Montana labor news., 1937-06-10
WHEELER
DEFENDS DEMOCRACY
BEFORE THE STUDENTS
1T SCHOOL OF MINES

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Not in a long while have the grad
uating students of the Montana State
School of Mines listened to as liberal
a talk as was made by Senator Bur
ton K. Wheeler at the commence
ment exercises, Friday evening, May
4th.
It is regrettable but nevertheless
a certain fact that most of the
classes that have graduated from the
School of Mines have been com
PEELED to listen, whether they de-
sired to or not, to representatives of
the c~apitalistic method of conducting
society. Many of the realities of life
and the hideousness of our economic
system r yelled from these young
men and women who are graduating
from our higher universities not only
here in Butte but all over the United
States. They n purposely yelled.
It is not often a man of liberal
tendencies and progressive ideas has
been invited to address the gradu-
ating classes from any university.
Not only that but the corporations
dictate, if not wholly, at least par
TALLY, the policies ana the thoughts
of the students. Too often young
mining engineers have left the
School of Mines and later rubbed
elaows and worked with the miners
in the shafts Of the Butte district
and too often these young men have
carried with them the ideas of the
social structure of the nation that
has been taught to them in the insti-
tuition from which they graduated
Many times they have carried an
overweaning attitude of superiority,
a sort of better than thou attitude
toward the muckers and miners who
have done their sweating anC toll
ing that new wealth might be given
to a greedy world. This lack of I'M
derstanding, this absence of appre-
citation of the value of the men and
women of toll possibly accounts for
some of the disdain in which gradu-
ates of the School of Mines have
been held when associating with the
men in the mines. On the other
hand, it must be said that some of
the students have been taught at
home many fundamental truths of
economics and the suffering that is
caused by the operation of the CAPT
talist system, especially in its dis
tributive methods.
If nothing else, Senator Wheeler
gave to the graduating class of the
School of Mines in 1887 the thought
that the students shouldn't accept
without question everything that has
been taught them, but to look for
the truth of things and to inquire
whether what they have been taught
is right or wrong.
One paragraph in Wheeler's adj
dress was particularly significant. 1t
follows:
"You face an intricate and insecure
world, which suddenly has become
so battling as to cause some to de-
spair that it can ever be mastered.
The inventive genius of scientists
and engineers has produced and de-
veloped forces with which pres
ent system has not been able to
cope. The mechanics Of production
have advanced far beyond Jul sys-
tenn of distribution. There is eco
nomic and social maladjustment;
hunger and want in a land of plenty,
and broken jobless men in the rich
est country in the world. Naturally
this has bred cynicism and discon-
tent with all the phases of our mod
ern lie. n good OF our American
civilization has been indiscrimately
condemned, damned and confused
with the evils. The cry of change
and speedy change has fallen on all
too attentive ears. The speed of the
machine has been transmitted to our
political as well as economical sys-
tenn"
1t is safe to assume that Senator
Wheeler did not let himself go I'M
bridled in his talk before these
young students. From his personal
experience which he touched on in
his address, during the hysteria of
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