The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-09-22

distortion of the facts, omis
sions and downright misrepre'
sentations". He stated that
he was proud, along with the
rest of the democratic candi-
dates, to have the backing OF
the common men and women
of the state of Montana.
Judge Ericksons speech, delivered
over the Helena radio station last
Tuesday evening is printed in full
below:
"This is my first appearance on the
air since the primary election. AT
the outset of this talk l want to ex-
press my deep appreciation to you for
the splendid vote given me then.
While had every confidence I would
win the democratic nomination, l had
no idea it would be by such an over
whelming margin I take that large
vote not just as an expression of your
confidence in me personally, but as
an indication of your approval of the
program | advocated in my platform
and in my speeches. | shall stand
squarely on that program this fall and
if | am elected | shall work to the
utmost to put it into effect.
Events of recent days have made
this time for plain talk. The people
of Montana are entitled to know now
before the tumult and the shouting
~ rJ,of hn II, io
election campaign-the most import
ant for the welfare of Montana gen.
orally since the creation of the state.
1 want you to know now just what
forces are at work in Montana and
how they are lined up.
"Over practically the entire history
of the state, Montana politics in
large measure, have been dominated,
even though the laws of our state and
nation prohibit corporate participation
in politics, by two giant corporations,
one with a practical monopoly on our
mineral and forest resources, and the
other with a monopoly on our water
power. That dominance has been the
subject of national attention many
times but most recently in an article
in the September issue of Harpers
magazine. 1 am told the Atlantic
Monthly, in it's next issue, will also
give consideration to this situation. |
In the Harpers' article it is said one
of the first questions asked in a po-
Iitical campaign in Montana is, Who
is the Companys candidate?' Those
of us who live here know how true
that statement is. This year it takes
no deep student of Montana politics
to know that the Anaconda Copper
Mining Company and the Montana
of my Republican oppon-
ent. These two corporations directly
own or control the Independent Rec
ord of Helena, the Billings Gazette of
the Standard and the Post
of Butte, and the Muscular of Mis-
soula, as well as other minor period
icals. From what has appeared in
those papers in the last few weeks,
how bitterly my candidacy for the
governorship is opposed by the own |
ers of this portion of our Montana
press is clear to every reader. The ]
extremes to which these papers have
gone in their departures from the
truth and by distortion of the facts,
omissions and outright misrepresenta {
ions, are evidence of the desperate l
anxiety of the company forces to re-
elect the present governor.
"The foundation of some of these |
stories is so ridiculous and the infer I
ences drawn so far fetched that they |
effect little credit on the astuteness [
If the so-called master politicians en-
,loyed by the company whose reputa- c
ions in the past have been almost S
legendary. How these forces expect
o bring about the election of their |
candidate is already indicated by the u
Methods employed through the COM t
,any press in the last few days. The v
irst thing, of course, which they are
rying to do is to avoid a considera- q
ion by the people of the real issues. g
30 to prevent this consideration no a
lay goes by but that in identical v
rticles these five papers print plain v
i've walls to the effect that Sidney e
Iillman must not be allowed to run S
he United States and more particu- p
arly Montana One would think from Ii
eading the company newspapers that c
his is a campaign between the pres s.
mt governor and Sidney Hillman, and
ot a campaign in which, as demo- a
ratio nominee, 1 figure personally at Ii
IL. a
What is the foundation for this W
articular red herring which is being r;
yorn thin on the highways and by p