Montana labor news., 1936-07-23
POLICE ARREST UNION WORKERS AT FORT PECK
THE PEOPLE ARE WEIGHING THE
POLITICIANS in THE BALANCE

The election is over and the people of the state of Montana
have once again exercised their right of franchise. The
thought occurs whether the people realize the value of this
right; of the long and tedious conflict that has been continu-
ing since the birth of this nation for universal and unrestrict-
ed suffrage.
It is not the purpose of this article however to trace the
history Of representative forms OF government nor of Repu-
bican institutions. Suffice to say, whether people realize it
or not, the United States is one Of the oldest countries in the
world where the people enjoy the right to participate in their
government; that they don't use this right to their best pur-
pose is true. Nevertheless there are encouraging signs of
awakening. The northwestern area of the United States, it
is generally conceded, leads the United States in social and
political thought, and the western half Of the state Of Mon
tana is unquestionably in the front rank of progressive ideas.
For many years the balcony of the Butte Hotel has been
used as a place where aspirants for office have been given
the privilege Of extoIing their virtues and beratfng their op-
ponents, or if they saw fit, berate the corporations and other
special privileged interests. Last Monday night another
such political meeting was held, but there were no outbursts
of applause for any of the candidates. Something was lack
ing. 1t was apparent that the people were waiting for an
expression by some Of the speakers that would coincide with
their own ideas Of dissatisfaction and discomfort, but this
feeling was more than a trivial dissatisfaction with the exist
ing social structure Of this country. The people were wait
ing, hoping and looking for a leader with revolutionary cour-
age and vision, one who could point the way to a better world,
to a better Nation. The people sense the need for drastic
and spectacular renovation Of the entire structure of Govern
ment under which they live. They realize the tremendous
potentiahties for wealth, leisure, and culture that this country
hNJAIo WI NAShAJ SA0e my III H0N AN~~At'S - SGs F1f2g'
misery, restitution, charity, ignorance, and crime is a result
Of the concentration Of wealth which they have created and
which inevitably gravitates into the hands of selfish, self cent
cred individuals who wallow in luxury while they go destitute
These are the thoughts; the picture, however vaguely, that
the common people hold, but no one gave expression to this
picture last Monday night.
From this point of view any attempt Of an analysis OF the
county vote would be impossible because so many personal
elements, p~rejudices, and small inconsequentias enter into
the county vote that no effort should be made to determine
t trend de 81 th0 OH fHhis c0aaald fb be dHis@e saHs e especially in some Of the
more important county offices.
Throughout the state, people tried, with the limited re-
sources at their command, to pick men and women whom they
thought would best represent their interests at the Capitol
at Helena and at Washington. One thing is certain, reyolu-
tionary impulses within the hearts of the common people are
not going to be downed and regardless Of who is elected Gov
ernor, Attorney General, Secretary Of State, or any Of the
other state offices or Congressman or Senator, the wage
workers Of the state Of Montana, whether organized or I'M
organized and the farmers Of the state of Montana, whether
they belong to the Farmers union or not, are going to ask
for a strict accounting Of their officials in the next two and
four years. They are going to demand that the Supreme
Court of the state of Montana, interpret the laws in the light
Of modern times with it's complex industrial mechanisms.
They are going to demand that their representatives in Con
gress move forward unhesitatngly and fearessly toward
drastic changes in the structure of our Government to the
end that they will receive through that government more
and still more of the abundant wealth which nature and their
hands alone make possible. The people are going to demand
of that government whether it be national, state, or county
that their rights be protected as against the concentrated
power of corporate interests. Any official who fails to per-
ceive this will pass out of the picture as many another high
official has passed, whose heart failed to respond to the cry
Of the people.
Surely we have a power to elevate and a power to des-
troy. Let us also, as Senator Gore said when he was re-
Gently defeated in Oklahoma, remember that the people
give and the people take away" The common people are
under no obligation to the politicians, they are obligated to
us.
The pivot of it all is this: that human rights must be para
mount over property values. Slowly but surely the people
are learning to grasp that great fundamental 1t behoves
the politicians to keep ahead of the people in understanding
this great evolutionary force.
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