Montana labor news., 1938-08-18
N~on-pdrtiSan LEAGUE
Proud Of Judgment
OF Montana Voters
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ponent part, fought the recent pri-
mary campaign on the basis of its
economic and social program and
confined its efforts to making clear
to the best of its ability the vital
issues of this nature which the peo-
pie of this state and nation, and in
deed of the whole world, must meet
and settle now.
Decent wages and hours-unem-
ployment relief, social security
farm prices and farm subsidies
public works-popular education
peace or war-fascist reaction or
peoples progressive return of the
government and its institutions to
the people-unswerving support for
the New Deal, President Roosevelt
and his social program-maintenance
and extension of all democratic
rights-these are the issues on which
Labor's Non-Partisan League, the
Council for Progressive Political Ac-
ton and the wage earners organized
in A. F. of L., CLIO unions, in the
Railway Brotherhoods, the unem-
ployed and WPA workers organized
in the Workers Alliance and farmers
organized in the Farmers Union,
united around militantly progressive
principles, policy and program, ap-
pealed to the citizenry-and wonl
Of even greater importance than
the splendid support given to the
progressive candidates is the wide
popular support manifested for the
progressive program. Without such
a program the corporation candi-
dates would have their usual oppor-
tunity of misleading the electorate
once more.
Outstanding among the achieve
ments of LNPL and the MCPPA is
the nomination of Congressman
O'Connell-who was made the target
of the most vicious reactionary drive
seen in this state for 20 years.
In the Second (Eastern) Congress
sional District, the nomination of
Congressman O'Connor, who during
his campaign endorsed the program
and slate of the Montana Council for
Progressive Political Action, must be
considered a victory for the New
Deal.
The large popular vote polled fol-
the two candidates of Associate JUS
tice of the Supreme Court-Leif
Erickson of Sidney and Phil O'Don-
nell of Butte-endorsed by LNPL
and the MCPPA, is another striking
tribute to the consciousness and soil
darity of the working people of Mon
tana, to their understanding of the
fact that the "nonpartisan" judiciary
plays an all-important part in the
economic and political life of our
great state,
The vote shows that had it not
been for the unforeseen and un-
fortunate death of Chief Justice
Sands the question of a liberal com
position of the Supreme Court would
have been practically settled in the
primaries.
The loss of the progressive candi-
dates for the six-year and two-yeal
terms for Railway and Public Serv-
ice Commissioner was not unexpect-
ed and is no reason for pessimism
The LNPL and MCPPA had beer
organized for too short a time tc
prevent the filing Of a number Of
independent" candidates. Further.
more, the progressive movement was
too young and inexperienced to cam.
paign directly against the more OBJ
noxious corporation machine candi.
dates.
For example,: Had the LNPL anc
the MCPPA been able to expose sys
tematically the record of Middleton
as warden of Deer Lodge peniten
tiary; his alleged connection witt
the recruiting of convicts anC
e%x-convicts as strikebreakers anC
gunner in the strike of mine anC
smelter workers in 1894 in Anaconda
Butte and Great Falls which brough
victory for the International Uniol
of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers
for the mechanics unions of the A. F
of L. and the entire labor movemen
of this state and the whole North
west, his defeat probably would hav'
been assured.
Similarly in Silver Bow County
where the State Senator and sever
out of the ten legislative candidate
endorsed by LNPL were victOriOu
in the primaries; the failure to ex
pose and campaign directly agains
Goodwin and Freshman made it pos
sible for them to be counted in. /
they succeed in getting into the mex
legislative session, their value viii
have been seriously impaired.
Returns from other counties indi
cate that the primary results guar
antee large progressive blocs-o
perhaps even majorities-in the low
er House and Senate. The program
and slate of the Montana Council TO
Progressive Political Action ant
LNPL swept through the primar.
elections on a statewide scale.
The Tory : Democrat = Republican
coalition began to reorganize thei
forces the day after the primaries. ]
.