Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-06-07
A Challenge to Good Citizenship

>AidiA1i'SS ~ 9ooA
The people of Sheridan county should welcome
the attempt of the Pientywood street nuclei" to
capture control of the county government as a chai-
Ienoe to sane citizenship.
Sincere Communists should look to their leader
ship. carefully appraise it and see whittier It leads
them at a time when the technique of the tactic" Is
being radically changed by the learned and sincere
men within the Communist group.
Will the Communists kindly account for the fact
while they seek to mislead the people of Sheridan
county, that Earl Browder, secretary of the communist
party. in his report to the eighth annual convention of
the Communist party admits that Communism Is and
always has been a fragile growth In the entire
United States it has only 24,500 members. To this It
has grown in three years from 1899, three years that
have brought to the people Of all tho country the most
serious social and economic problems they have ever
known.
What a tribute to Communist 1eadershfpff7
Browder calls the party's most serious problem
the "fIuctuation in membership. Two out of every
three members recruited vanish. He admits its MEM
bershTp in America is ."traditionaIiy unstable and
fIuctuating,n although it has had the most fertile soil
Of discomfort in the history Of this country.
The New Masses, Communist periodical, counseis
the 24y80o against the methods Of futility, the lone
shot and isolated bomb The new tactic is to refrain
from violence until the following prerequisites are
present:
1. Until the dominant class can no longer rule.
3. Until the turbulence of the disconnected
masses reaches a pitch where they are ready to
descend into the streets to fight. do we want revolu-
ton? Let us calmly consider what it would profit u.s.
8. Until there is a Communist party able to
guide the elements Of revolution into Soviet channels.
Sheridan county is only making itself ridiculous.
Do sane, we'll balanced men believe as the Pro
ducer,s News, (the clone shot and the isolated bomb"
of Communism in this sectionl that "Roosevelt's first
act in office was to close the banks and rob hundreds
of thousands of small depositors OF their lie savings9
How many and how tragic the robbcries inflicted upon
harassed, confused distracted people by the Com
munist outfits hat passing expIohers, who profess to
deplore the theft of millions but extort the thin dime
on the cold winter day.
Communism in the body polite grows IN much the
manner of an infection in the human system. In each
case there is a germ, and it is well to attack 1t direct
". But principles of hygiene rule even more IN dis
eases of politics than in those Of the body. Hence. In
the modern manner Of health advice. let US consider
a few "don'ts" for the prevention Of Communism, to
be observed by our democratic state:
/. Avoid not only injustice, but the appearance OF
injustice. The Mooney case has been a powerful aid
to Communism.
2. Avoid violence. Never has the art of provoking
police officials been developed to the extent used by
Communists. 1t is irritating to human impulses; but
the best police are those who meet such limitations
with seH-restraint- Communists grow on street VIC
lence. Their papers are full OF accounts Of such inct-
dents.
3. Improve living conditions, notably housing;
wipe out slums; open up play spaces.
4. Maintain the process of democracy in a healthy
condition, no matter how much power the government
assumes. communists claim that we are going fascist.
The antidote to Fascism is Democracy and more De-
mocracy.
S. Let every government official and every gov
eminent agency learn to make clear to the public
what he is doing and why he is doing it. The germ of
Communism flourishes in dark corners of misundeT-
standing.
Communism has failed to grow In this country.
because the organism it is seeking to attack is strong
and vigorous. So long as this condition continues We
should save our fears for something else. Communism
Is no menace.