The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-03-20

Dear Editor:
Just suggestion to the voters O
Montana, both men and women, wht
have progressive thought in thei
minds and who have an ambition tt
raise the standard of living of tn,
man at the bottom, which will invari
ably raise the standards of other lev
els, and who would like to see a sense
of honesty injected into politics ant
who would like to eliminate inside
graft and racketeering and who would
like to eliminate the professional pol
itician who continuously frames anC
double-crosses the voter and who
would like to reasonably regulate
rather than prohibit certain lines Of
endeavor which have proven fallacy
and who would like to eliminate oul
so-called Hitler Bill and give our state
government back to the people, and
last but not least, to clean our state
house in large measure and give
us new and efficient group of pub
lie servants.
| suggest that the voters organize
themselves together into some sort of
a progressive group or block with one
thought in mind, and that is organi-
cation and cooperation. There should
be no thought at this time in their
political set-up to endorse candidates
and write planks for a political plat
form for the reason that there will
be so many of these groups that will
be so antagonistic toward each each
other that their force and effect will
be nullified and we will pass another
election with no results accomplished.
My suggestion is that the progress
sive thinking people of our state
should organize in each county and
have a state central committee, leav-
ing the endorsement of state and con-
gressional candidates to pre-primary
gathering about the first of July so
the favored candidates in both parties
could be endorsed. Prior to this
gathering, each county organization
should assemble and endorse their
candidates on both tickets. At this
time we would all know what candi-
dates had filed and the platforms and
principles on which they stand, so an
intelligent selection could be made.
Then, after the primary election in
which people have made their choice
of candidates in both parties, another
meeting should be held sometime be-
tween the first of August and the first
of September to re-endorse the candi-
LOT hot x1rhn
selected in the primary election so
that all progressive voters can con-
solidate their efforts in order to ac-
complish the results they wish to at
tain.
We think and know that the indie
pendent non-partisan voter is the man
who elects the candidate. They are
the balance of power between the
republican and democratic parties and
the fact is, l think this vote is the
decisive vote that elects or defeats all
candidates. The county organizations
will naturally be the backbone of the
whole set-up, guided by state CEN
trail committee, and through this set
up representatives can be selected
who are best qualified to inject eff
cheney, honesty and liberal views into
our state and national politics.
Montana should have one major lib
eral progressive organization which
could affiliate with all organizations
thinking and believing along the same
lines of thought We, the common
people, resent actions of various
boards and commissions that tend to
do nothing but white-wash conditions,
which gives them no excuse for their
existence, but these various depart
ments should be set up with efficiency,
honesty and integrity to reduce the
cost of government and to save the
taxpayer a useless expenditure of
funds.
We have a great battle ahead of
us during the coming campaign and
it will take the united efforts of all |
fair-minded progressive people to |
clean the slate and place efficient |
officials in power. 1t can be done if |
the rank and file of the voters do !
not select their own personal candi-
late or write their own platform, but
let each candidate make his own de-
cision and tell the general public what
ne stands for, then the general public
3an pick the wheat from the chaff and
can select group of candidates., and
venture to say that they will come
rom both political parties, because no
,ne political party ever placed an eff
,ient group of candidates in the field
It one time.
I do firmly believe that all organi-
.ations should recognize not only our
state law which prohibits appointive
officials from taking an active part in
he leadership of political organiza-
ions, but also the federal Hatch bill
hat has been recently passed. 1t is {
cry evident that our state law has {
,een ignored for many years which
caves the organization of both polit- S
cal parties in the hands of profession
! politicians and l do believe that our {
ounty and state attorneys should take l
n active hand in seeing that this law S
) respected and carried out. L
In closing, let me say: Organization t
nd cooperation are the first steps /
nd then the proper selection of eff
lent honest, capable candidates can G
asily be selected and we can change a
he political picture in our state cap
.ol building. O
Very truly yours, +
E. B. COOLIDGE,
Great Falls, Mont. t
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