The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-01-25


walked them up to what kind of a
/ progressive" he is. The voters who
lswallowed the lies and misrepresenta-
lions about Erickson as being COM
munist-backed, know better now. They
konw how dirty and unfair was the
campaign against him and being de-
cent people, their reaction now favors
Erickson.
Let's compare Ericksons vote for
governor with that of Wheelers in
1920. At that time the population of
the state was about the same as it
is now. In that campaign Wheeler
received $4,000 against Dixon's ILL.,
900. He did not carry single county
even the strongly Democratic ones
| like Silver Bow Erickson got $4,000
more votes than Wheeler and carried
| the strong Democratic counties like
Deer Lodge, Cascade and Silver Bow.
In Silver Bow County he got perhaps
the largest majority ever given can
didate for state office in the county's
counties but he lost many counties
by only very small margin. In East
ern Montana he carried the farm pre-
cincts/ by wide margin but lost in
the towns. Wheeler came back in
1922 after a much worse defeat than
Erickson suffered in 1914 and won for
the senate. In that election he got
$4,000 votes for the senate compared
to Erickson's 10000 for the governor
ship in 1914.
Judge Erickson has not lost strength
since the campaign but his activity
as president of the Montana MvA as
ISOLATION has kept him in the lime
light and has strengthened him par
ticularly with the Democrats of the
state who are for the MVA almost 100
per cent. He is personally known by
more Montanans than any other of
the potential candidates.
Wheeler's strength has always been
with the railroaders so far as labor
vote is concerned. While Adair and
Bonner are not known by this group
Erickson through his service on vari-
ous emergency boards under the Rail
way Labor act is well known by rail
readers and the attack on him during
he last campaign for this service
made him very strong with them They
him almost to a man in the
asst campaign and he could get most
If their votes against Wheeler now
while it is doubtful, that they would
lesert Wheeler for any other candi-
late. Erickson additionally is WE'LL
lnown by farmers. In the dominant
arm group in the state, the Farmers
Union, he is particularly strong Erick-
on will get practically all of labor's
Import.
Finally, everyone recognizes that
Wheeler is good politician He evil
emily fears Erickson most of the pos
lble opponents. He has said so re-
eatedly and in correspondence print
d in The Peoples Voice he has CON
family referred to the governorship
of the last election as
1ough Erickson were running against
i'm. He has constantly charged that
Erickson was being groomed then to
eat him later. 1t is known that he
nd his henchmen like Clements faith
red the smear campaign used against
le judge and that they set out DELHI
'ately to try to destroy him in that
ampaign. He is openly campaigning
5ainst' Erickson now and he does not
entlon any OF the other possible can
dates. His attacks on MVA indicate
at he thinks Erickson will be his
rong opposition.
We should also remember Judge
rickson's ability as campaigner.
he first time he ran for state office
was elected to the state supreme
urt at the age of so; the youngest
an ever elected to that office When
filed for that office he was prac-
,ally unknown but defeated another
od campaigner who had the com
ny support. In the Democratic pri-
aries in the last campaign he polled
arly as many votes as his two OBJ
nents put together and Former Gov
nor Ayres and Austin Middleton
uldn't be called push-overs exactly.
the general election he was beaten
the d-Wheeler-company combi-
ton. But in spite of the vicious at
ks made on him and the hundreds
thousands of dollars spent to defeat
n, he polled 10000 votes; enough
elect him by good margin in or.
larry campaigns.
let's go "all-out for Erickson"
Yours truly,
LEROY JENSEN.