Montana labor news., 1949-03-03
THE FIGHT Is NOT YET WON

How fast will Tumans Fair Deal evolve from program
ac' Has the President enough the Senate and
in the House to swing the big job9
Will members of Congress elected with the President
the cleacut Democratic social welfare platform stay firm
y in line without succumbing Old Guard cajong and lure
during this first and vital session Of the Ss Congress'
Candidy there good many Nervous Nelles in the
lberal-abor ranks whose skeptcm well grounded in
memory. There's many slip between cup and lip, they
and they point sharply the fact that the Presidents
executive family still contains many top fellows whose lib
ealsm would not bring plugged nickel market
An honest tally would hardly yield Fair Deal majority
Congress- they conclude. should Old Deal Democrats
choose link up again with stand Republicans major
There undeniably good deal of simple arihmetcal
validity these assertions. Also undenabIe nonetheess
the very tangible fact that the tide all in favor of the
Truman Fair Deal and that the Old Dealers within the
Democratic stockade pretty much of it. very
zeal of personal survival will deter many of them from
swimming against that tide they intend stay political
life.
Something approaching clue. if not an answer to the
question above has been indicated in the action of the
Democratic majority of the Senate Labor Committee early
last week UnterGed by sardonic asides by Senator Taft
also member OF the Labor Committee the Democrats led
by Senator Pepper voted recommend to the Senate repeal
of the TaftHartey Act without hearings AS the Florida
Senator commented in support of this the country
already had only great volume of debate this OBJ
noxious law but had referendum it in the last election
we'll.
As one package STEP moulded along the Thomas
Bill containing both the repeal of the TIL Act and the rev
val Of the Wagner with amendments in the form
individual bills favored by organized labor the
Administration stands committed to achieve the ultimate
this field of labor legislation the earliest possible
Undoubtedly, the Republicans in the Senate, and
later the House. will try block the TIL repeal and the
revival of the Wagner Act by means of riders suber-
fuge amendments
The biggest single hurdle ahead for the Truman leaders
in Congress-and the that will them the
during headaches-st remains the civil rights package
and the intricate parliamentary struggle in which it is
wrapped For quite evident that serious progress
that direction be attained before the libuster preog
aive in the Senate abridged all too evident however
that the battle royal civil and minority rights will stay
top OF the agenda all through tie life of the 8s Congress
and may still emerge the crucial issue in the 1850 Con-
gressional campaign.
In brief the liberals in CONGRESS- still short OF majority
in both houses undoubtedly will have fight hard inch
of the way realize the Truman program.
But the road ahead for the American liberalism proved
dominant force in the country life. clearer today than
had been for generations past Its sautay feature that
leaders liberalism leaders initiative 1t is fast
eng into hardened integral Of popular preference of the
whole American people.