Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-10-18
GETTING DOWN TO
~BRASS


III there Is any class or workers IN
the world that Is underpaid, both in
money and gratitude, 1t is that
group of men who make up volunteer
fire departments. or course | real
lie that men don't go to fires and
fight down a destructive c~onflagara-
ton for the money that's In 1t. A
dollar-a-run wouldn't go far towards
replacing ruined clothing that fol-
lows every blaze of any consequence.
They do 1t more as a community
service. And. what a service 1t is!
The Herald stood by and watched
members of the local department
rush to the outbreak Monday In the
Farmers Oil company warehouse.
With flames raging through an oil
saturated building which ignited
trucks loaded with gas and oil had
turned into a veritable inferno, and
two huge storage tanks standing al
ongside filled with gasoline which
would further endanger the lives OF
those fighting the flames, there
wasn't the slightest hesitation ON the
part of any member Of the crew,
They simply responded to a call to
duty. Danger that confronted them
didn't matter. And, fortunately, they
were successful in bringing the de-
structive blaze under control. With
a little more Roadway, it might have
taken several buildings in its path.
| saw firemen come from that fire
with clothes-good clothes-ruined.
They must be replaced on a dollar-a-
run basis. Why. it wouldn't ever
pay for the cleaning. The best of 1t
all is. every n of these men go at
their job with only the zeal of a
soldier in a call to arms" They
take pride in their department, It's
promptness in responding to alarms,
its effectiveness in the saving OF
property from destruction.
Somehow there seems to be a trad
ition among volunteer firemen that
keeps them tin there fighting" long
after ones usual physical infirmities
would drop them by the wayside to
be replaced with younger men. It's
just something that seems to get In
the blood. They can't quit. They
love it-love the adventure, love the
%conquering of the inanimate destroy
er. And so they go on-these men
who in ordinary everyday life are
just one of us-business man, labor
er, office clerk, undertaken, butcher,
giving a service which the commun-
ity a lever repay.
Something new under the sun"
A political campaign in Sheridan
county that gives some promise at
least of running the gamut without
column after column OF filth and rot
that has SO characterized every cam
paign since the county was first or
ganized. In our humble opinion, this
not only reflects credit to every
newspaper in the county. but Is a
mark of personal reflection on the
integrity of the rank and file of
people over the county who have, In
various ways, voiced their disapprov-
al of cheap, tawdry journalism, and
turned attention to writing that at
least bears some mark Of decency.
And people of Sheridan eounty-of
as fine a calibre as may be found
anywhere-may be assured this type
OF campaign will pay big dividends.
Long recognized as a hotbed for bit
terness and personal hatred, engend-
cred largely through lblackrnail tao
tics of unprincipled newspaper writ
ers, the county is again being given
recognition to which it is justly en-
titled, commanding the respect Of
those from whom 1t may seek and ex-
pect favors.
Communist supporters, evidently
desiring to establish an alibi that
may explain an almost certain defeat
which their candidates face in the
coming election, are pointing to the
organization of the United Front
Political Party as an idea conceived
in the brain OF the Herald editor,
and its activities made possible
through financial assistance from
the pocketbooks Of omainstreetars,an
Ia worn out phrase used by radicals
to arouse the ire of farmers.)
1t Is indeed nice to have some Of
the political satellites OF Sheridan
county, after reading such comments,
congratulate us for being a smart
politician" But frankly we make
the open confession here and now
that to us belongs not one particle
OF credit for the political sagacity'
in the formation Of the United
Front" group. Who is responsible
for its conception and organization
we do not know-nor do we give a
tinker's dam. But, from all we are
able to learn, some of the selfeon-
stituted leaders Of the Communist
party In this county who, with an
iron hand, sought to dictate the pol
icies of their organization, were more
responsible than anyone else for the
creation OF another radical group
most of whom would naturally fbe
taken from their own ranks.
No political group can be effective
unless its membership can be held
together by united effort in the sup
port Of those principles for which
they stand. BY their own admis-
sions, Communists failed in their abb
ility to hold their own organization
together. Through dscontent or loss
of confidence, membership began to
hrpak away Tho malrantauts must