The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-03-02
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ldDOr unions IN government is
good thing, necessary thing, per-
haps little less good or necessary
than the representation of the
churches, which do not represent q
selfish class group interest. But
representation is one thing, domi-
nance another. True liberalism does
not countenance dominance by I'M
ions or any class group. 1t does
not even accept dominance by un-
selfish churches.
What government dominated
by the social workers theory and
rich unions would do to the com
mon man in this country, we can
only surmise in our various ways.
Only a third of the working peo-
pie OF the country are in the I'M
ions in normal times. In the center
OF the unrepresented two-t thirds
the great middle class again-some-
where lies our average citizen, and
the average man whom government
IS supposed to represent especially.
Either he is going to have to get
union OF his own or the govern
ment is going to have to undertake
to represent him without union.
This, then, is what we are con-
fronted With-not voluntary social
ism for this country or in Britain
with whom we seem to be mutual
ly planning, but kind of social
union democracy to face a revolu-
ton from abroad which wants to
60 much further and which will
press US constantly. For postwar,
Churchill has suggested council
OF nations of unspecifiad influence
and power, with actual control on
hemisphere lines-the lines of our
pre-war foreign policy = and no
doubt something like this is being
planned instead of the World State
that is so much discussed.
Need New Liberalism
Well, what shall we do about it
you and l? What can we do about
1t? What is our responsibility?
! think there must be new birth
of liberalism in this country, a lib
erallsm founded on Justice in gov
eminent for the common man, and
an international liberalism founded
on the same principles of Christian
and democratic justice. At least,
that is what l have been working
for in my column.
THE New Republic and all the old
professional liberals have gone over
to totalitarianism. They do not often
look upon this war as being fought
for democracy-only against fasc-
ism. When they do speak of demo-
cratic theories, they mean something
else than ours-the ironical democ-
racy Of Russia, for instance They
are not against totalitarianism. They
like single-headed control of the
peoples and the subsection of man
to the state, as long as they can run
the state.
The New Deal is burrowihg its
head in the slums and its hand in
the ballot box toward continuous
reflections Where, then, is leader
ship for liberalism to spring from,
if not from the press? Certainly
not the college professors whose
hearts are bigger than their heads
or at least filled with more SUBJ
stance. They do, not know how to
make things work. All of them, and
many of our thinking people, have
been seduced by Wistful vista-ing
to proclaim impending Utopias-
all to be bought at the expense Of
giving the individual body, purse,
and soul over to the state and its
political leader-all unmindful of
the fact that this is still the richest
country in the world, with the high
est wage scale and comforts Of life
beyond those known by the average
of any people in all history. In
deed our temperate capitalism is
even now producing the weapons to
furnish Russia in her fight. 1t is
singular that these encroachments
OF revolution upon our system
should continue in a time when our
production is superior to that of all
the world and has largely helped
save the world from the barbarism
of Nazism and Fascism.
You know your communities as
perhaps no other citizen knows
them You deal with the public,
with all business, with the politi-
clans, the churches, the bankers, the
Workmen. Your interest is solely
that Of continuing progress and
preservation along the lines on
which this country has developed.
Your business peculiarly fits you
to understand the difference be-
tween man-made state and a state
made man You have only to COM
pare your own newspaper with
Pravada or the Voelkischer Beo-
bachter or the Populo Romano to
know what it means to preserve a
Christian-democratic system as op-
posed to other democratic hitler
has a Reichstag, remember), So
called or totalitarian systems.
In conclusion, let me sum up my
own thoughts as to what we need
in the way Of leadership. 1t should
not be conservative or reactionary
or in fact, bound by any labels II
should be sympathetic to the inter-
ests of all groups, analytical of the
causes of ALL realistic
in its conclusions, and should strive
only to be just and sound. It must
rise above the selfish aspirations of
any group and direct its cause to-
ward the greater good of the great
er number-the average man, the
common man-not to the exclusion
af thp hiohact or the lompct hr1t