The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-10-25
By E. H. MANSON

thinking AGAIN." the Duchess
asked. "I've a right to think" said
Alice sharply. Gust about as much
right" said the Duchess, "as pig
has to fly" Nobody nowadays denies
the right of others to think, but there
are powerful influences attempting to
direct our thinking into certain chan
nels.
Every day millions of minds are
being dosed with poisoned propaganda
by a corrupt corporation press, by re-
dictionary radio commentators and
public speakers, some of whom are
candidates from office. Montana peo-
pie are just now getting an overdose
of this poisonous propaganda; all of
which is intended to confuse and mis-
lead their thinking in connection with
the current political campaign. The
republican party, party without
platform, program or principles, a
party under whose control of the gov
eminent every great business depres-
sion has occurred since the civil war,
a party responsible for the creation of
every powerful trust and monopoly
which menaces the welfare of the
average American citizen today, a
party whose leadership has been
weighed in the balances of public
opinion and found wanting is now
appealing to voters in Montana and
the rest of the nation to restore it to
power. Discussing no matter of vital
public interest to the people of Mon
tana or the nation, their propaganda
lists are attempting to arouse a fear
that the 203 communists in this state,
and the probable 100000 in the nation
will take over control of the govern
ment in both state and nation. One
Robnett, a specialist on communism
from Chicago, and now Larry Smith,
a Hollywood radio commentator, have
been and are regaling the public with
fearful stories of what the numeri-
cally insignificant communist organ
iZation in this country will do if the
republicans are not given control of
the next congress. In addition to
Smith, James Able, speaking on a
commercial program from San Fran
cisco, is boosting for Ecton five days
a week Those who listen to the
morning radio programs will recall
that both Smith and Able made pleas
on primary election day for the re-
nomination of Senator Wheeler. Both
of these men speak for great corpora
lions which are affiliated with the
National Association of Manufacturers
and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
Is
the political situation says quote:
Montana. On the theory that most of
the $4,000 democrats who voted for
Burton X. Wheeler in the primary
would now go republican, the COP
thought it had a fair chance to win
with Zales N. Ecton, rancher whose
chief appeal is free enterprise. To
almost all others it looked as if Ecton /
had only a slim hope of beating labor
backed Democrat Left Erickson" end
of quote In order to induce as many
democrats as possible, who voted for
Wheeler to vote for the republican
candidate for senator, articles have
been appearing in the Copper-owned
press from the pen of one George e.
Sokolsky former publicity stooge of
the National Association of Manu- |
facturers, and writer of columns run
by long string of the nations most |
reactionary newspapers. Sokolsky, |
who acknowledges that he is a repub
lican, and that he has known and cor
responded with Senator Wheeler for |
about 20 years, rings in the old tripe |
that was processed by the inquisitori- |
al investigation conducted at Helena, |
early in July, at Wheeler's request,
and which very properly boomeranged |
upon him. Quoting from a letter by
one of Wheeler's pals, Sokolsky says
"The primary campaign lin Montana) |
reached a new all-time low in filthy
defamation 1t was the vilest campaign
in history, ETC." The statement is a :
foul and dirty lie and slap at the
honor and integrity of Montana's
citizenship lie that should, and
likely will be resented at the polls
Nov. 5th. Sokolsky takes up and dis
cusses the source of contributions to
Erickson's campaign fund, undertake
ing to show that people outside of
Montana were unrighteously med
ding in the states politics, Gust as
Sokolsky is now doing) and accuses
the Jews of being the principal Of
tenders. He, of course avoids mention
of sources from which Wheeler's cam
paign funds came, some of which, in
the eyes of respectable people, were
sadly in need of fumigation. The most
contemplate part of Sokolsky's
smears in his references to the book
authored by George David Plotkin,
alias Kin, with which he attempts
by inference to connect Erickson. 1
have never seen this book which Sok- I
olsky characterizes as filthy" or I
have I talked with anyone who has
read it. AS matter of fact, the book (
had practically no circulation prior to {
the primary election, probably very !
little since then. It's publication was
one of Wheeler's longtime
land with some reason) enemies, and z
would doubtless have been published
no matter who might have been
opponent. Well, the dirt is
beginning to fly, and if you get some
If it in your eyes and mouth, Just