Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-03-18
Continued From Page II

FOR MORE THAN two weeks now,
the Senate was stalled in its work by the
filibuster of the Southern democrats. The
sole purpose of this talkathon - and this
is public knowledge was to kill the
Presidents Civil Rights Program. This,
despite the fact that this issue was not
major plank in the platform of the Demo
cratic party - hence a solemn pledge to
the American people - but one of the
major points stressed by President Tru-
man in his campaign for the Presidency.
Even more hypocritical, more repre-
hensible - if that be possible - was the
role of the Republican party in this fight.
Headed by such people as Senator Van
denberg of Michigan, these Republicans
Joined hands with the Southern reaction
aries and made their victory possible.
This despite the fact that the Republican
party-both in their platform and through
speeches by their candidate for president
- also pledged themselves to such Civil
Rights Law.
BUT TO ADD INSULT to injury, all
this is not enough. The rent control bill
is practically enasculated by the House.
And once again this is done by the unholy
alliance of Southern Democrats and a
solid block of equally reactionary North
ern Republicans. The Rent Control Bill,
as passed by the Houes, is tantamount to
the complete elimination of rent control.
INCREDIBLE AS ALL this may seem
TO the gullible citizenry of our great
country, all this is but beginning Lead
ers of this unholy alliance have served
notice on all of us that similar treatment
awaits all the major proposals that are
advocated by President Truman. And this
includes the repeal of the notorious Taft
Hartley Act, the Social Security Program,
the Medical and Health proposals, the
major Power Projects and everything else
that tends to serve the interests of the
common people.
OF COURSE WE don't know what
President Truman will do about this con-
spiracy against the people But we do
know that he ought to quit basking in the
Florida sunshine and get down to busi-
ness. The people backed him up once, be-
cause he went to the people, and he spoke
the language of the people Well, it's time
for another similar session. He must fight.
And fight just as vigorously as he did
when he campaigned for the high office
that he now holds. We are confident that
the people will back him again and assure
victory for the program they voted for on
Nov. End, last
To do anything else is to betray the
people.
AS for us, now more than ever it is
evident that we must deluge the members
OF the Congress with our letters, our tele-
grams and our personal calls and demand
that they keep their promises to the
American people.
This goes with double emphasis with
respect to the Democrats. They won Their
victory is the result of the promises they
made to the people.
But this goes for the Republicans, too.
Not to all of them as some of these gentle
men never made any bones about their
loyalty to Big Business and their con-
tempt for the common people. However,
on issues like the Civil Rights Bill, Social
Security, Rent Control etc. we should
mercilessly unmaSk these charlatans who
promise all things to all men only to be-
tray them and remain true TO their real
masters, Big Business