisively de feated, in Minnesota where Shipstead was repudiated by the voters and in Montana where last Tuesday, Senator Wheeler was retired, indicates that the people of America realize that the day of isolationism is long past; that it is an attitude that is out of harmony with realities; out of tune completely with the conditions brought about by our scientific achievements, which makes us close neighbors with all of the people of the world. The great masses of the unfortunate, common people in the European nations may never have thought of these things; may never have thought about anything except the possible willing ness of America to alleviate their hunger and their misery. They know—and we know—that America can do this, if the American people are willing. But when they have heard what they are entitled to believe, were representatives of the Ameri can people, such as Shipstead and Wheeler loudly protesting participation by America in any efforts for world collaboration, they must have lost heart and hope. It is the failure of such men as Nye, Shipstead and Wheeler to realize the responsibilities of America as the greatest, most powerful country in the world today, that made them unfit to represent their states and our country. They failed to keep abreast of the changing conditions. Their lack of ability to com prehend that the implications of a new age with its great strides in scientific development called for equally bold advancement in international relations in order to safeguard our civilization. . Their minds, steeped in the old traditions, their thinking in hibited by years of consideration of political expediency, were unable to conceive of any chang'e in the mental attitudes of the electorate. In short, they were unable to forsee that the people they represented had made real progress in thinking and de manded equal advance in their representatives. I believe that the nomination of Leif Erickson instead of B. K. Wheeler, by a majority of the voters last Tuesday indi cates just that. They wanted a man to represent them who lived in the present and not in the past. They wanted a representa tive who understands and is able to evaluate the urgent demand for the application of new, bold methods to domestic and inter national problems of the day in this age; who is not bound by habits of thought and action to the pattern of an era long past. To be sure, a large number of Montana voters cast their ballots for Senator Wheeler last Tuesday. Some of them may have done so because of personal friendship and loyalty or be cause some time in the past, the senator may have done them some personal favor. I note among the ones listed as contribu tors to the Wheeler campaign chest, the naine of a man who | once wrote to me, criticizing me severely for my opposition to Wheeler, and reciting as an example of why farmers should I support the senator for re-election an instance where one of his neighbors had difficulty in getting a new carburetor for his tractor until Wheeler came to his assistance. Of the | criticism we can make concerning an attitude such as that that anyone who ignores the greater questions aside from the personal interests, involved in the selection of a representative in the congress, ignores his responsibilities as a citizen. We believe, we must hope, that the citizens who voted for the re-nomination of Senator Wheeler for reasons similar the one related, were few. We hope that most of them voted for him for reasons less selfish. We hope that the majority who voted for him, had lacked time or for some other reasons had failed to "think things through" without prejudice. Let us give Senator Wheeler credit for the battles he fought in the interests of the working people in the earlier period of his career, and be as charitable as we can in our appraisal of the very real dangers to which he exposed the nation and the people in his later years and hope that the harm which he has done is not irreparable. And send Leif Erickson, a new leader, to the United States: senate. The campaign just closed in Montana, causes us to wonder how long the American people are going to countenance the kind of political campaigns waged by old-time politicians; and to wonder when the citizens, all of them, are going to show' themselves mature enough to repudiate anyone carrying on his campaign by such outmoded methods. The campaign by Senator Wheeler and Leif Erickson for the nomination for United States senator on the democratic ticket which ended Tuesday by the nomination of Erickson exemplified two completely different methods appeal was to the intelligence of the voters; Wheeler's to their prejudices. Judge Erickson carried the issues of the day and the age to the voters and stated his position on them and the solutions he proposed for the problems. His only attack on his opponent, Senator Wheeler, was based on Wheeler's failure in the past years to make any constructive effort to solve them for the good of the state and the nation; that Wheeler's record in the past years was of an obstructionist; one of utter disregard of the needs and the responsibilities of our country. All of these charges, Senator Wheeler ignored because he i knew his record held no defense against them. Nor did he propose any constructive plans for the future. Throughout all Campaign Patterns Erickson's of his public statements ran the strain of false, cheap insinua-, tions designed to appeal to prejudice only, and frequent com pletely false statements abounded in them. As an instance of the type of falsehoods which he and his campaign supporters made from public platforms and which certainly do not add to his stature, I may mention assertions made by him concerning the People's Voice. These statements! In a radio speech delivered over the Montana network, | Senator Wheeler by direct implication linked the "People's Voice" with the Communist party's "Daily Worker". This he knew was, to put it baldly, a smearing lie. I might say in this connection however, that I would just as soon as have the Peo pie's Voice linked with the Daily Worker as under the influence of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company-Montana Power Company daily papers in the state, if a choice had to be made by me as managing editor of the Voice. But I have never ! were in line with his campaign pattern, previously discussed in this column; the effort to smear his opponents by calling them "reds" or "communists". CONGRESSMAN DRIPP by Vomen !l e 7 w. r ^ V 9 9 Ü 4 ♦ Kuh w 9 tv « IFP * YOU'RE LUCKY WERE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE /" 703 C3SE1C* « FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS . Hamilton is not the largest city in the world, but it is an ex ceptionally rich city; so rich, in fact, that every blade of grass has a green back, every bird has a bill, the chimneys have their drafts, and the maids wash out front doors with gold dust. Every horse has a check and every ditch has two banks; even our streets are flushed, and the lawns get a rake-off. Every cloud has a silver lining, and every flower in the city has a scent. When you put a five dollar bill in your pocket you double it, and when you take it out you find it in creases. Can you afford not to live in Hamilton, Montana?—Contributed. Hamil ton Western News What Our Wars Have Cost Us ThifcUniversity of Illinois' bureau of economic and bus iness research has come up with a survey which should give some of the fake economy bloc some sober hours of thought. These gentlemen who trumpet their grave fears that the country is going to be ruined by spending a few millions to ac complish better living and greater security for the average citizen are very seldom known to manifest any of their great lust for thrift where war is concerned. The Illinois study reveals that America's wars since the Declaration of Independence have cost more than all the wealth the nation has piled up. 000,000,000. All the farms, factories, stores and other prop erty of the United States is valued at $300,000,000,000. For what the country has spent on wars, every family in America could have a new $8,000 home, a $1,200 car and $2,000 in the bank." Wars," the report says, "have cost the United States $414, Those figures ought to be pondered long and hard by the economic flim-flammers in congress who are blasting away at appropriations to create greater wealth for the nation and on the other hand are rattling the saber at Russia, ready once more to billions into destruction.— (The Capital Times.) Some One-Man Vetoes In Congress r Before we get too stirred up about the Russian vetoes in the I United Nations it might be worthwhile to show some active concern about the manner in which single members have been | able to exercise vetoes in our national congress, I who threatened a last-minute filibuster, endangering passage of the price control extension act. Peter Edson, Washington cor respondent for NEA, draws a parallel between the activities of | some of our national legislators and those of Comrade Molotov in Paris as follows: "Why should Comrade Bilbo of Mississippi be permitted to filibuster the FEPC to death in the senate, then call on 'all red blooded voters' of his state to keep negroes from voting in the primary election? That's the equivalent of a veto power, and it flaunts the will of the majority. There was the recent instance of Senator O'Daniel of Texas "Why should Comrade E. E. Cox of Georgia be permitted to delay action by the house rules committee on a minimum-wage bill? The house labor committee has approved a simple bill [ raising the minimum-w'age standard from 40 to 65 cents an i hour. Cox said he wanted to vote on it but had to go home and campaign for the July 12 primary. So the rules committee took no action. A veto again, | ■ , x . recen tly sent out a story from Athens describing the campaign of terrorism which the communist government of that country "On the same day, the house rules committee blocked action I on the president's requested labor-control legislation. More of the same. "Granted that either house of congress has the right to vote down any proposed measure. Still, when a single congressman or a small group of congressmen can block the right of the I whole congress to take that vote, they are acting in the same spirit as the Russians who cast their vetoes against majorities' will and action in the United Nations security council." The fault in the United Nations council traces to its rules and, similarly, the fault in our congress is that its rules and procedure block progress and direct action on the issues in volved.—Great Falls Tribune The Mote In Our Own Eyes A correspondent for one of our leading daily newspapers . . . ^ as instigated for the purpose of intimidating Romanian voters who might be disposed to support the candidates of the Isatxon a ^ Feasant party at the coming election. The average American w i^ unsparingly condemn such actions and yet perhaps we are no ^ wholly justified in the belief that such conditions cannot happen here." What the communist regime in Romania is doing is no more censurable than what was done yesterday in our American state of Mississippi. Just as the peasants of that Euro pean country were terrorized and intimidated, ne £ ro voters of the southern state subjected to the identical treatment by political leaders in that state. It is scarcely logical to get all wrought up over something that is happening in some ar aw ay country when the same thing is happening right here * h° me -—Lewistown Democrat News --- - heard during the last decade Senator Wheeler utter one word against the control by these foreign corporations of the major channels of information in Montana. so were the SHACK SWEEPINGS By BILL One lady at the Montana Labor Institute in Missoula last week remarked "... representatives of Montana Labor seem very bourgeoise, not only in dress, but in thinking . . Maybe that's good maybe that's a ringing Indict ment of our labor movement, not only here in Montana, throughout the nation — and then, maybe, it is both good and bad. 2BÖÜ ? i but □EZ®I As one who has very little sympathy with the old guard of the Chamber of Commerce, and yet who feels the American peo ple react very slowly and un favorably to radical change, I am inclined to agree, and dis agree with the lady. If she meant that Montana labor has an earnest desire to co-operate with all groups in bringing about a higher degree of prosperity for our state and nation, for all of the people, rather than the few, then I must agree whole heartedly. Likewise, if she meant that too large a sector of Montana labor still clings to the 1890 workers' logic of looking at the economy only from the basis of "25c more per day" without considering the long range, over all effect on the entire nation, then I must again find myself in complete agreement. It was only last spring that an outstanding leader of one of our larger unions publicly expressed the view that "all wage Increases, all profit boosts, all price increases are of direct con cern to every American consumer . . . that labor and/ or management must take the consumer's position into full consideration when asking for higher wages, or when demanding a larger percentage of profit ... "I must admit further agreement if she meant that there was too little co-operation between rival labor groups, as well as with other progressive groups such as Farm ers Union—or that some sectors of labor were much too prone to consider every business and professional group as "suspect"; that much of labor is shortsighted in that it does not fully exploit its collective ability by using the same co-operative stimulus exerted when seeking higher wages to also secure for itself private-owned co-operative consumer enterprises. À 3 L 4M ML TEAMWORK To the reader all this may seem a bit contradictory. I am of the firm opinion, that Montana Labor, like all other Montana groups, is beset with many contradic tions in its thinking. My aim in pointing these things out, is not so much to bring to light that there are con tradictions. Rather, 1 am trying to give you an under current of the many viewpoints, opinions, held by those at the institute. After having attended this third Montana Labor In stitute, and met an exceptional group of men and women representing both the AFL and CIO, the Farm ers Union, the University, and the business frater nity, I am convinced the institute has a very definite place in Montana life. That from such meetings all segments of our state's economic life gain an oppor tunity to receive a more realistic appreciation of the problems facing each group, and that soon Montana people will realize the need for establishment at our institutions of higher learning departments specializing in labor and co-operative economics. Of the institute I have but two criticisms. One, that tho discussions at times seemed to be of too academic a nature. High theory is all right for educators—but for an average citizen it frequently becomes too involved. I for one prefer to have things explained to me in two and three syllable words and with examples, and I wonder if a lot of others do not have the same feeling. The other criticism has to do with the business and prof fessional people of the state. With few exceptions, their absence from the institute, was most glaring. It is to be hoped that next year, in the interests of increasing co-operation between all economic groups, that more from these two will be present. As is the case at every large gathering, certain peo ple always stand Out for the part they play. First off, of ' course should go orchids to the committee which did such a splendid job in doing the spade work for the in stitute, and which was always at hand to keep things moving—including Miss Lucille Speer, and E. A. At kinson of the university; Sam Riven of the Missoula Trades and Labor; Perry Melton, editor Treasure State Labor Journal, Kalispell, and several other university folks. A very special "hats off" is in order for Mrs. Mildred Stoltz, Farmers Union State. Educ. director, Great Falls, for the way she brought out the crowd's enthusiasm in community singing at the banquet, and for her able conducting of the general session on "full employment". Similarly, Charles McLain, secretary Montana CIO, for a good job on the dynamite-ladened subject of "the role of government in labor disputes". To Mary McNelis, Montana Federation of Labor, for lending wit and charm, and to J. M. Peterson, Farmers Union, Poison, for a very excellent presentation on "What Is a Good Tax Program". To Roy H. Glover, ACM Western Gen eral Counsel for his sympathetic understanding of prob lems facing labor, as well as to Robert Brown, Miners Union Int'l Rep., for his able presentation of the strug gles of Butte and Western Miners to attain economic justice over the past half century. There are many others signally entitled to recognition, because it takes the efforts of many to make such a meeting the suc cess that It was. INSTITUTE'S PUBLICITY WORKSHOP Publicity workshop proved very enlightening, not only to the panel members, including your columnist, but to the several other participants interested in the publishing of labor and liberal papers, and in labor public relations. Not only did we exchange many ideas on how to improve both our press and our public re lations, but we also made a fairly exhaustive self-ex amination of the strong and the weak points of our news presentation and our publicity work. We found that most of us to a greater or lesser degree are just as guilty on several points of violations of journalistic ethics as we accuse the regular com mercial press of being. Necessary as it is at times to opinionize our news columns in carrying the implications of the week's news and the effects of such news happenings on the common people, labor and liberal editors at times go "overboard" in this respect. Likewise, many times we are as guilty of "over slanting" the news as are the members of the com mençai press—particularly the sizeable portion of the Montana daily press which is owned by the ACM. A third, and the gravest sin, of most labor and liberal editors, is that we all too frequently permit bitterness to creep into our interpretations of the weed's events. Another major error of most labor editors is that we tend toward too much "heaviness" in preparing material for our papers—we are*so absorbed in meaty news events and their social and economic implications, that we forget about the all important factor of "reader in terest". Reader interest we must definitely have if we are to have appeal for any except the most devout of labor or liberal members of our communities, and yet w r e treat this in a most slip-shod, hap-hazard manner. In other words, if we are to have an appeal for the great mass of the members of organized labor and independ ent thinking people, then we must provide much news material of personal or human interest. If our paper has only community-wide circulation, then it should place particular emphasis on local happenings in which ou rreaders may be a part of or may be interested in. Likewise, in our field there was probably never a finer opportunity for exploiting the old journalistic adage—NAMES MAKE NEWS. Nothing increases "Joe McGee's" interest in his local labor or liberal paper like short articles that point up the fact that " . . Joe McGee awarded the prize money or trophy for having was pulled in the largest Dolly Varden during the fishing derby ..." or that "... Molly McGee, daughter of Joe McGcs, Teamsters' local 472, headed the honor grad uates at Montana University . . Everyone of us, in cluding editors, like to see our accomplishments in print. Is there any reason to suppose then that our readers lack a similar personal feeling of pride. As an ex-country editor I should know (and practice) this con stantly. A final major failing of all too many of our branch of the fraternity is the type of typography (appearance) we permit our papers to assume. Too frequently, our stories are overly wordy; the heads poorly written and dry and not so worded to catch the eye of the reading public; likewise our "lead" paragraphs often lack color, are poorly written, dry, and do not inspire our readers to go further than the first few lines of the story; fin ally, but important, we do not use enough little "sub heads" to break up the "solidness" of our news stories. • To many readers, and fellow editors, this may seem like a stirring condemnation of our labor and liberal press since I have not mentioned any of our virtues. This is done purposely, since each one of us know well enough what virtues, as newspaper men, we possess. A bit of comprehensive self-examination has been the object of this article, that we may weed out our faults and constantly improve our publications. When all is said and done, much as we may not like the "treat ment" our organizations are accorded quite regularly in the commercial press, we must all admit that that press does have "something" in the way of news presentation which we might well investigate. Why else are the com mercial editors so successful in oftimes putting over propaganda material under the guise of news—even to the most avid members of our own labor and liberal groups ? + + + Friend Willis Dunlap of the Thompson Falls Ledger takes The Voice to task in an offhand way in his "hit or miss" column because we recently published the views and impressions received by the Russian correpondent Ilya Ehrenburg of our country during a two month's visit to many sections of the United States. On the other hand the Great Falls Tribune (July 18 issue) fol lows through with some of Mr. Ehrenburg's comments and contrasts. Seems to me it is better, for the sake of international harmony, that American newspapers print such expressions as those put forth by the Russian writer, because it gives our people an opportunity to have some understanding of how foreigners view the complexities of the lives of our citizens. More of this type of information and a soft-pedaling of much of the seemingly "manufactured" war scare diet that we are daily subjected to, can do much in permitting us a more realistic picture on international affairs. + 4* + While I'm not inclined to make any direct accusa tions, I am holding as "suspect" certain politicians who during recent weeks made claims that they could do anything from making the sun fail to shine, to single handedly building dams such as Fort Peck—possibly by * a process of systematically piling all in one place the political blarney they spread far, wide and thick during the course of a campaign. This charge is motivated by the fact that during the near-cloudburst which hit Hel ena Monday, a bolt of lightning struck my fireplace chimney with the force of a 75mm shell and left a gap ing hole about three feet across, near the top. •h •h A note of apology is in order from The Voice to all of those contributors of letters having to do with Issues in the late senatorial primary campaign. We had so many dozens of them, that, along, with other material, we were able to carry only a few each week. Continue to write your thoughts on issues of the day, local, na tional, or worldwide—your fellow readers, whether they agree or not, enjoy getting the other fellow's viewpoint. By the way, chances of publication of letters are ma terially increased when limited to 150 to 300 words. Also double spaced letters save "back shop" headaches. •h *î* In post-morteming around Helena I've found a num ber of interesting viewpoints on the election results. The man in the street is definitely very happy, some of the businessmen have still not recovered from what they term the "surprising outcome", and there has been no end of ideas as to how it could be possible for Sen. Wheeler to win by 112,000 majority in 1940, and then in 1946 lose by approximately 6,000. Financially there are many people very happy (and an equal number other wise). Typical Erickson backer is Pat C.K'Paddy" Sul livan, well known Butte plumber elder, who no doubt is in a most joyous mood today, since he privately in formed your reporter a few weeks back that he was a "ruint" man if Leif didn't win. For my part, I'm sure Mrs. B. will be equally happy over the little gift of feminine dainties that were made possible by a most welcome "contribution" from Brother Stortz of the late Wheeler-For-Senator headquarters. •h *ï* I was particularly happy about the way the good folks of my home county, Sanders, turned out to give Leif a small but comfortable majority. Wonder ful people up that way, but, how could they be other wise whether they live in the beautiful Thompson Falls area; historic, peaceful Plains, or in that thriving, go-getting city of Hot Springs, "Montana's famous health resort." + 4* •h Co-Op print shop foreman Don Peterson and Jerry Taylor, Independent job shop foreman, and their wives,, and Henry Heiser of the Ind. Record News composing room, last week attended the Montana Typographical conference at Lewistown, as repre sentatives of Helena local 95. Incidently Don is one of the three successful democratic nominees for the legislature from Lewis and Clark county. The two other progressive - democrats nominated were long time legislator William Pilgeram, one time House floor leader from Cascade county, and Henry Loble, son of Lester Loble, Democratic State Central com mittee chairman. 4* 4* + Now that the air of political battle has cleared somewhat, a few words about that book, "The Plot Against America", may be in order. Earlier publicity releases in the form of pamphlets, did not parti cularly impress your columnist, except to make him wonder how many votes it would make FOR Sena tor Wheeler. This week (Wednesday to be exact) I finally had an opportunity to brouse through its 300 pages of facts, fiction and cartoons, and must say that as soon as time affords an opportunity I must read it. The facts the author has accumulated do not interest me to any extent since I was well aware of most of them before having seen either its publicity or the book itself. But, from having read paragraphs from various chapters I am convinced that the author, George Kin is an expert in using the English language and expression, as well as a clever cartoon ist, to the reader it should prove as fascinating read ing as either "Tobacco Road or "A Lion in the Streets". And by the way, all this hoop-ta-do which was raised about the book at the recent senate in quisition here in Helena, as well as being raised this week in the senate at Washington spells only one thing to me—Publisher John Kennedy and Author Kins are going to be mighty busy these next few months—filling orders for another "best seller". Come to think about it, all this publicity in this column should merit your reporter receiving "comp" copy, bound in leather, complete with auto graphs from the two "Ks". Tell you my success, if any, at a later date. a •h 4* Seems to me I've written about all of this kind of "stuff" that my readers (I hope I have some) take for this week.- Be back next issue with some more of the same I suppose, along with impressions and comment on other items which daily cross an editor's desk. Goodbye for now. can