The chronicle-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1920-1941, 1940-10-18
wILKn-BEFoRE AND ArrER rHrDArrHrA

WhLhth-bkFoHk AND AfKkk FfthDAkfHtA
II q speech At san Demanding. California. Wen
dell wgllkie naaae a statement whieh Is bound 10 Rive
nx 70 speculation I want 70 carr California" he
sasd. land I want 20 sst IN on r1s basis 81 principles
/ represent
To unoae Who have followed ~. wilIkss's aetloun
and public uttenancss ever since has mama first emery
ed from obseaT4ty this remark sxeftsa curiosity. not a.
10 what me principles ne represents ara. but rather
As 70 hs possession Of any principles Al all
Wien Mt. w1Ekie's ntg buasnsaS baekers bought
ths name and good vfn az any Of the Republican
party 81 she bankruptcy sale IN Pnilaaslpnia n June
and started him on MS course - a candidate ne Vas
kn0wn TO have stood for certain thinga He had made
8 record IN word and deed. That record was IN
ysrtcct harmony with the practices and purposes Of
tne power trust, Of exploiting combinations Of capital
and Of nefartouz pressure groups And. although the
nomination Of such a personality by q major political
party for President Of tine United States was generally
regarded a. . hrszen peTfoFmaaes. nevertheless Il was
considered 70 have made q clear Issue between the
reAeslonAsy interests which w1ah 70 rule tne country
from Wall Street and these vino want the Govern
msnt administered from Washington for the benefit
Of al tina people.
The basis OF which wiIkie was nominated b.
that mythical spontaneous demand ID to BE- found In
his speeches. interviews and testimony up TO that time
80 49, %e~AFN@A %AM ~ IA tNM ADEAv
January II. 1895. when he said: mo duty has ever
come 70 me IN my life. even that IN the service of my
country. which has % appealed 70 my sense Of social
obligation. patriotism and love Of mankind. As thls, ms
obligation 70 say and do what I can for the preser-
walton Of public utilities privately owned In the same
speech he described the agitation for public oxnerskaip
as q foolish fad Of the moment"
A. late n November. 1888. before = Congressional
investigating ~ommitte Nj wIlkie said. 1T Is my
personal belief That the v should 20 cut Of the
power business" He opposed the building Of trans
mission lines BY the v 70 that power could be
distributed TO local public agencies. such a. municipal
plants and rural cooperatlves. One Of the subsidiaries
Of Commonwealth 4 Southern Of which he was first
general counsel and then president. employed labor
spies. another had a Michigan legislator on Its payroll
IN order 70 defeat public utility legislation. and the
Commonwealth a. southern contributed $4,000 10 q
siuzh fund to hribs voters and produce illegal votes
IN . municipal election In Chattanooga Not only was
the contribution made but Mr.. willkie later boasted Of
IT,
II was such a personal history that endeared Mr.
WuIkie to the reactionary groups which brought about
his nomination But nov Candidate wiIlkie Is singing
a different tana. lie told the people Of the Northwest
that If elected he would have the bonneville and
Grand Couiee dam -pFojects-projeets with the same
purpose as TvA--completed and see 70 it that they
we're operated for the fun benefit Of the people Of
this and adjoining areas In the same territory he
asserted It was being whispered around" that he
WAS opposed 20 rural identification whereas. III 1
am elected no rural Identification undertaking will
be abandoned / have always been In favor Of bring
ing electricity to the farms"
In another speech In The West he said, 4 stand
for The National Labor Relations Board and colec-
tive bargaining. I stand for minimum wages and
maximum hours and for the legislation TO enforce
them"
So Wendell wiilkie. up 70 the time OF his nomin-
alton. held to one set Of principles" and after he be-
came a candidate adopted q set IN direct contradiction
OF them. His obvious intent. Of course. Is to attract
votes. But these two exactly opposite attitudes as
stunned within the space Of a few months stamp MFR
wlnkie as q gross and clumsy fraud. II he Is sincere
In his latest expressions OF belief he has wickedly de-
cetyed MS wall Street hackers and revealed himself
as such an unstable character as not to be worthy of
trust While II his conversion Is only . pretense. he
is trying to swindle the electorate by false testimony
and promises not intended to be fulfilled.
The discerning public win easily conclude which
attitude Is assumed and which real. They will be
forced 10 believe that Mr.. winkie amisspoke~ again
at San BernaFdino and what he meant to sag was not
principles I represent but -principals"