Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-10-01
ruman Comes
Out Slugging
BY ALLAN l.. SWIM
Editor CIO News


odds are against the fellow in the far corner.
Up till now he hasn't looked too good-and
he's been taking pretty bad beating
His style has been mediocre His punches
have lacked power. Occasionally he has swung
when he should have ducked
The bell rings and the fellow who looks
like loser rushes from his corner He comes
out slugging
He starts hitting where it hurts-and hard.
Now it looks like fight-not dance mar
athon-and the crowds interest is revived.
That's about the way it's been with Harry
Truman, who got into the championship ring In
the first place as result of Roosevelt'S death.
For some time he looked like fellow who
should be fighting the sem-final and not the
main bout.
He threw good punches-and he
threw some bad ones, too.
He took bad beating from the GOP-con-
trolled Congress at its regular session and some
folks thought he'd be wise to toss in the sponge.
Then came the big battle at Philadelphia
a battle in which he swung a couple of nifty
civil rights uppercuts at Southern dssdents in
his own party.
Trumans next major bout was with Con-
gress at its special session-and here he took
another beating.
But this time he fought with new style
and he put steam behind his blows.
He stood on the Democrats pro-labor plat
form and failed away with both fists
Spectators who had been a bit bored up to
this point said, "Wait a minute! Maybe this
guys got something"
And quite few folks who had been cheer
ing him half-heartedly became enthusiastic
and started shouting, Give 'em hell, Harry!'
On Labor Day in Michigan Truman let fly
series of haymakers that left no doubt about
-s.I.
now and Nov. g.
be repealed.
He termed the 194s type of Republican re-
dictionary a man with calculating machine
where his heart ought to be-
The nation, he said is threatened by a
boom -or-bust cycle.
"You can already see signs of it," he said
"The boom is already on for them Republican
reactionaries) and the bust is on for you"
He spoke of the S0th Congress as the do
nothing" Congress.
Truman put it right on the line when dis
cussing the possibilities of electing liberal
Congress in November.
"You men of labor can expect to be hit by
a steady barrage of body blows" he said. %And
if you stay at home on election day you deserve
every blow you get.
"It doesn't do any good to talk about voting
III you re not OH the DOCKS. IL doesn't 90 any
good to talk about voting if you sit around on
election day. too lazy to turn out.
"The interests of this great nation of ours
are such that every man and woman of voting
age should turn out and vote in November.
"You can elect reactionary administration
and Congress and go into an era of fear, or
you elect an administration and Congress 4
which stands ready to play fair with every
American and enter era of hope"
Truman has told close associates he plans
to carry his fight to every whistle stop in the
country"
He has informed them privately he intends
to bulge not one inch his fortnight civil
rights programmed even if his firm stand
means defeat in November.
He is campaigning as the leader of party
which has adopted program the majority Of
unionists heartily indorSe.
And from where we sit 1t looks like he
decided some time ago to quit shadow boxing
and start slugging for liberalism.
It's good fight to make.