The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-10-12
Editorial
You Must Choose

Two PHILOSOPHERS of government
are contending today for the favor
of the people in the forthcoming
election 1t is doubtful whether this
is fully understood
"The great issue before this coun-
try is the encroachment of Eu-
ropean state socialism upon our con-
stitutional system of free enter
prise" said a recent writer to this
newspaper. Soon we must decide
whether we want to live under q
system of statism or under that form
of government which has made pos
sible the most remarkable progress
in the history of the world
Those who would introduce new
form of government here hold a de-
featist attitude. They believe Amer
lea has reached a mature econ
omy," as they love to call it. They
maintain that hereafter there will
be little opportunity for the am
bilious youth, that very few. if any,
will be able to become really rich,
that the effort must henceforth be
to keep the mass of the people from
becoming too poor. Holding to this
defeatist attitude, they believe that
all industrial activity must be
largely controlled by boards AMI
bureaus from Washington. This
would require complete control
of all industry and labor, telling
man what he shall earn, how long
he shall work, and sometimes
where he shall work Telling in
dustry what it shall produce, what
profit it shall make, how it shall
conduct its activities. This is large
~ the New Deal theory, which has
been more than proven by numer-
GUS statements by scores of persons
in high places in the present adj
mlnistration
Opposed to that defeatist theory is
the belief of those who still have
faith in the future of America. They
believe that America is only at the
beginning of development that is
possible to it if it has wise gov
eminent. They believe profoundly
that there are still untold oppor-
tunities in America for the ambl-
tious person. They point to the fact
that we are only at the beginning
of the air age. that electronics il
just entering the world of industry;
that television only awaits the COM
ing Of peace, that industry states
there will be almost a new world
to live in after the war ends; that
the age of plasticS is lust opening
up, that new super-highway systems
are to be built. that there are I'M
imaginable depths still to be
plumbed in the scientific world. All
Of this in America. And if hopes are
only partly realized, there awaits
the building up Of new standard of
living and colossal Development
throughout the world, calling for
the Wisest and the most able Of
young men. And despite all these
vast fields Of opportunity, those
poor deluded defeatists hold that
America has seen her best years,
that she has reached a mature
economy" that it has passed it's
youth and that henceforth it must be
regimented and everyone forced into
leading strings.
Those are the two PHILOSOPHERS If
government that are contending in
the present campaign. The decision
is up to the people Of the United
States Do they believe America is
still land of opportunity and
should remain a land of freedom or
do they want to adopt the system
tried out none too well in tired old
Europe? Shall we still place our
faith in individual initiative or shall
we 60 to RECOMMENDATION and DOM
nance by boards and bureaus from
Washington. with all the fearful
paralyzing effects that are sure to
have2
What is WOLFE decisinn2