Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-09-29
Regional
Views
By Richard Gosser, Vice President
international UAW-ClO

NOV, WITH the Registration campaign behind us, we are
ton fight. We will now have to get busy to get our people -
and their relatives, friends and neighbors to get ready to
cast their ballot come Nov. 7th. Because, as most of us should
know by this time, it's not enough to be able to vote = we
must vote to make our voices count in the affairs of our state
and our country.
1t makes me feel good to know that people especially
our own members respond more and more to our appeals.
This year, 1 am told, the number of our registered voters have
reached an all-time high. Because of the work we did = all
of us together - we were able to register new thousands to cast
their ballots in this crucial election.
l realize that it is not easy to convince people to see the
dangers facing us. 1t is not easy to convince our members -
that we can change things for the better; that we can get
rid of bad politicians and bring about conditions that will mean
aside bv saving all politicians are bad" falling to realize that
it is this attitude on their part and particularly because they
fail to vote that makes bad politicians; that keep guys like
Taft in the US. Senate. .
You can bet your bottom dollar, though, that the "blue
chip" boys, the guys with the bank rolls don't have that at
titude. These people not only vote, but they put enormous sums
of money into election campaign to make sure that their
boys" get elected.
The DUPONT family alone donates" upwards to 100000
to finance the election campaigns of their darlings This in spite
giving more than $4,000 as a contribution to an election cam
all the way from little children to grandparents. A little three
year old Dupont child, as well as grandpa DUPONT each make
their regular donation of $4,000.
With our people it is a different story. We don't have
$4,000 to donate to any campaign. But we have other things.
We have the votes. And we may even have a buck to donate to
PAC to help our candidates. If we use our ballots and our lin
tied finances we don't have to have the millions that Taft can
throw around. After all on Nov. 7th ballots and not dollars will
determine who will represent us in the us. Senate and in the
House of Representatives.
NONE CAN DENY that up till now we have done a pretty
good job of organizing our people in our plants. Starting from
scratch we in UAW-CIO have built the greatest union in the
land. We are proud of the act that our membership is now over
100000. This great union of ours is doing a wonderful job in
getting additional benefits for our poole.
No other union in the land can beat us in this field.
Well, now it's our job to duplicate this work on the politi-
cal field. There is no doubt in my mind but that we can do this.
AS a matter of fact, we must do it. For the only way we can
protect our gains on the economic field is through political
action. We must never forget that the Tafts can "legislate" our
benefits away unless we get rid of the Tafts. That can only be
done through elections. Surely 1t is not necessary for me to say
any more why it is an absolute must that our people vote In
the coming election.