Montana labor news., 1934-09-06
WHEELER SCORES
MORGAN CLIQUE
Condemns Liberty League as
Capitalist Fight Against "New
Deal".

oenatOr wheeler gave a stirring ad-
dress to the people at Columbia Car
dens on the occasion Of Butte's Annual
Labor Day Celebration. In speaking
OF President Roosevelt, he said, you
have never had anyone so sympathetic
to the American worker. Mr.. Roose-
welt has gone further with reference
to Labor Legislation than any of the
Presidents OF the United States. Mr..
Wheeler spoke Of the Liberty League,
and mentioned some of the people who
were sponsoring this organization.
Saying that Mr.. Davis one Of the men
most prominent in it was the attorney
for the House OF Morgan and the tele-
phone interest"
Wheeler spoke OF the late Senator
La Toilette as being the @grandest
friend of Labor in the United States"
Senator Wheeler said that there was
never anything that he was more proud
OF than the time he ran for Vice Presi-
dent on the ticket with Robert La Fol-
lette. He felt that it was the grandest
honor that had ever been conferred
upon him.
Mr.. Wheeler asked the question,
What is the fight that is going on?"
He then said that the Melons and the
Morgans, are seeking in every way to
break down the present administration,
because they don't want to take money
out of the Treasury OF the United
States for relief Of the people.
He stated that if you had had a strike
in Butte during Hoovers administra-
ton you would have had no money for
relief. During this part of the address,
he referred to the trouble of West Vir-
ginia during Hoover's administration
and the base treatment Of those work
ers during that time.
In connection with the years OF 1926
to 1929, he spoke of the economic and
financial dominance Of the life Of the
nation Of those in control OF the wealth
of the nation and OF the issuance of
watered stocks and bonds to present
an appearance of prosperity that was
actually fictitious.
In reference to the closing of the
banks in March, 1888, Mr.. Wheeler
stated that if they had not been closed
there wouldn't have been a bank in
America opened for a long time. The
Senator spoke of a conversation that
he had with one of the officials Of the
National City Bank of New York, and
accused Wheeler Of wanting to exploit
the creditor class Of the nation. A very
interesting phase of this part Of the
talk related to the Constitution and the
complaint Of the industrial barons and
others that the Constitution would be
violated when any effort was made to
take money out of the treasury of the
United States to feed the working peo-
pie. Mr.. Wheeler said to this official
Of the National City Bank Of New
York UNLESS you do, (use government
funds to feed the people) you won't
have any Constitution Of the United
States because the people Of this
Country are not going to starvel A
very frank comparison wa made be-
tween some of the Bank Barons and
AL Capone. He said in this connection
We all thought Al Capone beyond the
pale Of the law and were delighted
when he was put behind the bars, but
these men, great bankers and indus
t~rialists cheated their own customers
and directors. Al Capone is a gentle
man compared to them. The Senator
said Il do not know what is going tC
happen in the next two or six or tel
years. l do know what would have
happened in the next four years o
Hoovers' administration. We would
MT have had any Constitution to tea
down"
In respect to economic changes thu
Senator stated you have to have short
er hours and shorter weeks and W,
should have a National six-hour day
He said the National six-hour day i
necessary, because if it is left to TIL
various states to enact a six-hour da,
it would be a long time before it woul,
prevail v e the entire nation. Con
gress should place upon the Statut,
Books of the Nation, a national Law
providing for a national six-hour day
Mr. Wheeler spoke very highly o
Congressman Monaghan and his eff
forts to secure relief for the peopl'
of Montana. In connection with tn,
relief, he said that Butte has received
more relief than the whole State o
Utah, and he felt that this was du'
primarily to both he and Mr.. Monog.
han repeatedly and constantly request.