The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-04-28

yan said in another connection, there
lis no discharge in that war"
I have only one thing to add about
the public and labor relations, that
the tripartite system has proved its
value. Certain leaders of both labor
and industry have been irked by the
war labor board and would like to
get rid of it. at the first opportunity
and revert to a knock-down battle
with no holds barred. l have drawn
a good deal from Lincoln for this
speech, for | have been writing it on
his birthday; and l am reminded of
another of his stories, about the sick
man in Illinois who was told he prob
ably hadn't many days longer to live,
and that he ought to make peace with
any enemies he might have. He said
the man he hated worse of all was a
fellow named Brown in the next vii
/ lage and he guessed he had better
begin on him. So Brown was sent
for, and when he came the sick man
began to say, in voice as meek as
Moses, that he wanted to die at peace
with all his fellow creatures, and he
hoped he and Brown could now shake
hands and bury all their enmity The
scene was becoming altogether too
pathetic for Brown, who had to get
out his handkerchief and wipe the
gathering tears from his eyes. 1t
wasn't long before. he melted and gave
his hand to his neighbor, and they had
regular love-feast. After a parting
that would have softened the heart
of grindstone, Brown had about
reached the room door, when the sick
man rose up on his elbow and said,
"But, see here, Brown, if | SHOULD
happen to get well, mind THAT OLD
GRUDGE STANDS" If the public
ever gets caught in the unrestricted
battle which some of the extremists
on both sides would like to have, and
wants congressional consideration of
the entire labor relations program, or
formulation into one code, of as much
of policy as is to be determined by
the federal government, the great
range of experience that the war labor
board has had, ought to be useful.
But perhaps the most useful thing the
board has done is to prove the work
ability of the tripartite system, which
in this field, if it can be made to
work, is more in accord with demo-
cratic principles than any method of
individual control
That is as far as | got in my pre-
pared remarks, and | would leave it
1t that except that those are some
What abstract words to end on.
lave come a long haul across the
sreat brown continent, looking out of
he train window, with that poem of
Walt Whitman's drumming in my
mind.
Long, too long America
And now to conceive and show to
the world what your children en-
masse really are. y
A long train journey always makes
ne meditative. We live in moments
Spontaneously, only now and then
topping, as it were at some railroad
tation of the mind, to take on or de-
yer whatever it is we carry. | fear
nat after all this long ride | haven't
rought you much except what looks
me like general truths; but if they
re truths l needn't be ashamed
Only those things which are always
ue are also and always up-to-the-
mute. Only the permanent is always
'pical. In the train | was conversing
18th an "old-timer' who said, 81 do
1t wish you to act from those truths.
o! Still and always act from your
elings; but only mediate often on
ose truths, that sometime or other
ey may become your feelings