The union times., 1946-10-26
Sees Legislation Won Under FDR In Great Danger
Democratic Nominee For U. s. Senator Challenges
 Baldwin To Give Stand
By JOSEPH M. TONE Democratic Nominee for
 U. s. Senator

\ AO OACCGAOA tO OO AO4U OA November fifth next will largely determine whether or not the liberal legislation now on our statute books will re- main there, or whether it will be emasculated.
 Ripped To Shreds''
 tell you bluntly that if the Re- publican Party wins a majority in the U. s. Senate and House of Representatives, the Wagner Act, the Social Security Act, the Wages and Hours Law, and the other laws passed under the Roosevelt Ad- ministration to help the American worker and his family, will be rip ped to shreds by the amending process.
 These laws will not be repealed. No Party, not even the reactionary Republican Party, would dare do that. The American worker has learned that he has a voice, and an important voice, in determining governmental policy, and Republican politicians have learned that anyone stupid enough to attempt outright repeal of our labor laws would be committing political suicide.
 "COP Fears The People,
 But the record shows that the Re publican Party fears the masses of people of this country, the Republican Party is hostile to organized labor. This is no surprise The vested inter ests never have confidence in the little man. The little man stands for demo- cracy in action. He is against mon opoly, against trusts, against cartels. He believes in fair competition. He wants our free enterprise system to be truly free, and truly enterprising. He believes that the United States, as the richest country in he world, with the greatest natural resources of any coun- try, can so order its economy that we can have full employment, with its accompanying guaranteed annual wage
 He believes with the immortal Franklin Roosevelt that every work CT has a right to a useful and re- numerative job in the industries, or shops. or farms, or mines of the nation.
 Doubts Outright Appeal
 So I say, the Republicans, if they win a majority in the next Congress, will not dare attempt outright repeal of the liberal legislation enacted under the Roosevelt administration. The Republicans will amend this 1egisla- ton to shreds; they will reduce ap- propriations to the point where 1t will be impossible to enforce these laws. Should this unfortunate event occur, men may be fired for joining union i; there will be no unemployment insur- ance if a man loses his job; there will be no legal compu1sion to pay overtime for work after an eight-hour day. Old age insurance and survivors pensions will be jeopardized.
 ssThe Good Old Days''
 If any of this sounds exaggerated only ask you to recall the Coolidge Hoover days.
 especially ask you to remem- Der the first years of the last de- pression, when that Great Republi- can. Herbert Hoover, was President. If you think this is ancient history, let me remind you that we have no guarantee that the prosperity we now enjoy, and I put quotation marks around the word prosperity advisedIy, will continue forever. Be that as it may, l only ask you to remember that under MT. Hoover, nothing much was done for the millions of unemployed and vet erans.
 It was not because MT. Hoover was a heartless man that nothing was done. The cause goes deeper. The Republican Party, of which MT. Hoover was the boss, of which MT. Hoover is still the spiritual leader, is devoted to the proposition that property rights come before human rights. Thus every attempt was made by the Republicans to bolster busi- ness. while veterans sold apples on street corners, and Hoovervi1les sprang up in many cities and towns.
 When the Democratic Party, under Franklin Roosevelt, took office in 1852. it inaugurated the policy of helping the unemployed and business.
 We Can Do It
 These facts must be remem- hered. I believe that the sorry story