The Omaha guide., 1947-08-16
LIFE AT A GLANCE
BY DAVID BETHE

Well, Congress is off to a five
months vacation and the lynch
and poll tax bills are still hanging
out in the winds. The weary legis-
lators have completed one of the
most momentus sessions in the
history Of their wrangling and
sweating with the making of laws.
Some of the laws they have just
passed may well have some ser
ious repercussions in the next few
years to come. Certainly. such
legislation as the labor and rent
bills cannot be marked as bills
which will sail along smoothly
without some heartaches and even
some violent tempers.
Now that all tn news ballyhoo
from the Congressional chambers
is at an end for awhile, the pro-
fascists moves will become quite
This is a natural tendency since
the, extreme reactionary forces
are working towards an election
in 1913. From a long range view
point. it seems to me that there
must be something to offset this
trend. A coalition of all the pro-
gressive and democratic-minded
peoples should come forth with
vigor and determination. They
might crystalize into one element
even if it means "a Third Party.
Something must be done to re-
tard the trend which will still the
advancement Of what social gains
that have been accomplished since
1882. I don't know Of a better
man to head this coalition than
Henry Wallace.
In fact, Third Party will be nee
essary if the Taft-Hartley bill
and Big Business is to be foiled
in their creation Of more trusts
which will eventually swallow up
the little Teller. Such a party
might even be advisable if We are
to stave off another crash such
as fell upon us in 1929. Strangely
enough, human folly does not con-
slider the dark pitfalls of its un-
scrupulous and %avaricious pro-
fiteering. It continues on its merry
way until there is crash Of
everything, including economy.
That almost happened in 1929.
Let's not let it happen in 1850.
Make no mistake. Every means
has been advanced which will null
lily every vestige of the New Deal.
But the Republicans are very bad
ly disillusioned and so are a LOT
Of stale historians. They would
like to take the country back to
the glowing twenties. That would
naturally wipe out all the social
aspects of the Roosevelt Admins
tration. But strange as it may
seem there is no repeat of. his
tory. There may be similarities in
the politics but there are no sta
tus quos in econmies.
Today, we are still enjoying
many Of the social benefits which
were established during the incep-
ton Of the New Deal, despite a
desperate effort to turn the
clock back But surely and slowly
there is a strong rebellion against
them. The Taft Hartley bill was
motivated by a desire to eliminate
what was left of the Wagner La
Dor Bill. But I am afraid the ex-
ponents will discover before many
more months that there is no such
a thing as a return of the Old
Guard methods in labor and econ
omy in a highly industrialized
country such as we have.
In this struggle to turn the
clock back the present Congress
has seen to it that there are no
red lights tosignal the danger Of
high prices. But there is danger
ahead. With that, there is bad
news for the average American
A few months from now
clothes, shoes, fuel, milk, sugar
and eggs are all going to be hiked
to prices beyond the reach of the
average working man with a
family. But Congress is on. a five
months vacation. It is not con-
cerned. It was satisfied when it
lifted all controls. But I leave you
with this consolation. There will
be no turning back of the clock.
The democratic and progressive
.minded citizens will come to-
gether to combat it-even at the
expense of a Third Party.