The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-02-16
By GORDON ROTH
Director of Public Relations
Farmers Union Grain Terminal Assn

Farmers Union Grain Terminal Assn
This week Henry A. Wallace ma
either be confirmed or rejected a
Secretary of Commerce. The figh
over his confirmation in the senat
will be the meanest and bitterest ide
illogical and political battle tina
Washington has seen since the earl
days of the New Deal. Now wha
happens to Wallace as an individual
does not make a great deal of differ
ence to him, but what happens t,
Wallace and the ideas for which h,
stands will make a great deal of diff
ference to you. 1t will make a diff
ference to every farmer and worke
and Main Street merchant The out
come of this fight will shape the
economic and political development.
of the fourth term. 1t will decide
your your economic future. 1t will
decide whether you will have a chance
to go on making a decent, honest
living or be forced into another de
preston.
That is why we want to tell you the
story of what is really back of the
fight to kill Wallace and the ideas he
stands for. But before we do, we
want you to come out to North Da
kota with us. 1t will do you people
outside of that state lot of good to
know it better. North Dakota is what
you would call a purely agricultural
state. Eighty-five per cent of its PEG.
pie are farmers. The other fifteen
per cent who live in towns and vii
lagos depend on the farmers for their
very existence. When the farmers
prosper, the towns and villages pros
per. When the farmers have hard
times, the towns and villages suffer.
Farmers depend on the towns and vii
lagos for many of their material
things. People in the towns and vii
lagos depend on farmers for their
very existence. That is why the PEG
pie on Main Street and out in the
country get along so we'll They I'M
derstand each other.
That is the feeling you have when
you visit the state capitol at Bismarck
where the legislature is now in SEES
sion. That tall skyscraper capitol of
white indiana limestone is a monu
ment of agricultural democracy. 1t
was built from the wealth of the land.
Most of the members of the leeisla-
ture are farmers who produce the
wealth of North Dakota. When Won
are In Bismarck during a legislative
session and have the chance, you
should attend that purely American
institution, the public forum. They
are held every Thursday night. Mem
bers OF the legislature (of all political
shades) carry on the arguments. They
sock and sock hard and pull no
punches. They air their views on
legislative, economic matters. Every
body has his say
Inc moderator is Alex Lind, who is
known all over the state. Mr.. Lind is
Inc legislative representative of the
Farmers Union. He also is a member
of the board of directors of your GTA.
Now, of course, when you get two
legislators together the first thing
they talk about is taxes. Like the
weather, you can always talk about
axes, and then there is talk about
,o-operatives. You cannot find leg
slator who is against co-operatives.
Main Street is for them, just as much
Is the farmer. That must he had |
Jews for the National Tax Equality
Association. 1t cannot be making
much Roadway trying to sign up Main
Street merchants at $50 a head to
light the farmers co-operatives out in
North Dakota.
But the thing that really makes you
eel good is to see how jealousy these
armers guard their educational insti-
utions. They want to make sure that
heir children have every chance to
ret the kind of an education they are
untitled to get in democracy. We
re in war. There are a million
zig and important problems. But
hese legislators know that you can
ot cripple education and starve it
yithout starving the minds of chill
rem, the American citizens of tomor-
ow. They know that the cornerstone
t cooperation is education just as
is in democracy. That is because
nth education comes understanding
nd once there is understanding, de-
locracy is strengthened.
Now all these men land we can't
)rget the women-North Dakota has
ne in the legislature, Brynhild Haug-
md from Minot who has a seat in 6
he back row in the lower house but I
he doesn't take a back seat for any {
ne in either house when it comes to 1
bility) talk off the record at these I
rum meetings. They are not under e
ny pressure from this group or that
roup. They talk out from the bot, l.