The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-04-23
THE MAGICIAN
BY BEN BUCKLEY

/ The lords Of war are in a quandry
Their bag of tricks is almost empty.
The greatest magician of all time has
commenced to doubt his own ability
as master Of deception His audi
ence, the public, is sitting unmoved as
the show nears it's end Unmoyed by
his manship-doubtful and Gym
lcal - thinking back to his hey-day
when he first came among them with
his bag of tricks and a smile of con-
fidence and produced from his bag of
magic, for the starving and destitute
wonderful and awe inspiring things.
With smile and a flourish of his
hand the banks, that already had all
of the peoples money, were closed,
|reorganized and made sound by swal-
lowing all of the small, independent
banks. A step backwards and another
flourish and 10 and behold here was
CWA and chance for some of the
people to work and they received
their union scale of wages. The peo-
pie were madly cheering and calling
for an encore. The magician bowed
and limped step back. His conf
dence was increasing. Another flour
ish of the hand and the Supreme
Court was reorganized, the Farm Re-
lief became fact. The audience was
rubbing its eyes and doubling its san
ity but cheering wildly His tricks
were coming fast. PWA came out in
full bloom Dams, roads, construc-
tion of public buildings sprung up all
over the country like mushrooms. The
people were crazy with delight and
hoarse from cheering.
Their faith was almost unsuitable
and the magician's confidence knew
no bounds. He retreated another
step and CWA went out, but was re-
placed with WPA under a lower scale
Of wages. The people were all check
ed off and given number. There
was some grumbling, but the cheer
ing multitude completely drowned it.
Again he makes a pass and out pops
he Social Security Act putting the
Did, the Sick the blind and the help
ess mothers and children on very
ow standard of existence The NUT
ering grew louder and the cheering
es, but the people were catalogued
Ind numbered. People were wonder
ng why this great magician with his
zig of wonderful tricks kept retreat
ng backwards across the stage. And
Why were his first tricks the best?
Doubt was creeping into the minds
4 his audience, but they were all
GOD sports and would stay to see the
how out.
There is another great magician,
laying to a capacity house in the
ext town, called Adolph, and the
umor is spreading around that his
lick bag was almost identical to the
ag of our own great magician. And
the bottom off Adolph's bag was
10 greatest trick of all-war. He
lust be master magician because
g has his audience practicing the
lick. 1t seems as though our great
agician hasn't got the oomph that
dolph has, because his audience
reatens to leave and cancel his con-
act. But his managers whisper to
m from behind the curtains to deny
at his bag carried the trick of war
Id that he had great surprise for
EN-. His next great trick would be
ace and prosperity for all, but the
lex was colossal and would take
lite a bit of time. Perhaps it would
we'll if his contract was renewed.
There were many doubters amongst
e audience as to the next trick being
ace and prosperity, but they smoth-
ed their doubts and brought faith
the front and sat back to watch
e show. Their doubts returned
ndred fold when his next trick was
triotism and the saving of the
,rld's democracy in order to save
r own. The great magician is ever
lping backwards, flaying the people
tn his last remaining tricks and
ling to his hackers, the war lords,
close all windows, bar and guard
, doors, throw squadron around
, building and allow no one to
We. We will try mysticism, sor-
y, voodooism and the Christian re-
ion, our last trick, before we pull
} greatest of all tricks-the Lusi-
ia war provoker.