The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-05-18
An Open Letter

Continued from rage Onc)
Butte hotel balcony, that when they
support me, my friends, you may be
sure that l have betrayed you, or
words to that general effect
They are supporting you and prais-
| ing you, Senator, those predatory spe-
cial interests" in this state which you
at one time so roundly and vehement
| ly denounced as public enemies and
worse, and who in turn characterized
you in their kept" newspapers as "a
Russian-loving communist, political
upstart", dangerous demagogic agi-
tator" and other familiar epithets in
the vocabulary of those free enter
prise" fellows, that glorious free
enterprise, the enterprise that pays.
By the way, Senator, how do you
stand on the proposed Missouri Val
ley Authority? | note in the press
that you are much concerned about
the alleged shortage of railroad cars
"in my home state" for the transporta-
ton of grain and other Montana farm
products, and that you are mot going
to stand idly by while it continues.
Why your "home state" only, Senator?
You must be getting ready and trying
to repair your political fences in an |
effort for reelection in 1916. The |
farmers in Montana have votes, and |
you must believe that they also have |
short memories. You may be right !
You have something over a year and |
a half in which to pursue your efforts
to bewilder and befog them into the |
belief that you are still their friend |
and in the hope that they will forget |
and overlook the indubitable fact that |
the American copperheads of the pres
ent war also hail you as their friend |
and ally. If and when you again be-
come a candidate in Montana for re-
election to the high office you now
hold, it will be a test of whether the
people of Montana, including the farm
ers and the railroad employees, regard
material profit or genuine patriotic
loyalty as the higher and more en-
lightened self-interest. If you were
q candidate right now there would be
no doubt of their verdict
You would be defeated by a larger
than by which you were re-
elected in 1940-"the largest vote ever
given any candidate for office in the
state of Montana, as you brag in your
Directory biographical
sketch. OF course everybody in Mon s
tana knows that in that election you
had no opposition worthy of the name.
Outside of the profession of which
ne is an honored member, your titular
opponent in Montana could make no
because he was then in
service with the armed forces of his
country overseas. In such circum-
stances your Congressional Directory
BOAST of being reelected "by the larg- 5
EST vote ever given any candidate for
office in the state of Montana" is in /
BAD taste to say the least, and is false
n what 1t implies. But nobody who a
Knows you would ever expect you to !
De deferred in seeking a political adj /
vantage by any considerations of good n
.aste or of fact h
If you aspire to reelection in 1916, q
Senator, you'd better get busy. There d
ire many Montana voters who have
'oted for you three times, including
myself, and some of them four times,
tut who nevertheless have good mem
'ries and, remembering, are fed up"
With you. They no longer trust you
" believe in your sincerity or loyalty
o anything but your own not over c
self-aggrandizement a d a
and you are going to have s
hard time fooling them again. They :
eel that you misrepresent them in /
he senate of the United States, to I
heir shame and humiliation. h
Nevertheless, thanks again for that ;
look, "The United States and the +.
'eace". 1t contains lot of valuable 2
eference material, including your own Of
peech for use against you should you =
ave the hardihood to again become a Of
andidate for reelection. !,
If the Sixth Floor Hennessy Block az
oys have not lost confidence in you e
y that time too, you may have a az
hance at that. They are formidable u
)rce either for or against a candidate. il
he last general election in this state q
roved that beyond all question. But ic
ley have never had any use for
snegade except as a dire necessity of n
official expediency, and If they should CT
appen to class you as such and de- "a
de you are not worth the money it