Montana labor news., 1932-10-13

power-trust political machines, have
supported the pro-power-trust policies
of the reactionary Republican wing.
But for this aid the ~Coolidgites and
the Hooverites would have failed be-
cause of the progressive Republicans.
We may expect these %power-trust
Democrats to oppose the extension of
Roosevelt's liberal policies in the
field Of national legislation and adj
mi~nistration. Such hostility will be
subdued considerably by the force
Of public opinion now rapidly awak-
ening to the significance of the pow
er issue in our national life.
The very nomination of Roosevelt
is evidence of the strength of this
awakening. | spent days at the Chi
cago convention talking with the
rank and file of delegates, fresh
from the people, to ascertain if they
were aware Of the power question
in the large and in particular the
game being played by the utility in
~terests and bankers to deadlock the
convention and force a compromise
candidate acceptable to them-prefer-
ably Newton D. Baker. | found
they were. Repeatedly delegates vol
unteered, "This is a power fight at
bottom" When, after the third bal
lot, a deadlock seemed imminent and
the delegates were showered with
kilograms from over the nation urg-
ing Baker, the reaction was anus
ing. Several said to me, "That stunt
must have cost the power trust
thousands of dollars" 1t fell flat.
The nomination was not a political
IDEAL" of the old-fashioned sort, but
the triumph of the fighting spirit of
a large majority Of the convention
itself, expressive Of the angry dis
content of the folks back home. 1t
was this resentment, widespread,
which defeated the Wall Street boys
in their attempt to manipulate the
convention through the two-thirds
rule.
In writing the platform the con-
servatives were more successful on
the whole, but even here is a plank
calling for federal regulation of in
terstate holding and transmission
companies. There is a declaration
for "The conservation, development
and use Of the nations water power
in the public interest,"" which clearly
may mean public ownership and OPP
Grafton where private rates are ex-
.cessive. The Chicago output fairly
represents the sectionalism, selfish
politics, class conflicts, r~esentfulness
against monopoly and financial plum
dering, economic bewilderment and
clash of ideas over causes and rem
edies which characterize 80 per cent
of the American people today. 1t
was Democracy muddling through,
with one fixed idea, however-it
would not be run by Wall Street.
1t was a fight, not between the
BLACKS" and the "Reds," but bet
tween the BLACKS" and the "Blues,"
and the "Blues" won.
Summing up: We may as a min
imum on the basis of his past record
expect the election of Roosevelt to
result in such things as the passage
of the Norris Muscle Shoals bill and
the appointment of a friendly board
to administer it; a Federal Power
Commission which will enforce the
Federal Water Power Act; a law reg
ulating interstate holding companies
and transmission of interstate cur
rent; completion of the all-important
Investigation of the power trust by
the Federal Trade Commission and
a final report which will make fl
n~ancial, political and social history.
a president who will not be
the chief spokesman of the utility
combine, but who will, now and then
at least, say something on the peo-
ple's side of these vital problems.
The Council endorses Roosevelt.
ATE