The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-07-29
Public Political
Education Gains
Green Predicts

VI VCu aCuhOkO
Kansas City, Mo. QLNS)-Ex-
pressing the opinion that the spec
ial session of Congress will not take
effective action on vital issues.
President William Green Of the
American Federation of Labor said
that in his opinion, the greatest
gain that can be deprived from
the session is in the field of public
political education.
president Truman" Green de-
clared at mass meeting arrang-
ed by Labor's Educational and Po-
litical Club of Kansas City, "has
put Congress on the spot. 1t can
not squirm off that spot. 1t must
act on the problems he presents for
its consideration or be judged for
the failure to act by the American
people. With the November cleo
tions approaching, the voters will
have the reactionary record of the
80th Congress fresh in their minds,
unless the politicians figure out
some clever schemes to make the
public forget that record"
Green said that "of course the
special session will give the 80th
Congress an opportunity to redeem
itself and correct its past mistakes.
/ devoutly hope that it will. But
if you were to ask me whether
there is any basis for such hope, |
would have to say no. In view of
the past record of this Congress
perhaps the worst record in our
national history-it would be un-
duly optimistic to expect it to take
effective action in dealing with the
vital problems confronting our de-
mocracy."
The AFL chief declared that it
is the hope of the reactionary poll
ticians "that they can fool the peo-
pie again this year, as they have
many times in the past, by heavy
barrage of propaganda over the
radio, in the newspapers and
through other media of public ex-
preston. We need only look back
to the propaganda campaign which
put over the Hartley Act to
realize the danger of this weapon"
Labor is determined" Green
continued, that the American peo-
pie must not be confused by false
propaganda in the coming cleo
tion campaign. To carry out that
determination, we have establish
ed Labor's League for Political Ed
ucation which is bending every eff
fort to bring home the truth about
the record of the 80th Congress to
the great masses Of voters who
work for wages.
"The American people must not
and dare not ignore that record nor
forget it. If we wish to keep our
democracy strong and invulnerable
against any attack from without
or within, we must have progress
sive and enterprising government,
a government whichs responds to
human needs and is not exclusively
concerned with the greedy motives
of big business.
"We can have good government
in America if all of our people
make certain to register and vote
this year, remembering when they
vote the disgraceful way the 80th
Congress deserted their interests.
"We can have good government
if we want it-want it badly enough
to go to the slight trouble of ex-
ercising our highest privilege as
free citizens-the right to vote"
In ending, Green said:
81 know some people will say
whats the use?' They are i'm
pressed by polls and forecasts
which are part of the reactionary
propaganda campaign. They for
get that this 80th Congress was
elected two years ago by only one
third of the qualified voters of the
country. The other two-thirds just
didn't bother to vote. By not vot
ing, they actually helped to elect
this reactionary Congress. By vot-
ing this year, they can sweep it
out of power and restore liberal
and decent government to our
country.
81 am confident that when these
facts are impressed upon the good
judgment of the millions of Am
erican workingmen and women who
form the backbone of our nation,
they will march to the polls on
Election Day and cast their ballots
for the victory of progress over
black reaction"
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