Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-09-05
Behind the
Scenes In
Politics
By
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman
Political Action COMMITTEE

llluSLIdIG Tie duSO4utC AlwCGS~
sity for the workers to regis
ter and vote.
One event was the Ameri-
can Legion Convention and
the other was the vote of the
Toledo City Council on the
issue of putting the Damas
plan on the ballot this year.
Let us first discuss the
significance of the American
Legion Convention.
1t is quite obvious that the
economic interests of veterans
are similar to those of the
majority of the rest of the
population.
The last legion convention
passed strong resolutions call
ing for the liquidation of COM
munist groups through passage
and enforcement of restrictive
legislation.
Other resolutions called for
compulsory military conscrip-
ton, and rejection of the Taft
Wagner Ellender housing bill.
II would seem obvious that
veterans would realize that
communism must be fought
by progressive measures to
provide economic opportunity,
social security and political
liberty for all the people under
an industrial democracy.
1t would also seem obvious
that compulsory military con-
scription is not the best way
to promote world peace. Nor
can the threat to the civil and
economic rights of the people,
through misuse of conscripted
military personnel, be over
looked.
1t is equally hard to under
stand why veterans (of all
people) would be opposed to
an adequate housing program.
FUN VS. WORK
The conclusion is inescapa-
BILE that the vast majority of
delegates to the convention
concentrated on having a good
time. M n w il e a small
minority of the membership
proceeded to enact policies
which differ not at all from
the program of the Chamber
of Commerce and the National
Association of Manufacturers.
We of Labor have an object
lesson to learn from this
situation. The majority of the
people must assert themselves
and not allow a small group
who represents special inter
ests to formulate the program
for the whole population.
An object lesson in politics
can also be learned from the
performance of Toledo City
Council last Wednesday,.
Last year the supporters of
the 21-man council plan had
won the right to present their
proposal to the voters by
securing sufficient signatures
on petitions. Before the people
had an opportunity to vote on
this Mayor Roulet proposed
that City Council place on the
ballot plan providing for a
nine man council elected at
large and administrative mayor
elected directly by the voters.
At that time such an alter
native would have had to
compete with the 81 man
council plan and the result
would have been a victory for
the PR plan.
This year when there is no
other plan on the ballot, to
cause confusion, the mayor
refused to support the very
same plan he had introduced
last year.
This means of course that
the PR crowd intend to retain
control of city affairs by any
means possible. If they were
really sure that the people
wanted PR they would logical
ly welcome challenge from
all comers.
Those who benefit from a
system which guarantees that
any block OF ten per cent of
the voters can elect a council
nan, will not hesitate to use
any means to avoid a contest.
However, progress cannot
be halted indefinitely. The
pro portional representation
method of electing council
men is an unfair, undemo-
cratic, inaccurate complicated
lottery, which tends to per-
petuate a cliche in office,
thwarts the will of the people,
discourages interest in city
government and creates an
irresponsible administration.
The pay-off will come when
the voters of Toledo become
sufficiently aroused to develop
an effective means to break
through the barricade of tech
nicalities and maneuvers per-
petrated by those who are
quite willing to continue to
run the city by thwarting the
will of the majority.
The American Legion Con-