Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-12-29
On 7 he
Beam
By
Clayton w.
Fountain
TO FDR

1882. The streets were full of
men who plodded wearily
from one factory to another
looking for jobs. was a
member of that jobless army,
Mr.. President. Most of us
were ION the welfare" If l
recall the figures correctly,
my relief check amounted to
$4.90 per week, which was
supposed to feed, shelter and
clothe a family of four.
There was lot of political
talk that year, in 1882, down
in the ranks of the jobless
multitudes.
We used to talk politics
while standing in line to get
our relief checks. 1t was this
political talk that boiled in
the ranks of the unemployed
which induced me to make up
my mind to vote in 1882.
l had never voted before
in my life. So l went to the
police station and registered;
and when the November cleo
ton rolled around l was one
of the millions who swarmed
to the polls to vote the
straight Democratic ticket.
VOTING FOR BREAD
We voted for bread that
year, in 1892, Mr.. President.
1t was our belief, in the
ranks of the iobless, that Mr..
Hoover and the Republicans
had proved their inability to
do anything for us. SO we
listened to what you had to
say, Mr.. President, and the
records will show that the
huge majority of the jobless
multitude voted for you.
I still think that we voted
correctly in 1892, Mr.. Presi-
dent.
In July of 1893 I got a job
in an automobile factory.
That was under the NRA,
which resulted in shorter
hours and a consequent in
crease in employment.
So we did get some jobs by
voting Democratic in 1892,
and the new Congress did
pass a few bills designed to
improve the lot of the COM
mon people.
UNION RIGHTS
But even under NRA condi-
tions in the auto industry
were far from good. Wages
were low, we were laid off
every SUI m m e r; the boss
picked out his pets to be the
first ones back on the job
after the lay-offs, and we had
no protection against the
speed-up of production sched-
ules.
So in 1885 the boys in the
shop started to talk about a
union. BY 1886 the organiza-
ton of a union for auto work
ers was under way. We heard
that you favored organization
of the workers, Mr.. President;
and, believing that you were
on our side, we went ahead
and faced the power of the
great automotive corporations
in the strikes of 1887.
But, even before 1887, we
marched to the polls and gave
you our votes in the 1886
election. We still think that
we voted correctly in 1886
and also in 1910, when we
voted for you again.
In 1914 we had our doubts
but we voted for you again.
THE MONEY-CHANGERS
All through these critical
years, from 1882 to 1914, we
have supp tie d you, Mr..
President, because we be-
lieved that you were leading
us in the fight of the people
against the money-changers
and the plutocrats,
Our first doubts arose at
the beginning of the war. We
saw agents of the money
changers called to Washing
ton and take over high posts
in the government. These
spokesmen for the rich then
proceeded to use their admin
istrative power, which you
gave to them, Mr.. President,
to feather their own nests,
and to put the squeeze on the
poor folks.
Now, since the 1914 elec-
ton, you have appointed more
money changers to high gov
ernment posts.
1t begins to look like this
is where we came back in
1882. We voted against the
Wall Street candidates in
1944-and we beat them-but
now Won appoint Wall Street