Montana labor news., 1944-07-06
DEMAND DEWEY
RESTORE VOTE TO
N. Y. SERVICMEN

NEW YORK - (fP) - Whlle Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey was accepting the Re
publican presidential nomination, labor
in New York was modifying for a final
battle to prevent him from disfranchiz-
ing the 800, 600 servicemen Of his state.
From the AFL, CLIO and National Law
yers Guild went 18th hour appeals to the
governor to accept the simplified ballot
for soldiers and to call a special session
Of the legislature to end the red tape
requiring signed applications for the CT
to vote
Announcing that a citizens committee
for the soldier vote will be formed shortly
to exert pressure on the governor, the
CIO Political Action Committee began
distribution of 100000 postcards adj
dressed to Dewey demanding that he
take the necessary steps to give the sol
diers their vote. The National Lawyers
Guild demanded hat the legislature pro-
vide for automatic registration and use
Of the federal ballot before July Is, If
the disfranchisement of the overwhelm-
ing majority Of New York citizens in
the armed forces is to be avoided
The Allied Printing Trades Council
(AFL) passed, with only one dissenting
vote by delegates representing $4,000 or
ganized workers, a resolution hitting
Dewey's red tape bar to the CT vote and
demanding that he call the legislature
without delay to change the complicated
procedure. The dissenting vote was cast
by the holder of a Dewey appointment
to a S7,5OO-a-year job.
Reason for the renewed campaign for
a federal ballot for New York seryicemen
is that so far only $4,000 out Of almost
a million voters in the armed forces have
returned the required signed applications
for a state war ballot. In the %neighbor-
ing states Of New Jersey and Pennsyl-
vania. whose governors are not presiden-
tial candidates, a signed application Is
not required and registration Of service
men is automatic and facilitated
through all possible channels. Pennsyl-
vania has already registered 100000 out
Oh DUNtUUN III NOIIAo aAA0 y NNNNNJ E
registered 283, 900 out OF 1856, 1000.
These figures we're pointed out to
Dewey's counsel, Charles D.. Breitel, by
the lawyers guild in answer to a letter
from him stating that provisions for a
full vote for each New York state citizen
have been made in the simplest proce-
dure that could be devised" 1t is "un-
reasonable" the guild declared, referring
to the requirement of a signed applica-
ton, ito expect men in the armed forces
fighting under conditions beyond human
endurance and comprehension, to attend
to a detail which even persons in civil
ian life frequently overlook
Even the 65,OOO-6A per cent-of sol
der ballot applications received so far
is twice the number Dewey's state war
ballot commission said it expected. OF
fetal and labor circles here concede this
to the campaign of the CLIO, which dis
tributed 100000 postcards with printed
applications for a war ballot for unions
and other organizations and individuals
to send to soldiers. When, despite these
measures. only one of IL servicemen has
been able to cut through the red tape OF
the state machinery for elections, then
disfranchisement is only a mild word to
describe what is happening" the CLIO
said.