The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-11-27
FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS


Open Letter to f. d. X.
Well Mr. President, you have your mandate-such
before received by any president
the founding of this nation The result close but clear
majority of the American People have expressed their
fidence in you for third term
What this mandate What decisions recorded in
the election? What the aims and demands of the
majority supporting you? The these questions
must necessarily shape your line of action
And since Cleveland remarked the President of
ALL the people, must also give weghy consideration
the motives and fears of the substantial majority that voted
against you
Looking at the election we can agree that it revealed en-
couraging symptoms of the vitality of democracy America
Rarely have the people of this other country exercised
with greater seriousness of purpose Rarely
have they shown greater freedom of judgment casting their
The Crucial Issues
Why then, did the majority rally behind your leadership?
generally agreed that the crucial issues determining
the election those of foreign policy and national defense
majority of the people supported that the peace
security this maintained only by an a
gressve policy of resistance the relationships by
short of backed by adequate preparations for the
total defense of this hemisphere They voted for the
nuance of tried and experienced leadership
rying out of these detectives
On the question of national defense the people
also expressed themselves in uncertain They
cded that we in America better ourselves under the
guidance of responsible experienced and progressive po
ca leadership than under the guidance of direct
tive OF Wall Street money lords and Big Business
The Basic Issues
These the crucial issues Without the-withou the
threat from abroad that created them you probably would
supported Mr.. President there funda
mental issue raised by the Wendell
Willkie and pressed by him throughout the campaign
The majority is behind you Mr. President because they
believe that in word and deed have demonstrated your
sincere friendship for the They are for the
ca reforms that have been achieved under your leadership
and they expect them to be maintained and extended during
the next four They approve of the part you
played in restoring the security and rights of labor
ing to extent the plight of the farmers
of small business
Big Business the People
They voted for the basic principles New Deal as OBJ
posed to the Old Deal in dress that the
Wke crusade They voted against the idea that the Wall
Street fnanclers the Big Business Monoposts
few, this country for their benefit They voted
the idea that the social action of all the people,
through democratic government offers the
nomc expansion job security rising living standards social
we'll being and fuller political freedom.
What about the substantial minority arrayed itself with
Vlkie? The Willke party headed course by that
title band of willfu who comprise monopoly
contained pointed during campaign sinister
iance between radicasm reaction and
ween Wall Street, John L. Lewis, and the Bund
The Protest Vote
But the Wilkie vote whole not particularly for
eaction radicalsm In large part it was
reat protest vote Many citizens for good
easons believe that your administration has failed
pressing social problems
hey believe their desperation that
leadership be able to solve these problems pro-
ressive political leadership has failed f
Many citizens alarmed continuous
government under your administration and they
cared the third term long step toward dictatorship
cit that your foreign policy and national
taking too far and too fast the toward war
ew recorded their protest against the draft Il
robems Still Unsoved
1t only surprising that this protest vote was not much
reater For the fundamental problems of break
have remained unsolved And long as democratic
solution has been achieved all citizens
to fear the incidence of political dictatorship and many
zens be expected to embrace the reaconary
emagogue. In