The people's voice., 1944-09-01
Labor's Right

LABOR RlSHt
Implied in the campaign of the reactonares the Ma
picture picture the CIO Political Action Committee
"communsc" and destructive element in political
e challenge the rights of labor to organize for po
ca action The attempt to dscredit its leadership among
the less informed of czenry only of the tactical
these reaconary leaders Others will doubt be
developed and with abundance of funds at their disposal
their nuendos and outright lies will be given the widest cir
cuaon through the monopoly and the controlled
radio chains in this state and all others.
Attempts have already been made to catch the Political
Action Committee under the provisions of the Smith Conna
Failing do this the columns have been
filled with criticisms OF the comparatively modest amounts OF
money which the political action committee had at its disposal
primary campaign and the amount that the recently
ganized National Political Action Committee proposes
expend its efforts to the election of
President Vice President and Congress with degree of
for the welfare of the great mass of the people The
expression Comparatively modest amounts is used advisedy
comparing the amount which is proposed to raise with
the amounts that for instance the Republican party will un-
doubtedly raise spend effort elect its candidates
the term ''picayune" would be more descriptive.
Everyone recognizes of course that labor organizations
been formed and exist because the political
rules of society permit them to do They part
of our democracy examples OF free institutions OF Tree
people But like all other rules laws governing society,"
they political action in national
It is also recognized that special interests make
effort sometimes legitimate sometimes not to elect represent
national who be depended upon to
protect the interests of these special Under
with the control of the major channels of information
controlled by the powerful financial industrial employer
groups the worker have faced tremendous odds in
their rights citizens let alone their rights to just
consideration by the groups exploiting their labor
The provisions in the mithConnally act prohibiting
ion contributions of funds in final election campaigns
cearcu and unjust abrdgement of fundamental democratic
rights imposed organizations The organizations
the farm organizations have long discovered that
to elect members of favorable to their
interests this prohibition imposed by the Smith Connaly
act creates impossbty for the the
organizations to get friendly representation the
contributions from the membership of labor farm
organizations must be expected few single
dollar They can't do and organized
get that Individual contributions capi
taists the other hand be in
thousands of dollars easily the aborer contribute
dollar Thus the of representation fixed beforehand
The Communist has been flung Sidney Hillman
the head of the Political Action Committee and Dies and his
lk have called the organization Communist This of
only campaign engineered by the powerful corpor
ate anabor interests using irresponsible liars to
spread the poison. 1t old tactic. Probably the lae
unlamened Sam insult its first practitioner When there
campaign started eastern city for public ownership
of the local electric light plant he instructed his henchmen
and their newspapers there to start keep calling
them he public ownership proponents) reds 1t effec
tive then and pitfully enough, it still is effective.
While judging by of the leading addresses made at
the Republican convention in this state it indicated that
the party might adopt Dies tactics in it's campaign the
state this would only be stealing thunder from the reaconary
democratic organizations other states In neighbong
state of Oregon the PAC given credit for the election Of
Republican Wayne Lyman Morris
The thing that intelligent believers in democracy all
consider primarily important their attitude the
Political Action Committee, is that it organized under
laws that its membership is made of working people, that
the privileged fear organization of people
which threatens their control of democratic
their dominance The working people
only have the right to organize for political action but
to do if democracy to remain anything but
far actual concerned toward
better life for the people of the country. i