The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-07-31
NORTHWEST
LIBERALS SAY
ITS ROOSEVELT


sive-minded voters thinking today
Richard Leekley got a cross-section OF
Iopinion at an informal conference OF
leading farmers, cooperative officials
labor leaders and professional people
in ST. Paul. Because most of the dis
cussion was off the record names are
omitted.
BY RICHARD LEEKLEY
ST. PAUL.-(FP)-R Representatives
of farm, labor and professional or
CARNATIONS took down their hair in
an informal political conference held
here.
Men and women came from several
Northwestern states for the gathering,
which was one of series planned to
cover the upper Mississippi valley dur
ing the prediction period. Purpose
is to unity progressive thought and
action among nominal republicans,
democrats, farmer-laborites socialists
and independents.
On one point all but three conferees
pretty well agreed This was that the
election of Roosevelt was preferable
to that of Willkie. The G. o. P. can
didate was freely branded the big bus
mess candidate and a reactionary
Roosevelt was seen by most speakers
as "the lesser of two evils"
Dissenters from this viewpoint saw
no difference between the
frr s,.J .fr
ticket this fall One person said: "A
good socialist party vote would be an
indication that people want to go
farther than Roosevelt"
A North Dakota farmer declared |
hat "the western vote elected Roose-
yelt; now he loses us loses us and
becomes a tool of the capitalist
group"
Emphasis upon a national confer
snce of progressive was made by sew
,ral speakers, one small city lawyer
that even though no third
,arty ticket could be put into the /
ield in 1910, a new farmer and worker
,arty should be formed as soon as
possible. 1t was said that call for
lational conference should be made
made Immediately.
The split in the labor movement
anne in for severe criticism by sew
raj farm speakers With the labor
novement divided, one Montanan con-
ended that "the leading force for pro-
ressive action is going two ways at
nee"
On the other hand, another farmer
sked: when labor was fighting re-
ent repressive legislation, where were
he farm groups? They weren't doing
heir part to help labor" (This
peaker forgot that the Washington
of the Farmers Union OPP +,
osed the Gripping of the wage-hour
lw)
One farmer surmised that ma
onal conference would "get into a
crap on national defense" although .
e felt it would be foolish and danger
us to oppose defense as such. This
ID several to make the point that
nminence of attack upon the U. S. :
as largely "reactionary propaganda.
One of the most applauded state
ents was a North Dakotan's attack
pom mobilization-day plans and the :,
bills now pending. "If D
e get into war we will have the
day PLAN" he summarized. IF we Z
1t the plan we lose democracy"
An observer from South Dakota said =
Ie state was so desperate because of r
w farm income that it might go
rillkie just for show of protest"
Spokesman of northwest progressiv- u
m are apparently keen for united u
oppressive action Immediately in the u
ce of threats of war and reaction. y
hey will take steps to insure this IL
lity. =
They are of divided mind on third re
.rty action, however, with a general III
cognition that constant threat of ie
new party this year would tend to
TX a swing of reaction by the Roose- =
1t camp They want a reasonable
tional defense only if social objec-
res are not pushed aside, and they
e determined to make the congress
oppressive for 1941.