Montana labor news., 1935-10-31

THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington.
September %, 1885.
Reverend and dear Sir;
Your high calling brings you into
intimate daily contact not only with
your own p%arishioners, but with people
generally in your community. l am
sure you see the problems of your peo-
pie with wisdom and sympathetic I'M
derstanding.
Because of the grave responsibility
of my office, | am turning to repres-
%entative Clergymen for counsel and adj
vice, r feeling confident that no group
can give me more accurate or unbias-
ed views.
I am particularly anxious that the
new Social Security Legislation just
enacted, for which we have worked so
long, providing for old age pensions,
aid for crippled children, and unem-
ployment insurance, shall be carried out
in keeping with the high purposes with
which this law is enacted. It is also
vitality important that the Works Pro
gram shall be administered to provide
employment at useful work, and that
our unemployed as well as the nation
as a whole may derive the greatest
possible benefits.
| shall deem it a favor if you will
write me about conditions in your COM
munity. Tell me where you feel our
government can better serve our peo-
pie.
We can solve many problems but nc
one man or single group can do it, -
we shall have to work together for the
common end of better spiritual and ma
terial conditions for the American peo-
pie.
May | have your counsel and your
help? l am leaving on a short vaca-
tion but will be back in Washington in
a few weeks, and I will appreciate your
writing to me.
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) Franklin D.. Roosevelt.
Montana Pastor Replies
The following is the reply Of a Mon
tana clergyman.
@ Mont, Sept. q, 1885.
The Honorable President,
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
The White House,
Washington, D. c.
Our esteemed President:
Your letter addressed to representa-
tive clergymen reached my desk yester-
day. May | at the very beginning state
that in my reply l am not writing in
behalf OF my parishioners, nor from the
standpoint of a clergyman. l feel that
I have no right to speak from a pas
tors standpoint nor in behalf of the
people that may ONE under my spiri-
tual care. However, besides a clergy
man | am also a citizen of the greatest
country on earth, Of which you are our
esteemed President. For this reason
feel compelled to reply to your kind
letter, because | am from a citizens
standpoint greatly concerned about con-
ditions prevalent in our country today.
Rest assured, honorable President,
that | have no personal political am
bition MOI a partisan motive in ex-
pressing my personal view regarding
the matter on which you ask my can
did opinion. In fact | have in my pos
session a letter signed in your hand
received about three years ago and
prior to the last general election. That
was a reply to my letter addressed to
you in which l expressed my personal
confidence in you as the President OF
the people, by the people and FOR the
people. In addition to this | have plac-
ed utmost confidence in your cam
paign speeches, that "if one plan does
not work as a remedy for prevailing
conditions, that you would try others
until we come out Of this economic
wilderness"
| must confess that my confidence
has been greatly shaken inasmuch as
a group of some 80 millions of people
have proposed a remedy which they
feel will remedy present-day condi-
tions. So far the leaders Of that
group known as the Townsend Old
Age Revolving Pensions have not re-
ceived a fair and unbiased hearing in
regard to their plan, nor a single valid
objection raised and proven WHY the
Townsend Plan is unavoidable.
1t does my heart good to read at the
close Of your letter, I'VE shall have to
work together for the common end OF
better spiritual and material conditions
for the American people" There is a
ray of hope in that statement, that
when the next Congress again conven-
es, you will invite DR.. Townsend in for
a fair explanation Of his Plan and per
NIT the wish Of some 80 millions OF peo-
pie to be discussed on the floor of Con-
gress.
Honorable President. YOUR office