The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-10-22

1 pOlflC glOaClngIy TO the cfOWC
asfM "a of almost 1000 that hearc
! 'F5An Tom Dewey on the beautiful
afternoon of September 20
But, such an explanation would be more pc
! litical than factual. While it is to be adj
mitted that Tom Clark, as chief prosecuting
attorney of the United States is not exactly
of the Van Johnson type, still, the mere fact
that he holds such a position should have
drawn many Capital City folk to hear him.
| venture to say, had Dewey spoken at night,
after the down town folks had gone home
and school students were in bed, he too would
have stared at far more empty than full seats
in the Civic Center.
[ have no particular explanation of this
apparent apathy, unless it be because of the
lack of any national figure on either old
party ticket who can stir popular emotions
even to a small degree, the way that FDR
did. With both Dewey and Truman medic
Gritty seems to be the tome. Barley is a
faithful, hard working Democratic party
man, but not one to bring out the required
enthusiasm that gamers the votes. Only in
Warren does there seem to be the touch of
glamour that surrounded both FDR and
Wendell Willkie.
The situation is somewhat different with
both Wallace and Taylor, and but for the
tremendous odds against them because of the
strength of entrenched old party machines,
they might well be the popular choice on
November 2. Wallace is a man who COM
bines much of the Roosevelt platform appeal
along with the high ideals and vision that
characterized government in the ID Roose-
welt years. He is also a man of the soil.
characteristic of the wholesome, deeply re-
ligious people who inhabit mid United States
Taylor, while not so long on the national
stage, has proven himself to be relentless
fighter for the people both within and with
out the senate. Further, his many years on
the stage plus his intimate contact with ordi-
nary people over those years, have given him
the touch" in putting his principles and him
self, over with people 1t is little wonder that
people the nation over have dug deep into
their pockets to hear either Wallace and
Taylor speak, to help finance the campaign
of the Progressive Party. Cash admissions
charged by either the Democrats or Republi-
cans would draw even less attendance than
free meetings such as the one held for Mr.
Clark
Besides the apathy surrounding the Clark
meeting in Helena, couple of other things
stood out:
CD Except for the heavy applause given
Senator Murray on several occasions, the
casual observer might we'll have concluded
that at least half of the audience was Repub-
ican Although Mr.. Clark and others on
several occasions put in "plugs" for President
Truman, only third to a half of those
present responded with applause-and not
enthusiastic applause at that. CA similar at
itude must have prevailed at Butte the fol-
owing night when Secretary of Labor Tobin
alked if the broadcast of the affair can be
considered Indicative Tributes to Murray,
Mansfield and Bonner literally drought
Town the house. Similar praise by the key
loter for Mr.. Truman, brought only perfume
DRY applause.)
(2) Mr.. Clark, even from partisan stand
oint, on the whole, made good speech
lie outlined the growth of monopoly during
ecent years-how before the war; $4,000
mall manufacturing firms produced 1919 of