The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-10-11
By CAROLINE BRAMMER

by O<tIlOIl4NiS i,iea-fi
Because have heard men who wer
led in battle by Barney Rankin spea
of him with what amounts to sol
of reverence, | went to the Civi
Center last week to hear him speak t
the people of Helena He wasn't tn
principal speaker of the evening bu
so far as the audience was concerned
he was the attraction.
His speech was sandwiched in be
tween Mr.. Ectons sorry effort to con
sumo his allotted time without saying
anything and an interminable dis
course from Mr.. Fritz Haynes. Mr.
Haynes succeeded in saying nothing
rather better than Mr. Ecton because
he possesses a gift of CAB. 1t is no
the most brilliant but a gift of gal
nevertheless. If | may digress q
moment from Mr.. Rankin, / would
like to suggest to the republican com
mittee that it amounts to political
suicide for Mr. Ecton to find himself
on the same platform with anyone
who has the gift of CAB, however
corny.
! Mr.. Rankin. the republican candi-
date for the congressional seat now oc-
cupied by Mike Mansfield, is a young
and handsome man; he is also, by all
accounts, a man who has shown him
self capable of courage in action and
of personal integrity.
His opening remarks were hopeful
He said that his was to be a straight
forward campaign on real issues. He
said he proposed to list for the voters
his beliefs so that they would know
just what he stood for in government.
like that kind of talk, it is not only
honest but it is the sort of talk Mr.
Rankin's men had led me to expect
from him. l had hope, from such an
introduction, that Mr. Rankin was to
show courage and honesty in his cam
paigning.
But as he displayed each plank of
his platform it was Immediately evil
dent that Old Guard termites were at
work The result was as pretty an ex-
ample of doubletalk as | have heard
this year. | don't believe Mr.. Rankin
likes doubletalk any better than | do
but in his present company the choice
seems to be doubletalk or the red
scare. Mr.. Rankin as a distinguished
veteran must find the irresponsible
red-baiting program unpalatable for he
knows that world peace is not to be
or promoted by making
Russia the whipping boy of cam
paign year Our relations with Russia
are the exact measure of how much
peace we will have and how long the
world will survive, and Mr. Rankin
certainly knows what war means.
In his attempt to present an intelli-
gent platform under the house rules !
Of the republican club, Mr.. Rankin was
as pathetic as Mr.. Ecton was in claim
ing the qualities of leadership and
craftsmanship on the score of being
acquainted with parliamentary law. 1t
takes something more than that
Above all it takes an awareness of the
times in which we live.
Mr.. Rankin's platform of real issues
turned out to be advocation of all out
boom and bust. | can't
believe that he really believes what
he said if he understands the implica-
ions of what he said He advocated
he adjustment of governmental con-
rolls, federal offices, the lowering of
income taxes on higher incomes and
he end of the excess profits tax He
wants no planning for agriculture. He
laid that he would rather have an in
agriculture than an efficient
me under planning. Does he mean all
hese things, does he understand what
hey would do to the country or does
lie knowingly talk doubletalk? / am
ure that he would agree that his own
nd his comrades lives during combat
depended on the efficient planning of
he general staff in Washington. If
flaming is necessary to the success
I'll waging of war, | cannot see how
1r. Rankin can argue that it is not
qually necessary to the successful
raging of long-lasting peace. !