Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1949-05-27
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Minorities Gave Mandate"

IN which the members OF group
were interested, and despite his
position on other questions with
which they did not agree.
The President attracted an un-
usual number of farm votes be-
cause of his promise to continue
farm subsidies in the form of gov
eminent price supports for farm
products. The farmer was In no
way interested in the promise to re-
peal the Taft-Hartley law. The por-
ton of the labor vote that followed
the urge of labor leaders did so be-
cause of the Presidents promise to
repeal Taft-Hartley, but were not
in sympathy with his farm policy
that would maintain high food
prices, against which they were
clamoring,.
Because Of such conditions
the election could not be con-
sidered as a mandate for all Of
the Presidents policies, as
some members Of his party
have claimed it to be.
Richard Nixon, a Republican,
represents the 18th California dis
trict in congress. That district Is
probably as near representative Of
America, as a whole, as is any
other congressional district. ,Polit-
ically, it is almost equally divided
between the two major parties,
the Democratic registration show
ing a few more than the Republ-
can. The district boundaries in
clude portion of Los Angeles, and
a considerable rural farm section
outside of the city. Its population
contains all classes, ranging from
workers, both organized and un-
organized, industrial managers,
bankers, professional people and a
considerable number of truck,
grain and dairy farmers.
To ascertain the wishes of his
constituents, Representative Nixon
mailed to each voter in his dis
trict, Republican and Democratic,
a letter asking their answers to
nine fairly-stated questions. Those
nine questions covered the PROPOSE
tons, up to then introduced into
the congress, on which some men,
bers of the Presidents party
claimed he had a mandate from the
people in the November election.
To those letters Nixon re-
ceived a total of more than
$4,000 replies, and to no one of
the nine questions did the
Presidents program receive
a majority Of the replies. Ques-
ton No. l, for example, was:
"Do you favor the repeal Of
the Taft-Hartley labor law?"
on that question "a per cent
voted for repeal, and II per
cent voted against repeal. Six
per cent had no opinion. Evil
IDENTIFY from that district the
President did not have a man
date to repeal Taft-Hartley.
On the question of increasing
taxes to the extent of $4,000 100000
by an increase in the income tax
rates, better than 81 per cent voted
against an increase. The only one
Of the nine questions on which the
vote was reasonably close was that
covering proposed changes in the
Social Security law. On that 48.38
per cent voted against the proposed
changes, and 44.2 voted for them,
and 6.7 per cent had no opinion.
Up to the time the letters con-
tanning the nine questions had been
mailed, the administrations farm
price support bill had not been in
troduced in congress, and it was
not included in the list of questions.
What the response might have been
can only be guessed at.
In the election last November
President Truman received
larger number of votes than
any Of the other candidates. A
majority favored him for the
job, but in no single instance
did a majority in that 18th
California district endorse any
Of his policies as represented
in those nine questions. 1t was
majority supporting a candi-
date, but not a majority sup
porting any one of the candi-
dates policies.
A mandate covers policies, rather
than a candidate. Whether they be
good or bad, in no single instance,
unless it be the farm program, do
the Presidents policies represent
the wishes of a majority of the
voters in Representative Nixon's
district. It is evident the minorities
do not agree on policies.
! watch the youth of today, and
wonder about the future. Many of
them evade the small tasks as
signed to youth. They will not work.
They will play when provided with
the place and tools Of play. They
are drinking Of the waters of
something for nothing, as are
many Of their elders. Are we pro-
ducing a generation Of mendicants
who will expect the government to
provide for them through all Of
their days? Are we inviting dis