The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-09-03
WILLIAMS
REVIEWS The
POLITICAL FIELD

National and state anti-labor legis
lation has boomeranged and has
aroused industrial and farm workers
and liberals to vigorous grass-roots
political action in a widespread cam
paign to undo the results of labor's
apathy in the congressional elections
of 1912, declared Howard Y. Will
Iliams of st. Paul, national field direc
tor Of the Union for Democratic Ac
tion, speaking in a symposium over
radio station WEVD New York City,
He has just returned from a three
months speaking and organizing trip
which took him through 10 eastern
and midwestern states
"Vice President Wallace has staged
one of the greatest come-backs in our
political history and labor and liberals
everywhere are insisting that he be
the Presidents running mate in 1914"
continued Captain Williams, one of
the leaders of the Minnesota Farmer
Labor party, who was cited by Gen
eral Pershing and decorated by the
French for bravery in the last war.
and recently took Captain Ricken-
hacker to task for his attacks on
labor, in a statement which occa-
stoned much editorial comment and
which was included in the Congress
sional Record.
1.-THE passage of the Smith-C onnally
bill and of similar acts by state legis-
latures has awakened labor to the
dangerous consequences of failure to
register and vote In city after city,
labor is cooperating with independent
and progressive voters in a precinct
by precinct drive to register labor's
vote and to obtain regulations which
will enable persons working long and
irregular hours to get to the polls.
In this effort AFL and Clio members
are finding common ground and are
gradually overcoming the barriers to |
cooperation engendered by past juris- |
dictional disputes. Never have / |
found so much activity so early in |
the campaign.
Labor, farmers and liberals are
convinced that If the war is still on
and the peace unsettled that the
Roosevelt-Wallace ticket will run
again. It is clear to the common peo-
pie that the reactionaries are more
Interested in defeating President
Roosevelt and Henry Wallace than
hey are in defeating Hitler and Hiro-
lito.
Liberals in Iowa, Kansas and
Michigan doubt their ability to carry
hese states for Roosevelt and Wal h
ace. Progressive labor and farm
eaders in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ken
lucky, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri and /
lew York are convinced that with &
heir efforts already begun to register /
heir people and organize in the pre- 1
incts and blocks, they will carry +
heir states for the President t
There is not the enthusiasm for {
1r. Roosevelt among the rank and S
lie that there was in 1886 and 1910 /
ue to his lack of aggressive leader Il
hip on the home front these past
lree years. There is, however,
Indamntal appreciation of his serv-
20 to the common people and a rec
gnition of his war strategy. Every \
here | was told that Willkie would c
i've him the toughest opposition. Y
Ienry Wallace is saying what the I
eople want said and in city after
ty labor is insisting upon his re- Y
omination. In this respect organized s
-bor is not going to give the Presi- C
emit blank check. Il
"On the state and local levels there A
Continued on Page Three) q