The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-02
Passing the Social
Service Buck Back 10 The
Right Wineers-Tasine
Tacoma Power Plants

LIVERY once IN a while there
Il appears on the surface Of de-
nominauonal complRooncy n rip
pie which reflects the irritation
that some OF the churches are *.
perienctng because Of membership
of ministers IN sooalied left wing"
social service organizations. one
such instance and the reason for
II was recently revealed by Dan
B. Brummitt. "a militant but level
headed Methodist. In this par
ticular case friends Of one Of the
conservative ministers OF the
Methodist church asked why he
continued his membership in two
organizations with alleged radical
leadership Ills answer, substan-
tally WAS this.
Because you and my other
natural associates, with whom
would much prefer 10 work,
seem to have 80 little concern
over the all-too- visible social
sins and evils Of this day. You
may he morally indignant now
and then. hut YOU talse u out
mostly In making n fuss over
the methods of people who AT
least are trying to do some
thing.
You talk patriotism, and the
plain teaching Of the gospel. but
SO far as ] can find out your
main program is 10 let things
slide You applaud the patriotism
of speakers who glorify our
American freedom, but although
the Bill of Rights, which guaran-
tees that freedom. is under attack
from many enemies. you leave It's
defense TO radicals. and complain
when they champion the rights Of
those undcrpriuleRed people FOR
whom you are doing nothing at
all.
"The Sermon ON the Mount,
from which YOU let me quote
freely ON sunday. IN repudiat-
ed during the week by many Of
YOUR business and social init
mates. and you give II very
little constructive thought.
Because you think the left
winRers are wrong. You also seem
10 think there IS something indie
cent about their zeal believe
that many of them are quite aa
prcludiced IN one direction as you
and ! may be IN the other. yet
they make me ashamed They
work a lot harder for their con
vicuons than most Of Us work for
ours"
IN conclusion. this out-apoken
who works with fad.-
calls because be doesn't find HE
own kind doing n very neccssary
service. leaves this thought
II YOU don't like the way
the radicals work; II you can't
bring yourself To associate
with them. including such
men a. Bishop JcC Onnell and
Roger Baldwin. why don't you
organize "A right-Wing move
ment 10 do the bob and not
leave IL all 10 those whom you
call left-wingers and radicals?
Which IL d pretty good way ~
saving that the Ho-called radical
movements of which We complain
80 much exist only because those
we designate ~ conservative are
too lazy 70 tackle the Job or have
not sufficient interest 70 under
take H.
When Ira DAVIDSON, Tacoma
utilities comnisHoner. expressed
the fear the other day thai q
proposed bilI ~ tax municipality
owned power plants would make
10 tough for the Tacoma enter
prlse. he MAS merely bringing into
the open something that has been
becoming more and more obvious
AZ the years 70 BY.
Back few years when the
farmers Joined with Bome u the
municipalities n clip the wings II
what for want u . better name
we called the 'p0Wer trust. there
was more Or less u an idea that
q publicly owned power
plant was a sort 81 altruistlc ven
ture 70 which the gods would BE-
~ Kind that the rules u ordinary
business prudence would not ap-
plv. There 8aH N b. some sort
u ledger5cma.n which would make
IL unneceeEary % give much
thought u income or OgtgO. That
would be cared for in soms
miraculous manner.
A great many farmers and
other suburban residents be-