The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-02-14
By RICHARD LAKE

cheered with the rest and thought
Sure, why not elect him President
1t wouldn't worry me a bit" And
was very happy toward Mr.. Dewey TO
coming out here and providing m
with so much fun. In fact, wheneve
am reminded that this is election
year I hug myself with glee Every
one loves free circus; but it is onl.
a few of the wiser of us who under
stand that the troupers of the circu
are the dramatis personae of our i'm
Iaginations, whereas in election yea
this is more apparent and we cal
SILVER with the delight of being boil
spectators and actors.
l didn't go down in the snow t.
troupe. l didn't have to. The circus
came to me in the persons of two
| friends, one of whom said, Il thinl
we ought to go see Mr.. Dewey; after
ALL just because man is republi
can is no reason he shouldn't be 6
brilliant and interesting fellow"
This man was unwittingly clown
tragic and ridiculous.
The second friend replied, ITO me
the fact of his being republican is
a pretty darned good guarantee
against his being anything of the
kind"
He was a tight-rope walker, glitter
ing in spangled tights.
You have to understand that polit-
ical struggles are circuses, else you
will become sickened by them. This
is not to say they are inconsequential
mere Pigments of ones imagination
They are as grim and real as death
itself TRY to figure out sometime why
death should have become a symbol
of reaiity.) But after you have seen
few, the routines of the troupers
in the ring become boresome and rep
etitious. If you cannot see the real
circus among the spectators you will
become cynical and climb on a band
wagon yourself.
The Plain Folks device: "Mr. Dewey
wore simple dark suit such as any
merchant or farmer might have worn.
His shoes were old and cracked. He
wore an old battered hat"
Glittering Generality: Ellis name is
synonymous with honesty in govern
ment."
Transfer 81 learned to have faith in
the United States. l believe in it, and
think we are about to embark on
ono+bor oIor;onc nar;od in orr his
tory"
Name-calling: when the federal
government regularly miscalculates its
finances in terms of billions of dollars,
it is a symbol of widespread incom-
petence."
Yes, and the autographing, the
CHEEKY smile, the easy assurance that
only the republicans Tor democrats or
communists or whatever) can remedy
this appalling situation. 1t all gets
pretty old. But watch your friends,
Hear one applaud and cry, We'll turn
the grafters out!" Hear another
sheer, 1.-THE republican party is bank
rupt; it has nothing to offer" Watch
their eagerness as they follow these
actors they have created in the image
of themselves. You will not soon be-
come bored with that show.
So l applauded Dewey and hoped
he would be elected. When the others
come to town 1 shall do the same.
Will believe that one administration
will be whole lot better than the
next? No. Do l think the constitu-
tion will crash if Roosevelt is re-
elected? No. Do l believe Roosevelt
is the only leader who can see us
safely through difficult times? No.
Must we have a new deal candidate
if we are going to preserve our gains
and build on them? No. Can the re-
publican party alone lead us to sanity
and solvency? No.
But don't place much faith in me
as political prophet. | wouldn't like
any partys program much unless it
had me as its candidate. And not too
much then l feel that the American
people are going to get about what
they deserve in politics and govern
ment. They raise their leaders up in
their own image and then berate them
because they fall short of perfection.
Throughout their history they have
refused stubbornly to be realistic, and
from all indications they are going
to keep on refusing. So why get very
excited over the 1910 campaign? If |
could persuade you all to study your
selves and your fellows instead of
The candidates, the net result might
be an inching toward self-understand-
ing, individually and collectively.
Then when we raised candidates in
our own image we would have fol-
owed stricter and more realistic
standards, and our candidates would