Senator Zales Ecton : a product of reaction
by Timothy John Carman
A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS in History
Montana State University
© Copyright by Timothy John Carman (1971)
Abstract:
From Montana’s initiation as a state until 1946, no Republican had ever been elected as a
Congressional Senator. In 1946, Zales N. Ecton defeated Leif Erickson in a virulent and scurrilous
campaign to become the first. The nature of the 1946 election is not unpreci-dented in Montana
politics, but it certainly ranks with the most vituperative. Although an immediate cause of Ecton’s
victory relates to.the obstreperous tenor of the campaign, the complete explanation is broad-based and
certainly not uncomplicated.
Burton K. Wheeler’s defeat by Erickson in the Democratic primary became of particular significance to
Ecton and the Republican attack.
The "smears and counter-smears" prominent in the primary served to develop a foundation on which
Ecton was able to expand. Thus the constituents were initially socialized by the Democrats lending
validity to Ecton’s extension of similar accusations.
The role of the press in Montana and its relation to the Anaconda Company provides additional insight.
The "Company's" opposition to Erickson, coupled with its control of a certain element of the Montana
press, provided Ecton with an advantageous political tool.
Although Erickson's political career had been short, it provided Ecton with additional avenues of
attack. Erickson had developed powerful political enemies and had been associated with groups and
projects which became politically detrimental in 1946. Ecton was able to effectively exploit these and
other elements of Erickson's political background during the campaign.
1946 found most voters discontented with President Truman's transition to a peace time economy. The
whole spectrum of public discontent was exploited by the Republicans, nationally as well as locally, by
relating the problems of the Truman Administration to Communist subversion in both the government
and the Democratic Party. In Montana, Ecton was able to easily reshape the G.O.P. 's attack of the
Truman Administration and re-apply it to Erickson and his political background.
It is impossible to measure the exact significance or impact of the aforementioned conditions relative to
the Senatorial race. In 1946 no viable polls were being utilized in Montana. Scientifically designed
polling devices would have aided greatly in gauging the constituents' view of the significant issues. It is
true that such evidence is not all conclusive, but it is certain that the additional tool would have greatly
aided this researcher.
In that sense, the more direct, ostensible conditions which allowed Ecton's election have already been
suggested. There are, however, many additional factors that will be considered. The lack of survey data
or any accurate measuring device has prevented this study from being totally selective. S ta tem en t o f P er m issio n to Copy
I n p r e s e n t in g t h i s t h e s i s in p a r t ia l f u l f i l l m e n t o f the r e q u ir e ­
m ents f o r an advanced d eg ree a t Montana S ta te U n iv e r s it y , I agree t h a t
th e L ib r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a ila b le f o r in s p e c t io n .
I fu r th e r
a g ree t h a t p erm issio n f o r e x t e n s iv e co p y in g o f t h i s t h e s i s f o r
s c h o la r l y pu rp oses may be granted by my m ajor p r o f e s s o r , o r , in h is
a b s e n c e , by th e D ir e c t o r o f L ib r a r ie s .
I t i s u n d erstood th a t any
co p y in g o r p u b lic a t io n o f t h is t h e s i s f o r f in a n c ia l g a in s h a l l n o t be
a llo w e d w ith o u t my w r it t e n p e r m issio n .
S ig n a tu re
D ate
SENATOR ZALES ECTON:
A PRODUCT OF REACTION.
by
TIMOTHY JOHN CARMAN *
A t h e s i s su b m itted to th e Graduate F a c u lty in p a r t ia l
f u l f i l l m e n t o f th e req u irem en ts fo r th e d egree
of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
H isto r y
C ? ,
Hdpd, Major Department
Chairman, ^fi^aminirig Committee
Gradui
e Dean
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman, Montana
Ju n e, 1971
-iiiACKNOWLEDGMENTS •
The co m p letio n o f t h is stu d y depended upon th e a s s i s t a n c e and
c o o p e r a tio n o f many p e r s o n s .
The w r it e r w ish e s to thank a l l o f
those, who gave t h e ir tim e and e n e r g ie s to in s u r e th e c o m p letio n o f
th is p r o je c t.
In more p e r s o n a l term s, th e w r it e r w ish e s to. thank P r o fe s s o r
M ich ael P. Malone o f Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y f o r h i s c o n s ta n t
i n s i g h t and h e lp f u l s u g g e s t i o n s .
B e sid e s Dr . M alone, “Thomas C.
S a t t e r th w a ite , a c o lle a g u e and f e llo w grad u ate s t u d e n t , was generous
w ith h i s encouragem ent and c o r r e c t iv e c r i t i c i s m .
A .s p e c ia l acknow­
ledgm ent sh o u ld be g iv e n P r o f e s s o r . J e f f r e y J . S a f f o r d , A s s is t a n t
P r o fe s s o r o f H is to r y a t Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , f o r h is p rob in g
q u e s tio n s and c o n t in u a lly g r a c io u s a s s i s t a n c e d u rin g ^ th e many months
o f r e se a r c h and w r it in g . -
■
■■
-iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter.
Page
CO CA 4a.
Ie . . The D em o cra tic Prim ary: An U p set and the Im pact o f P o i s o n . .. I
An U p set and th e Im pact o f S h ock ............................................................. I
The Prim ary and th e Im pact o f In nuendoes............ ................
Campaign F in a n c e s ............................................................. ...................
Smear T a c tic s & T h eir E f f e c t and the G eneral E le c t io n
The Damage o f P o i s o n ....................................................................................... 10
II.
The Backgrounds o f th e S e n a t o r ia l C a n d i d a t e s . . . . . . . . . . ; ............ 12
E r ic k so n and th e M ed ia tio n Board: An Avenue o f A tta c k ..........14
E r ic k s o n 's P o l i t i c a l Background and V u ln e r a b ilit y ..................... 16
Z ales E cton: An A grarian Background................................... ............... 19
B a to n 's P o l i t i c a l C areer and C o n ser v a tism ................... ..................20
III.
The Campaign: Government C o n tr o ls Versus R e a c tio n ........................25
The P la tfo rm C om m ittees..................................................................................25
Governmental C o n tr o l, The 0 . P. A. , and Meat C o n tro v ersy ..........28
Governmental C ontrol and the M isso u r i V a lle y A u t h o r it y .. . . . 3 0
B ureaucracy and th e Planned Economy...................................................... 34
The W allace A f f a ir .......................................... .................................................. 37
The Dem ocrats and O utside H e lp ...............................................................41
The Montana C it iz e n s C o u n c il........................................................ *........... 45
The P o l i t i c a l A ctio n Committee and E r ic k so n ................................... 47
IV .
The I s s u e s And a Turn R ig h t? ......................................................................... 57
Montana: A R e f l e c t i o n ................. .................................... ............................. 57
E cton and th e Communist B ogey................... ................................................ 59
Other P o l i t i c a l T o o l s . . ................. ............. .................................. ............... 6 1
The C o n s t it u e n t s : A Turn R i g h t ? . . . . . . . . . . ................. . 6 2
V.
The Appendix - An A n a ly s is o f th e E le c t io n R e s u lt s . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6
The Labor F o r c e .............................................................................................. .. .7 0
Whea t C0u
n
t
i
e
s
7*L iv e s took C o u n tie s ..............................................................................................74
Lumber Co u n t ie s ................................................................... ............... ..............7 5
The Urban and Rural C e n t e is ............................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6
Popula t io n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6
A Summary by C o n g ressio n a l D i s t r i c t . ..................................8 0
-
.
V
-V -
LIST OF TABLES
APPENDIX
Page
Table I .
Vote on S e n a to r ia l Race by Labor C o u n t y . .. . ...............................71
Table 2 .
Vote on S e n a t o r ia l Race by Wheat County........................................ 73
Table 3*
P ercen tage o f C ounties (U rban, R u r a l, N e ith e r ) G iv in g
A lle g ia n c e to E it h e r E cton or E r ic k so n ......................................77
Table 4«
P ercen ta g e o f C oun ties (L a r g e , M id d le, S m a ll) G iv in g
A lle g ia n c e to E ith e r E cton or E r ic k so n .......................................79
Table 5*
G eneral E le c t io n R etu rn s, U nited S ta te S e n a to r ........................84
Table 6 .
G eneral E le c t io n R etu rn s, U .S . R e p r e se n ta tiv e in
Congress , Second D i s t r i c t . . . . . .....................................
Table 7«
G eneral E le c t io n Re t u r n s , U ;S. R e p r e se n ta tiv e in
Congress , F i r s t D i s t r i c t . .................................................................... 88
Table 8 .
Vote C ast In E le c t io n s to the U .S . S e n a te ,
By Major P o l i t i c a l P a r t i e s , 1 9 2 8 -5 2 ..............................................99
Table 9«
Vote C ast In E le c t io n s t o the U .S . House o f
R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s , By Major P o l i t i c a l P a r t i e s , 1 9 2 8 -5 2 ..1 0 0
87
LIST OF ELATES
APPENDIX
Page
P la t e I .
Vote C ast in 1946 General E le c t io n to U .S . S e n a te ,
by C oun ties f o r E cton and E r ic k so n . ................... ...................... 90
P la t e 2*
Vote C ast in 1946 General E le c t io n to U .S . House
o f R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s , F i r s t D i s t r i c t , by C oun ties
f o r M a n sfield and R ankin................................................................. .91
P la te 3 .
Vote C ast in 1946 G eneral E le c t io n t o U .S . House
o f R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s , Second D i s t r i c t , by C ounties
f o r D ‘Ewart and Holm es....................................................................... 92
P la te 4«
C oun ties H aving a Blue C o lla r Labor Force o f Over 4 0 ^ ...9 3
P la t e 5 .
C o u n ties With rJOfo or More in Cash Crops (W h ea t).. . . . . . . . 9 4
P la t e 6 .
C o u n ties With rJOfo or More In v e ste d in L iv e s t o c k .. . . . . . . . 9 5
P la t e 7 .
Lumber C oun ties (Any County C u ttin g 5 0 ,0 0 0 Board
F e e t P er Y ear or M o r e ) . . . , ............................................ . . . . . . . . 9 6
P la t e 8 .
P o p u la tio n by County (L a rg e,
P la t e 9.
P o p u la tio n by County (Urban, R u r a l, N e it h e r ) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 8
.
M id d le, S m a ll) . . . 9 7
-v iiABSTRACT
From M ontana’ s i n i t i a t i o n as a s t a t e u n t i l 194-6, no R epublican
had e v e r been e le c t e d as a C o n g ressio n a l S en a to r. In 1 9 4 6 , Zales
'No E cton d e fe a te d L e i f E rick so n in a v ir u l e n t and s c u r r ilo u s campaign
t o become th e f i r s t . The n a tu re o f th e 1946 e l e c t i o n i s n o t u n p r e c id en ted in Montana p o l i t i c s , b u t i t c e r t a in ly ranks w ith th e m ost
v it u p e r a t i v e . A lthough an immediate cause o f E c to n ’s v ic t o r y r e l a t e s
t o .t h e o b strep ero u s te n o r o f the cam paign, the com plete e x p la n a tio n
i s broad -b ased and c e r t a i n l y n o t u n co m p lica ted .
Burton K. W heeler’s d e f e a t by E rick so n in the D em ocratic primary
became o f p a r t ic u la r s i g n i f i c a n c e to E cton and th e R ep ub lican a tta c k .
The "smears and cou nter-sm ears" prom inent in th e prim ary serv ed to
d e v e lo p a fo u n d a tio n on which E cton was a b le to expand. Thus the
c o n s t it u e n t s were i n i t i a l l y s o c i a l i z e d by the Dem ocrats le n d in g v a l i d i t y
t o E c to n ’s e x t e n s io n o f s im il a r a c c u s a t io n s .
The r o le o f th e p r e s s i n Montana and i t s r e l a t i o n to the Anaconda
Company p ro v id es a d d it io n a l i n s i g h t . The "Company's" o p p o s itio n to
E r ic k so n , coupled w ith i t s c o n tr o l o f a c e r t a in p lem en t o f the Montana
p r e s s , p ro v id ed E cton w ith an advantageous p o l i t i c a l t o o l .
Although E r ic k s o n 's p o l i t i c a l c a r e e r had been s h o r t , i t provided
E cton w ith a d d it io n a l avenues o f a t t a c k . E rick so n had d ev elo p ed power-:
f u l p o l i t i c a l enem ies and had been a s s o c ia t e d w ith groups and p r o je c ts
which became p o l i t i c a l l y d e tr im e n ta l in 1 9 4 6 . E cton was a b le to
e f f e c t i v e l y e x p l o i t th e s e and o th e r elem en ts o f E r ic k s o n 's p o l i t i c a l
background d u r in g th e campaign,
1946 found m ost v o t e r s d is c o n te n te d w ith P r e s id e n t Truman's t r a n s i ­
t io n to a peace tim e economy. The whole spectrum o f p u b lic d is c o n t e n t
was e x p lo it e d by the R e p u b lic a n s, n a t io n a ll y as w e ll as l o c a l l y , by
r e l a t i n g the problem s o f th e Truman A d m in istra tio n to Communist su b v er­
s io n in b o th the governm ent and the D em ocratic P a r ty . In Montana, E cton
was a b le to e a s i l y resh ap e the G .O .P .' s a tta c k o f th e Truman A dm in istra­
t io n and r e - a p p ly i t t o E rick so n and h is p o l i t i c a l background.
I t i s im p o s s ib le to measure th e e x a c t s i g n i f i c a n c e o r im pact o f
th e aforem en tion ed c o n d itio n s r e l a t i v e to th e S e n a to r ia l r a c e . In
1946 no v ia b le p o l l s were b e in g u t i l i z e d in Montana. S c i e n t i f i c a l l y
d esig n ed p o l l i n g d e v ic e s would have a id ed g r e a t ly i n g a u g in g the
c o n s t it u e n t s ' v iew o f th e s i g n i f i c a n t i s s u e s . I t i s tru e th a t such
e v id e n c e i s n o t a l l c o n c lu s iv e , b u t i t i s c e r t a in t h a t th e a d d itio n a l
to o l would have g r e a t l y aid ed t h i s r e s e a r c h e r .
In t h a t s e n s e , the more d i r e c t , o s t e n s ib le c o n d itio n s which allow ed
E cto n ' s e l e c t i o n have a lr e a d y been s u g g e s te d . There a r e , how ever,
many a d d it io n a l f a c t o r s t h a t w i l l be c o n sid e r e d . The la c k o f su rv ey
d a ta or any a ccu ra te m easu rin g d e v ic e has prevented t h is stu d y from
b e in g t o t a l l y s e l e c t i v e .
I
"The D em o cra tic Primary:
An U p set and the Im pact o f P oiuon"
T h is t h e s i s i s p r im a r ily an in v e s t i g a t i o n o f th e 1946 S e n a to r ia l
ra ce "between Z ales K. E cton (R ep u b lica n ) and L e i f E r ic k so n (D em ocrat).
The g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n , h ow ever, can n ot he view ed in i s o l a t i o n , f o r The
framework w ith in which i t took p la c e was e s t a b lis h e d by the ch a r a c te r
and outcome o f th e D em ocratic prim ary d i r e c t l y p r e c e d in g i t .
prim ary was im p o r ta n t. in two w ays.
Thei
F i r s t , i t saw th e u n ex p ected
d e f e a t o f the n a t i o n a l l y prom inent incum bent, Burton K. W heeler.
S e c o n d ly , th e prim ary p rovid ed R ep u b lica n s w ith t a c t i c s and D em ocratic
v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s th e y c a p it a liz e d on t o th e f u l l e s t e x t e n t .
AN UPSET: AND THE IMPACT OF SHOCK
In r e t r o s p e c t i t appears t h a t W h eeler's d e f e a t p ro v id ed the
R ep u b lica n s w ith an i n i t i a l ad van tage in th e g en era l e l e c t i o n .
For
one t h in g , the incum bent W heeler had r e p r e se n te d Montana in the
U n ited S t a t e s S en ate f o r tw e n ty -fo u r y e a r s .
Few e x p e c te d th a t
W h eeler's n o m in ation would be , s e r i o u s l y th r e a te n e d .
He had. gained
n a t io n a l prom inence and was even s u g g e ste d a s a p o s s i b l e p r e s id e n t ia l
ca n d id a te in .1 9 4 0 , on th e ch a n ce, o f c o u r s e , t h a t F r a n k lin D.
R o o s e v e lt ;r e fu se d r e -n o m in a tio n .
1
'
A lthough c o n t r o v e r s ia l., W heeler
I . ' " N a tio n a l A ffa ir s " , Tim e. V o l. 5 5 -2 ,. A p r il'15» 1 9 4 0 , p . <2.1.
See a l s o R obert .B en d in er , "Men Who Would Be P r e s id e n t " , N a tio n .
V o l. 1 5 0 , A p ril 2 7 , 1 9 4 0 , p . 5 3 2 . •
-
2-
was h e ld in h ig h regard in Montana. I t i s f o r t h is r e a so n th a t he
’
2
had n o t l o s t a cou n ty i n an e l e c t i o n , prim ary or g e n e r a ]., s in c e 1 9 2 8 .
A d d it io n a lly , i t i s n o t c e r t a in t h a t L e i f E r ic k s o n , W h eeler's
p o l i t i c a l opponent in 1 9 4 6 , p r e se n te d an -adequate p o l i t i c a l .a lt e r n a ­
tiv e .
E rick s o n , in o n ly 1 9 4 4 , had been so u n d ly d e f e a t e d in the
G u b ern a to ria l r a c e .
Sam Eord- (R e p u b lic a n ), su p p o rted by the Anaconda X-'
Company, was a b le to overpow er E rick s on •by more th an 5 4 .0 0 0 v o t e s .
I n s p i t e o f h i s 1944 d e f e a t , E r ic k so n m a in ta in ed some p r e s t ig e and
Was s t i l l rep en ted f o r h i s p o l i t i c a l p o t e n t i a l . \ The g e n e r a l f e e l i n g
■
w a s, how ever, t h a t E r ic k s o n 's o p p o s it io n to W heeler would o n ly prove
t o c o m p le te ly d e s t r o y E r ic k s o n 's c a r e e r . . The M iles Ci+y S t a r summed
up th e g en era l, s e n tim e n t r e le v a n t to th e -primary when i t n oted t h a t
by b a r g in g in t o a b a t t l e w ith W h eeler, E rick so n was; com m ittin g h is '
- .-
:
.
-
4
c a r e e r to. one o f l i t e r a l " p o l i t i c a l s u ic id e " .
E rick so n Droved the - e le c t io n p r e d ic t io n s w rong, however-, by
^
- -''
.
"= Y
- - /
' - '- '
-- .5
d e f e a t in g W heeler in w hat h a s s in c e b een c a lle d th e "Montana m ir a c le -'.
’.,.2«. Josep h P . K e lly ,- -Unpublished. M asters .T h e sis , .Montana S ta te
- U n i v e r s it y , 1 9 5 9 ,. p. i i « '
,
3 i . The ■im pact o f th e 1944 e l e c t i o n , the • r o l e o f th e Anaconda '
Company, and t h e .'e x p lo it a b le n a tu r e o.f E r ic k s o n 's p o l i t i c a l background
w i l l c a .d is c u s s e d in C hapter I I i
-
4*
M ile s . C ity S t a r ; - June 2 1 . 1,946 , p . '4.
■ ■ . 5« J o sep h K in se y Howard,-"The L e d in e -- and F a l l o f B u rto n .K.
W heeler” .. H a rp er's M agazine ...'Vol. 194 , March., .1947 , p« 2 2 6 . This ' work
can a l s o he found in The Montaria P a s t -.An A n t h o l o g y eds=,., M ichael. P.
. V, 75’
V - K
V-
.
- ^ ,
: - :
- '
■
■ '-!■
■
•>
,
.
•
V;
.-
x---;
-
-
.
-
..
-3 "
W heeler cla im s in r e t r o s p e c t th a t he' knew inmedl a t e l y ■t h a t he was in
■=
S
"deep tro u b le" i n th e p rim ary.
I t i s n o t c le a r t h a t th e c o n s t it u e n t s
were as s e n s i t i v e t o t h i s as W heeler.
On th e eve o f th e p rim ary, the
gam blers in B u t t e , f o r i n s t a n c e , were g iv i n g 3-1 odds a g a in s t E rick so n
. .
7
w in n in g . .
The im pact o f W heeler’s l o s s i s w e ll i l l u s t r a t e d in th e f o llo w in g
campaign i n c i d e n t . . S e n a to r Alben W. B a r k le y o f K entucky, D em ocratic
M a jo r ity l e a d e r , campaigned in Montana d u r in g the 1946 g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n
on b e h a lf o f L e i f E rick so n and th e D em ocratic, t i c k e t ,
h is fin a l
s p e e c h , g iv e n b e fo r e a c a p a c ity crowd on O ctober t w e n t y - f i r s t in
H e le n a , re-em p h a sized t h e . I in g e r in g sh o ck a t W heeler’ s d e f e a t .
Bowing
t o th e chairm an, B a r k le y began:
"My c o lle a g u e S en a to r W h e e le r .. ." . The second bow w a s.n e v e r
co m p leted .
The r u s t l i n g h a l l was su d d e n ly s t i l l e d .
H a r k le y turned a
l i t t l e p a l e , cou gh ed ,, and r e c o v e r e d . • " . . .and'uiy c o lle a g u e /S e n sto r
'
Murray!";
8
;
•
'
'''
.
'
Malone and R ichard B. B o ed er, (M issou la;,. U n iv e r s it y of-M ontana P r e s s ,
■ 1 9 6 9 ).
'
.'
- . - .'
^
:' :
: ' - '; ,
^
b . ..Burton K. W h eeler, Yankee From th e West (Garden C it y , New :
Y ork:v D oubleday & C o m p a n y ,.In c., 1 9 6 2 ) , p . 4 0 1 .
'
-
\
\
7 . ■I h id ., p . 409.
■
•
. %'r .
' ''
" ' '
8 . Josep h K in sey .Howard,, " T h e-D eclin e and F a l l o f Burton K,
Wheeler'.* ,, op. c i t . , p . '226. .
/
.:
'.
--
' ..'''/I
-P -
-4 S e n a to r B a r k le y 's e r r o r t y p if ie d th e d i f f i c u l t y o f d is c u s s i n g
Montana p o l i t i c s a t th e e x c lu s io n o f S en a to r W heelere
At h e a t , .
W h eeler’s d e f e a t to E r ic k so n in the 1946 prim ary was a c c e p te d w ith
g r e a t a sto n ish m e n t.
W hile W h eeler’s d e f e a t was s t a r t l i n g , th e Dem ocrats o b v io u s ly
b e lie v e d t h a t "E rickson was a s t r o n g p o l i t i c a l c a n d id a te .
I t w i l l be
d e te r m in e d , h ow ever, t h a t in r e t r o s p e c t , E rick so n p r e s e n te d a v ia b le
p o lit ic a l ta r g e t,
VJheeler has argued t h a t th e Anaconda Company s u p p o r t- "
ed E r ic k so n in , th e p rim a ry , and than f o r c e f u l l y su p p orted . E cton in th e,
general e le c tio n .
I f t h a t was tru e., E r ic k s o n ’s w in i n th e prim ary
was view ed as a v i c t o r y f o r th e Ectbn c o n s e r v a t iv e s ,
I r r e g a r d le s s , i t
m ust be r e c o g n iz e d t h a t f o r th e f i r s t tim e i n tw e n ty -fo u r y ea rs , th e
D em o cra tic P a r ty was f u n c t io n in g .a t the. e x c lu s io n o f S en ator. W heeler.
I t i s n o t c e r t a in t h a t W heeler would have p ro v id ed a s tr o n g e r .p o l i t i c a l
c a n d id a t e . than E r ic k s o n , b u t .t h e sh o ck o f h i s d e f e a t , cou p led w ith
E r ic k s o n ’s p o l i t i c a l w eak nesses , p ro v id ed ...the R ep u b lica n s w ith an
e a r l y a d v a n ta g e. ;
I.'-'.
THE PRIMARY AHD THE IMPACT OF IHNHEEDOES
The p o l i t i c a l ,framework f o r th e g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n w a s, in part,-' *•
■ ■ " 9 . W h eeler, Bui-t o n .K. , P erso n a l in t e r v ie w w ith 'M ic h a e l P. M slo n e,
A s s is t a n t 'P r o f e s s o r o f H is t o r y , Montana S t a t e U n i v e r s it y , Bozeman,
. M ontanaV May 2 5 , 1 9 7 0 ; K.R. T oole d is a g r e e s w ith W h eeler and argu es t h a t .
W lieeler l o s t . i n s p it e , o f s t r o n g s u p p o r t from"Anaconda,. X.R." Tbple', . .
■Mon tan a An Uncommon .Land (Norman:■ U niv.. o f Oklahoma P r e s s , 1 9 5 9 ) . p . 2 2 5 .
. ; ‘ V-X-:-.
-X-> -
x;
•
*' h
■
-
--r
.y-
■:i'' - .• •:
^
r
V-..
'
-' -
d eterm in ed by the te n o r o f th e D em ocratic prim ary.
The E rick so n -
W heeler campaign ex p o sed v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s and p rovid ed p o l i t i c a l t o o ls
upon which th e R ep u b lica n p a r ty c a p i t a l i z e d .
E r ic k s o n ’s v i c t o r y , as has • been- s u g g e s t e d , was n o t ' e a s i l y
d eterm in ed .'
A lthough the mean, in Montana e l e c t i o n s h as alw ays been
t y p i f i e d by em o tio n , ch a rg e, and c o u n te r -c h a r g e , th e 1 94b .prim ary
i n i t i a t e d a Ccrnpaign t h a t o u td id th e norm in a b arrage o f s c u r r ilo u s
in n u en d o es.
W h eeler’s-a d v a n ta g eo u s p o s it io n a t the i n i t i a t i o n o f the
1946 p rim ary, cou p led w ith h i s c o n t r o v e r s ia l n a t u r e , n e c e ssita te d ...
th a t E rick so n s t im u la t e a p o te n t a t t a c k .
In t h i s r e s p e c t , th e
"sm ears” and " cou n ter-sm ears" p ro m in en t'in , the 1946 prim ary were
s i g n i f i c a n t i n p r e p a r in g the fo u n d a tio n f o r the R e p u b lic a n 's attack ,
o f E r ic k so n i n th e C o n g r essio n a l e l e c t i o n .
At th e o n s e t , W heeler was c o n te n t to s e e k r e -n o m in a tio n on .the
s t r e n g t h o f h i s r e c o r d j he o f f e r e d no s p e c i a l program ■or. p r o m ise s. The incum bent t o ld a. S t . I o u is P os t -D i s o a t ch r e p o r t e r t h a t . th e r e a l .
issu e.' was.' "w hether we were g o in g t o l e t th e P .A .C . [_ P p l i t i cal. A c tio n
C an m ittee_ 7 and S id n e y H illm an /" la b o r le a d e r f o r th e . C .I .0 ._ 7 run
10
- 1
:•,
,
•
A m erica."
.
i e i f .E rickson and h i s su p p o r te r s v i g o r o u s l y a tta c k e d W heeler’ s'
■ " , 12 “ Z e o p le js. V o ic e , J u ly 1 2 , 1 9 4 6 . . C opyrigh t s t o r y b y R ichard
B aum hcff, s t a f f co rresp o n d en t for. th e : S t . L o u is P ost-D i s n a tc h .
. Quoted i n Joseph P . - K e lly , b p . c i t . , p . 2 3 .
.- ■ .
—
6r e c o r d , m a in ta in in g t h a t h is o b tu se a c t io n s in C ongress were n o t
O
11
t o th e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f Montana o r th e D em ocrats.
I t i s n o t my i n t e n t to r e l a t e th e t o t a l r h e t o r ic a l c o n te n t o f th e
p rim ary, b u t I w i l l r e t r a c e th o se a s p e c t s o f the prim ary t h a t had
in f lu e n c e on E rick so n and the Ifove 4 th C o n g ressio n a l e l e c t i o n .
CAMPAIGN FINANCES
Much was s a id and w r it t e n , d u r in g and a f t e r th e p rim a ry , about
ttie so u r c e o f th e campaign b u d gets f o r b o th c a n d id a te s .
B a ile y
S t o r t z , "Wheeler’s campaign chairm an, com plained " that b etw een $ 1 0 0 ,0 0 0
and $ 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 was b e in g s p e n t to sm ear and d i s c r e d i t W h eeler.
E r ic k so n ’ s
f o r c e s named no f ig u r e b u t c o n s i s t e n t l y a llu d e d to the. v a s t amounts
a t h i s o p p o n en t’s d i s p o s a l .
12
The N a tio n charged t h a t ’’W h eeler's
campaign was marked w ith shoddy te c h n iq u e s he p ick ed up as an American.
F i r s t e r , com p lete w ith ch arges t h a t h i s opponent was fin a n c e d by
Communists, New York-Jews .and Wall S t r e e t . ”
13
W heeler was convinced
enough o f afo rem en tio n ed c h a r g e s, h o w ev er, to ask th e S en a te Committee
on U n fa ir C am paign;F ra.ctices to i n v e s t i g a t e the cam paign.
The Sen ate .1
11.
- Many prom inent l i b e r a l s in Montana f e l t t h a t Vfheeler had
d e s tr o y e d h i s r e l a t io n s h i p w ith F r a n k lin D. R o o s e v e lt,-a n d th ereb y h i s
a b i l i t y t o ”g e t t h in g s done” , b y h i s s t r o n g o p p o s itio n t o th e co u rt
p a ck in g p la n , le n d l e a s e , and. our in v o lv em en t in World War I I . .
12.
Josep h F . K e lly , op. c i t . , p . 27.
1?.
N a t io n . "The Shape o f T h in gs’’ , J u ly 2 0 , 1 9 4 6 , V o le 1 6 3 , p . 59«
. ..
V-
i n v e s t i g a t i o n , under R o b ert A. B ak er, i n i t i a t e d .i t s s t u d y in H elen a on
.J u l y 8 t h , j u s t one ^ eek b e fo r e th e e l e c t i o n .
In a prepared s ta te m e n t b e fo r e th e com m ittee, W heeler d e c la r e d ,
" I want to. know how much money th e P. A. C. and th e C. I . Cu are s e n d in g
i n t o t h i s s t a t e a g a in s t m e."^
• The Committee e v e n t u a lly d eterm in ed t h a t A lb e r t L a sk er ^and h is
w i f e , a s .w e ll a s Mrs. A. Greenbaum, a l l - o f New York C it y , co n trib u ted .
$ 1 ,0 0 0 each to E r ic k so n ’ s campaign fu n d . . -$4,250 more came from the
New Y ork.and"C hicago o f f i c e s . o f th e Committee 1on P u b lic A f f a i r s , w ith.
A rth ur J . G oldsm ith a s i t s s e c r e t a r y .
I n . a d d it io n , th e IJnited Auto ■
Workers o f D e t r o it su b m itte d S 3 ,0 0 0 to th e "fund, g i v i n g b o th th e
P. A. C. and the v e t e r a n ’ s com m ittee fo r. E rick so n S i »500 e a c h .
N a tio n a l M aritim e U nion of.N ew York a l s o su b m itted $ 1 ,0 0 0 .
The
A ls o ,
u s u a l l y l i s t e d in th e o u t - o f - s t a t e endorsem ents ..are S e n a to r Murray’s
.
, u
two c o n tr ib u tio n s f o r $ 1 ,0 0 0 e a c h . 16
-
'
°
The com m ittee a l s o determ ined t h a t b o th V dieeler and E rick so n .were
. g u i l t y o f u t i l i z i n g fu n ds d e r iv e d from o u ts id e s o u r c e s .
B a ile y . .
S t o r t z t o ld th e com m ittee, t h a t o f th e $ 1 8 ,7 4 7 in W h e e le r 's campaign
14. G reat .F a lls T rib u n e; J u ly 9 . 1 9 4 6 .; Quoted i n Joseph P. -K e lly
o p . c i t . , p . .45«
i-- -'.vY'
15 . A lb e r t L a sk er was head o f th e ;U n ite d S t a t e s • S h ip p in g Board
u n d e r - P r e s id e n t H ard in g.
' Y
' -: V ."
\
■. 16. M iles C ity S t a r . G et. 2 7 , 1946,; p . 9; N o v .. 3 , 1946.j p . 13;
■ Montana S ta n d a rd ,- O c t. 9 , 1 9 4 6 , Ed.' paget': '
-" " y," : ''
:
-
-8
•
17
fund', S 7»000 found i t s r o o t s in s o u r c e s o u tsid e Montana.
The e f f e c t t h a t th e ca m p a ig n -ex p en d itu res i n v e s t i g a t i o n had on
th e c o n s titu e n c y , i s d i f f i c u l t to d e te r m in e .
Gordon Re id ' o f the
Ne?/ R ep u b lic f e l t t h a t b eca u se th e h e a r in g s were rep o rte d " a ll ov er
th e s t a t e " , W h eeler's p la n to .exp ose E rickson- " b ack fired " c o s t in g him
• 18
v o te s.
T h e .q u e s tio n he came in c r e a s in g ly l e s s s i g n i f i c a n t , h ow ever,
as E r ic k so n began t o campaign f o r th e S e n a te ..
E r ic k s o n 's a f f i l i a t i o n
w ith " o u t s id e . in t e r e s t s " w as, "by t h a t t im e , w e ll known, and E cton anti,
h i s s u p p o r t e r s , in th e ,gen eral e l e c t i o n , c o n f id e n t ly e x p lo it e d t h is
a s s o c ia tio n .
SMEAR TACTICS & THEIR EFFECT AM) THE GENERAL ELECTION
The S en a te i n v e s t i g a t i o n under Baker d eterm ined t h a t th e campaign
■■
'
-
.
‘
. .
had. b een one o f the m ost " v ic io u s . . „ t h a t had ev er ' "been c a r r ie d on."
W heeler-,, l a t e Iri t h e . e l e c t i o n , o f t e n con n ected E r ic k s o n 's " o u tsid e
money", and -the " C .I.O .-P .A .C .' s su p p o rt o f E r ic k so n , t o an a ttem p t a t
Communist, s u b v e r s io n .
20
. ,.Wheeler h as n o ted , o f th e Communist ’’Bogy"- in
"17c ■ In depend en t R ecord . J u ly ; 9» 1 9 4 6 . Quoted i n Josep h P.
K e l l y , op . c i t . , p . , 4 5 .
i"':
\
'"A= " ' .
A "' - .
,
"' '
■ -18i. Gordon R e id , "How They B e a t IV h eeler" , N a t io n . V d i. 115: I ,
J u ly 2 9 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 1 0 0 . ■, .
v;1- '■
19® B urton K. W h eeler, L e t t e r t o th e A uth or, N ov. 27» 1 9 7 0 .
"- - r
- .< v
". "
.
. .. . " " ...
2C0 ' 'In d ep en d en t"Record '(,Helena).,. J u ly 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I ; Jul,y IO i
.I
• 1 9 4 6 , p« 2.
'
'W
-
V --
:
.
. ’" v
.
V>
0
-
A
r
: V
a .;
- :: J:- r '
• - . '/iA lA -
/ :"""
!4I
1
;. • - 9 ”
th e 1946 p rim ary, " , . ,
t h a t th e Commiiiliats- campaigned '-against me and
my s e c fr e ta r y , B a ile y S t o r t z ; . . .
In B u t t e , j u s t 'b e f o i e th e prim ary
e l e c t i o n * th e y [_ th e Anaconda .Company^ had a m e e tin g o f a l l th e
S lo v a k s a t Columbia G ardens, and th e y brou gh t in some Communist
le a d e r s ■who sp o k e .
I n o t o n ly was n o t in v it e d b u t was t o ld I cou ld n ’ t
g e t i n , b u t E rick so n was t h e r e . . . "
21
W heeler f e l t t h a t th e Communists
to o k an a c t iv e p a r t i n h i s d e f e a t , b a s i c a l l y b eca u se he had been
a g a in s t R u ssia n a m b itio n s d u rin g th e war.
•
22
-
'
I r r e g a r d l e s s , i t i s n o t my purpose t o in d ic a t e h ere w h ich ’
D em o cra tic prim ary c a n d id a te , i f e i t h e r , was a s s o c ia t e d w ith Communism.
Communist sm ear t a c t i c s were prom inent and used f u n c t i o n a l l y by both
,ca n d id a tes1, and i n t h a t s e n s e d e v e lo p e d a - p o l i t i c a l s t e p p in g - s t o n e t v
be u t i l i z e d b y th e R ep u b lica n s i n th e C o n g ressio n a l e l e c t i o n s .
D uring
th e g e n e r a l .e l e c t i o n * u lt r a - c o n s e r v a t iv e commentators' ( i . e . , F u lto n
■-
L ew is and. L arry Sm ith), a t t r ib u t e d W h eeler's prim ary d e f e a t by E rick so n
t o a "Communist smear" and to ld Montanans t h a t th e .v ic t o r * .who was
now s ta n d a r d -b e a r e r f o r , W h eeler's p a r t y , was "endorsed by ‘Moscow".
•
Throughout th e e l e c t i o n , W h eeler’had charged th a t.'th e , C .1 .0 .
21.
Burton K.. W h eeler, b e t t e r to -the A uthor, Mov. 2 ? , 1 9 7 0 .
. ' 22^ . Burton K. V /heeler , U npublished /in t e r v ie w ' b y M ich ael P..-Malone
May 2 3 , 1970* p . 15.
. '
-
V
v :-:
"r,1' <:■■
V ’v
-•)
'- ' r
■'
■
24
la b o r o r g a n iz a tio n was Communistic and thereby, a' t h r e a t to America.
He saw E r ic k s o n ’s a s s o c ia t io n w ith t h a t r a d ic a l la b o r group as an
a ttem p t b y Communists a t s u b v e r s io n .
These k in d s o f a t t i t u d e s
c e r t a i n l y l a i d the groundwork- f o r a v ir u l e n t a t t a c k o f E rick so n by
Z a les Ne E cton and h i s su p p o r te r s d u r in g th e g en era l e l e c t i o n ,
25
W h eeler's a ttem p t t o co n n ect E rick so n t o th e C om nunisi '.party
through h i s a s s o c ia t io n w ith th e O .I .O .'s P o l i t i c a l A ctio n Committee
( P .A .C .) , th e n , s e t th e p a tte r n t h a t E cton would u t i l i z e .
THE- DAMAGE OF POISON
-
That W heeler was damaged t o any e x t e n t b y the m u d slin g in g campaign,
o f th e E rick so n o r g a n iz a tio n ,' in c lu d in g th e s la n d e r d isse m in a te d in a
book w r it t e n by David K in , a l i a s f1P lo tk in " , and fin a n c e d by E a stern
26
i n d u s t r i a l i s t s , i s . w i d e l y d o u b ted , .
"
' . .
The 3 9 4 -p a g e , hard c o v e r -c o v e r •
d i a t r i b e was p u b lish e d in M iss o u la by John E, Kennedy, a. form er
s e c r e ta r y - ,o f Montana Congressman J e r r y 0 ' C o n n e l l . T h e
_
—
:
■ 24.
—
. ..
title ,
.
'
Josep h ? . K e lly , op. c i t . , .p;- 86. -
."
.
'
-
V .
'
2 5 . We s h a l l s e e in C hapter H I th a t E rick so n was su pp orted
f i n a n c i a l l y and a c t i v e l y by th e C ongress o f I n d u s t r ia l O r g a n iza tio n s P o l i t i c a l .A c t i o n C om m ittee.- _
- '
26«, .. Bozeman .C hronicle-. S e p t . 1 9 , 1 9 4 6 , P» 6 . ■ .
.27* Burton K. W h eeler, Yanke e ■From the -Wes t . o p . b i t . , p . 408,.
T h is .in fo r m a tio n was m a d e .a v a ila b le b eca u se o f the Senave I n v e s t i g a t io n
Committee and its 'w o r k ; in H e le n a . "
'
'
-
The ELot A g a in st A m erica;
11 -
28
S e n a to r W heeler and th e F o rces Behind Him. .
in d ic a t e s th e t e x t to be o f q u e s tio n a b le i n t e n t or q u a l i t y .
has s a id o f th e book;
"
W heeler
I t JZ was s o la u g h a b ly tr a s h y I d ou b t i f i t
cou ld have done me any harm:.
In. any e v e n t,, i t was in tro d u ced to o l a t e
i n th e campaign f o r u s t o co u n ter i t . ”
29
• I t has n o t been, my■purpose t o s u g g e s t t h a t W heeler l o s t th e prim ary
e i t h e r b ecau se o f th e o u t - o f - s t a t e funds u t i l i z e d b y E r ic k s o n , or
b eca u se o f th e Communist sm ear t a c t i c s .
30
I t i s in d eed d o u b tfu l t h a t •
e i t h e r p la y ed a s i z e a b l e r o le in. d e te r m in in g the e l e c t i o n r e s u l t s .
I t w a s, h o w e v e r /E r ic k s o n 's m isfo r tu n e . to . be in v o lv e d i n a campaign
spewn w ith v i r u l e n t r h e t o r i c a l a t t a c k s .
N ot o n ly d i d . t h i s d e t e r a .
r e o r g a n iz a t io n o f p a r ty s t r e n g t h , b u t i t a ls o .p r o v id ed an e f f e c t i v e
p o l i t i c a l t o o l to be e x p lo i t e d 'b y th e R e p u b lic a n s.
The s c u r r ilo u s
u s e o f th e "Communist b ogey” i n th e D em o cra tic prim ary c e r t a in ly g a v e .
E c to n ’s e x t e n s i o n . of. s i m i l a r a c c u s a tio n s a c e r t a in e le m e n t - o f v a l i d i t y .
E cto n would .probab ly have u t i l i z e d t h i s .a tt a c k in any c a s e , b u t i t i s
s i g n i f i c a n t ;t o 'n o t e t h a t th e p u b lic was i n i t i a l l y s o c i a l i z e d o r ■
prepared f o r - t h e s e t a c t i c s by the Dem ocrats t h e m s e lv e s . ■ "*
28 . See ,D avid George K in , .'Ihe ELot Agains t A m erica .(M is s o u la ,.
' Montana; • John E« K ennedy, P u b lish e r s 1946 ) . •
29.
.
' .
B u rton K. W h eeler, Yankee From th e W est, o n . c i t . , p . 4 0 9 .
'
-
'
--y
''V '
/
.
\
y
^
■ . ' 3 0 . ... F or a s u r v e y o f the" r e a so n s:-fo r VZheelerfs d e f e q t s e e Joseph
. P , K e lly , o p . c i t . ; Gordon R e id , opv. c i t ; ; - Dan-JiVhe t s to n e , . "Why W hqeler
. Failed". , P io n e e r P r e ss . (Cut B a n k ), J u ly 2 6 , 1946» e d i t o r i a l page .
r.'
:V -;
. V
'iJ -^ r r
' 11Z'
"The S e n a t o r ia l C and idates: The backgrounds
and an E le m e n t.o f P r e d ic t a b ilit y " -
L ik e the D em o cra tic p rim ary, the p erso n a l and' p o l i t i c a l backgrounds
o f th e c a n d id a te s s a y much in -e x p la in in g th e p o l i t i c a l te n o r o f the
g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n . : The b e s t acco u n t o f .the h is t o r y o f . th e E rick so n
fa m ily was w r it t e n by L e i f ’ s f a t h e r , O lu f,. and published" in th e ,
o f H is t o r y .
1
O la f E r i c k s o n ,- L e if ! s g r a n d fa th e r , and - h is w ife were immigrants' who
a r r iv e d in Quebec ,from. Norway on J u ly 1 , 18,67.
E v e n tu a lly the E rick so n
fa m ily s e t t l e d in W isconsin:, where O la f acq u ired fo u r sm all, farm s.
He was "determined, th a t h i s boys sh o u ld be farmers" and. th ereb y
attem p ted to purchase- enough la n d t o p ro v id e them w ith, the/ i n i t i a l
s t a r t . , L e i f ’s f a t h e r , O lu f ,. became fir m ly ' entrenched- in th e p u r s u it s
o f ■a g r a r i a n . l i f e . . ..-
■
.
- •
!
•
In 1917 o r 1 9 1 8 ,. L e i f -E rick so n ’ s- fa m ily , l e f t W isco n sin t o s e t t l e i n
3
.
McKenzie County;: N o rth 'D a k o ta . . L e if, was about e l e v e n ' y e a r s o ld a t
.
t h e . tim e', and o n ly one o f s e v e n c h ild r e n . . S in ce t h e i r home w as;.
l o c a t e d c lo s e t o S id n e y ,. M ontana, th e ,E rick so n ’s were sc h o o le d in 1
1 . O lu f E r ic k so n , " O laf E rickson- S ca n d in a v ia n F ron tiersm an,"
W isco n sin Itagazine o f H is t o r y .- F art. I.: S e p t ...1 947;: P a r t T I , D e c ., 1947;.
P art. I l l , -March,-1 9 4 8 . " To p rev en t c o n f u s io n . I t sh o u ld be n o ticed - t h a t
L e i f ’s - g r a n d fa th e r ’s -name i s O la f w h ile h i s f a t h e r ’ s name i f O lu f. ■. .
. 2 .,
3e
Oluf- E r ic k s o n ,. P a r t ' l l . , , o p v ' c i t . , -p. 189«
O lu f E r ic k s o n , P a r t ' T > op«i c i t . , p . 7. -
- 13t h a t sm a ll urban c e n te r - and c o r r e s p o n d in g ly co n sid ered .them selves
M ontanans.^ '
In th e s e e a r l y y e a r s , l i f e
f o r th e E rick so n fa m ily mas d i f f i c u l t .
L e i f a n d -h is b r o th e r made, th e jo u rn ey from. W isconsin', w ith the
l i v e s t o c k , in an im m ig r a n t-c a ttle c a r .
In t h e i r f i r s t y e a r on the
p l a i n s , th e E rick so n fa m ily was fo r c e d t o l i v e in a t a r paper sh a ck .
L e i f E rick so n w a s-n o t in t e r e s t e d i n f o llo w in g th e a g r a r ia n t r a d it i o n
•
6
He grad u ated from S id n ey H igh S ch ool i n 1 9 2 4 , o n ly
o f h i s fa m ily .
to e n r o l l a t th e U n iv e r s it y o f N orth-D akota in 1926a
A fte r a y e a r and
a h a l f , he l e f t to co n tin u e h i s s t u d i e s a t th e -U n iv e r s ity o f C hicago. ^ ■
E rick so n d e s ir e d h is e d u c a tio n enough t o work h is way through s c h o o l
"
' ■
'
. g
w ith an a sso r tm en t o f jo b s in c lu d in g ; s h o r t o r d e r c o o k , ta x i-c a b
d r i v e r , s w itc h 1-b o a r d o p e r a to r , d o o r t o .d o o r s a le sm a n , and. w a ite r and
c a f e t e r i a m anager. ' .I n a d d it io n , E riclcson p r o v e d -h is r o b u s t n atu re by
4» • Josep h P. .K e lly , "Study o f th e D e f e a t o f S e n a to r Wheeler" „
U npublished M asters T h e s is , M on ta n a :S ta te U n iv ersity .-, Bczsman1 M ontana,
1 9 5 9 , p . ,15.. 5 . ' L e i f E rick s o n , p e r so n a l in t e r v ie w w ith Jo sep h P . K e lly , May .16, 1 9 5 8 .. C ited in K e l l y , op. c i t . , p . 1b.
.. ,6 . ■P e o p le ’s V oice ( H e le n a ). May 5 . 1 9 4 6 ,' p . I .
.' 7 .. . Who?s Who I n - th e W est. P u b lis h e r , Kenneth N. A n g lem ire,
(C hicage,"’I l l i n o i s : .- The Von Hoffman "Press ,lin e .',- 1 9 7 0 - 7 1 ) , p . '131.
8.; ~Tim e. " N a tio n a l -A ffa ir s on th e Re cord" , J u ly .2 9 , 1946", p . 16.
9.
K e lly ,: op. c i t . , p . -16.
■h
I
V v -;;-
, r '
-, .v
V -'
"
--V •
v./ . -
—14™"
w in n in g th e B ig rDen h ea v y w eig h t w r e s t lin g cham pionship,
He was
gran ted a B a ch elo r o f A rts D egree ,in P h ilo so p h y in 1931 and a D o cto r
o f J u risp ru d en ce D egree in 1.934•
10
■
E r ic k s o n 's e a r l y a g r a r ia n background caused him t o r e c o g n iz e the
•
■
problem s r e la t e d t o farm in g and r a n c h in g .
,
A lthough E r ic k s o n 's
a g r a r ia n r o o ts sh o u ld n o t be o v e r s t r e s s e d , i t was o f some s ig n if ic a n c e
as E r ic k s o n , in th e g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n , was a b le to w in fo u r o f th e s i x
11
w heat c o u n t ie s . .
'
'
I t m ust .be, r e c o g n iz e d , h ow ever, t h a t E r ic k so n was
12
c o n sid e r e d a l i b e r a l . /
In- t h a t s e n s e , th e Earmers U nion has
t r a d i t i o n a l l y su p p o rted the more l i b e r a l o r p r o g r e s s iv e p o l i t i c a l
le a d e r s , J
-
ERICKSON AND'THE MEDIATION-BOABDs ' AR AVENUE OF ATTACK
A fte r . E rick so n graduated from th e U n iv e r s it y o f C h ica g o , he
retu rn ed t o S id n e y to p r a c t ic e la w and was: e l e c t e d co u n ty a tto r n e y .
•
''
IAf o r R ich lan d County i n 1 9 3 6 . ■ In 1 9 3 8 ,,E r ic k s o n , a t, age t h ir t y - t w o ,.
• 1.0, / S t . L o u is P o s t - D is p a t c h . J u ly ,1 8 , I
K e l l y , op . p i t . , p . -1 6 ..
.
11,
See ap p en dix V I l.
'.
,. p . 6 , C ited in..
//' '
„
.
•
1 2 ,. J u le s A.' K a r lin , P r o g r e s siv e P o l i t i c s i n Montana" , V o l. I .
o f A H isto r y , o f .M ontana, e d s . , M e r r ill B u rl ingame --and. K. Ross T o o le ,
(New Jork :. ./L ew is' H i s t o r i c a l P u b lis h in g Company, .1 9 5 7 .), p . '275«''
-
•’
13 ..- I b i d . , p . . 2 4 8 .
- v ' 14.'.’- Time o p ..- b i t . ' , Po 1 6 .
'■
.:•
■
■
: •
•• , .
• *• • Y . ■
•„
."•••
..
. . •7 ,
",
• ...
' : •.:
.. --
-1 5 became th e y o u n g e st man e v e r to be e l e c t e d to the S t a t e Supreme
C ourt as an a s s o c ia t e j u s t i c e . 1^
He s e r v e d Montana in t h a t c a p a c ity
u n t i l 1946«
E r ic k so n ’s background in la w a llo w e d P r e s id e n t .R o o se v e lt to
a p p o in t him , in th e e a r l y -19 4 0 ' s , to a c t as r e f e r e e in 150 ca ses
b e fo r e th e R a ilr o a d A djustm ent Board d e a li n g w ith r a ilr o a d r u l e s .
16
W hile the appointm ent i n i t i a l l y appeared t o forward E r ic k so n 's
c a r e e r , i t e v e n t u a lly p ro v id ed the R ep u b lica n s w ith an avenue o f a tta c k
E r ic k so n w as, d u r in g th e 1946 e l e c t io n ? accu sed o f e a r n in g $ 8 ,7 0 0
w ork in g f o r th e F ed era l R a ilr o a d M ed ia tio n B oard, w h ile a t the same
tim e c o l l e c t i n g h is $ 7 ,5 0 0 a y e a r as a Supreme Court j u s t i c e .
17
' In
a d d it io n . P r e s id e n t Truman ap p oin ted E r ic k so n to s e r v e as ,chairman ■
and member o f s i x em ergency f a c t - f i n d i n g boards under th e R a ilro a d
Labor A c t.
16
E r ic k so n a g a in was co n fro n ted w ith , c o l l e c t i n g f i f t y
d o l l a r s a day f o r 147s days f o r h is a d j u d ic a t io n w ork, w h ile c o n tin u in g
to c o l le c t h is s t a t e s a la r y .
19
Ralph A nderson, a form er j u s t i c e o f 15678
1 5 . Who's Who In American P o l i t i c s , e d s . , Paul A. T h e sis and
Edmund L . Henshaw, J r . (Hew York: R .R . Bowker C o ., 1 9 6 7 ) , p . 205.
16.
P e o p le 's V o ice (H e le n a ), op . c i t . , May 3» 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
1 7 . M ile s C ity S t a r i S e p t. 2 9 , 1 9 4 6 , E d it o r ia l p age;
D a n ie ls County L eader (S cob ey) . O ct. 1 7 , 1 9 4 6 , p. I .
18.
G reat F a l ls T rib u n e. March 9 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
19=
Independ en t Record (H e le n a ). O ct. 31 , 1 9 4 6 , p^ 1 0 .
-1 6 th e Montana Suprem e■Court , v eh em en tly a ccu sed E rick so n o f u n p r o fe s s io n a l
e t h i c s in a s t a t e - w id e r a d io a d d ress o n ly fo u r days "before th e e le c t io n ?
"W hile E rick so n s a t on th e Supreme C ourt b en ch » th e c o u r t ’s
p r o d u c t iv it y d e c lin e d 40 p e r c e n t and l i t i g a n t s were com p elled to w a it
many months f o r d e c i s i o n s . . . " , Anderson s a i d , " w ith a member o f th e
c o u r t . . . .ea rn in g e x t r a p o ck et money a t th e r a t e o f f i f t y d o lla r s
20
. a d a y ." u
A lthough E r ic k s o n gain ed some n a t io n a l prom inence f o r h is
app oin tm en ts i n th e many r a ilr o a d l i t i g a t i o n s ,
t h e r e . can b e . l i t t l e
d o u b t t h a t th e s e a c t i v i t i e s e v e n t u a lly h u r t him ‘ in th e p o l i t i c a l
.
arena." Hepublle a n s such a s Ralph Anderson used E r ic k s o n ’s a s s o c ia t io n .
' w ith the. R a ilro a d M ed ia tio n Board, to q u e s tio n h is p r o f e s s io n a l e t h i c s . .
The a b i l i t y o f the- R ep u b lican s t o r a i s e q u e s tio n s a b o u t E r ic k so n ’s
c h a r a c te r became s i g n i f i c a n t a s i s s u e s r e l a t i v e t o Communism d e v e lo p e d .
' ERICKSON’S POLITICAL BACKGROUND"AND VULNERABILITY
- I n . 1944» E r ic k so n was. nom inated f o r Governor on th e D em ocratic ..
.• t i c k e t . ■He was r e s o u n d in g ly d e fe a te d • (2 7 ,0 0 0 v o t e s ) b y Sam Ford a t
th e. same, tim e t h a t F r a n k lin Di R o o s e v e lt was c a r r y in g th e s t a t e w ith
" "
••".
.' .
21
•"■ . "" , . . .
■• .
/ a p l u r a l i t y o f 2 1 ,0 0 0 v o t e s .'
, I n . th e 1 946 S e n a t o r ia l ra ce , E cton
20« -• Independ en t ..Record ( H e le n a ). O ct. ^ 1 , 1 9 4 6 , P* 10.
' 2 1 . Independ en t R ecord ’ (H elen a) Nov.- 4 • 1 9 4 6 , p . 6 ; W ashington
•/ S t a r . :0ct.". 1 0 , 1946 j -Zales N. E c to n , M anuscript C o l l e c t i o n , 1 9 4 6 -5 2 .
,. Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y " L ib rary, Bozeman.'.
•
-In ­
c o n s t a n t ly reminded th e Montana c o n s t i t u e n t 'o f t h e i r d isa p p r o v a l o f
E r ic k so n in 1944« Not o n ly .was E r ic k s o n ’s d e f e a t i n 1944 a p o l i t i c a l
c
d is a d v a n t a g e , b u t h is a s s o c ia t io n w ith th e P o l i t i c a l A ctio n Committee
(Po-A.C.) and h i s su p p o r t o f the' M iss o u r i V a lle y A u th o r ity (M. V. A .) in
iI
t h a t e l e c t i o n was a l s o d e t r im e n t a l,
'
I t was s p e c u la te d t h a t E r ic k so n , in 1 9 4 4 , was su p p o rted by S id n e y
H illm a n . and th e P,'A,-C.
22
That com m ittee was. a l l e g e d l y a s s o c ia t e d w ith
Communism and i t s a ttem p ts to gain" c o n tr o l o f th e governm ent,
Don
Chapman o f G reat F a l l s was p r e s id e n t o f th e Montana Farmers U nion and
V. '
' " 25 .
' '
"
chairman of. th e l o c a l P i A . C. in 1944«
He and th e P .A .C. op en ly
en d orsed E r ic k so n b e fo r e th e s t a t e D em o cra tic c o n v e n tio n ,
24
Vdiile
■
■ ' :25
E r ic k so n i n i t i a l l y rep u d ia ted , th e d i r e c t su p p o rt o f th e P. A .C. ,
by
th e f i n a l weeks o f t h e .e l e c t i o n , he- welcomed t h e . end orsem en t,.
26
O rators i n 1 944 c o r r e s p o n d in g ly claim ed .t h a t the D em o cra tic P a r ty had. \
b e e n turned o v e r to S id n e y H illm a n , and. t h a t E r ic k so n was o n ly a pawn
'
•
27
o f th e s e " sa b o teu rs o f th e p r o c e ss o f dem ocracy,"
■ ■
.
,
.
■.
■■ ■ .
■
.2*456
22 , For a g r e a t e r e x p la n a tio n o f th e r o le and o r ig in s "of the
P . A.C. s e e •C hapter I I I , . •'
\'
>*V
25,
G reat F a lls . T rib u n e, S e p t . 1 8 , 1944V P« I
24.
J u le s A. K a r lin , " P r o g r e ssiv e P o l i t i c s in . Montana", op, c i t .
2 5 . "Montana S tan dard (B u tte ) , S e p t , 9 , 1 9 4 4 , ■P» I » ;
26 .
P e o p le ’s V o ic e (.Helena") , N ov. 5 , 1944» p . :1 W ' '
.
27 . J u le s A. K a r lin , " P r o g r e ssiv e P o l i t i c s in .M o n ta n a " , op. c i t ;
' W estern News (L ib b y) ,■ O ct. 19* 1 9 4 4 , P« 4» C ol. I . •
•:
.
r-t ..
./'s. .
V',
■
'
"
..6
--
'
..
, I - '. •
■
-
V
- \ A
V
.
,
The - a c c u s a tio n s o f Sam Foiti and h is .,.supporters in 1 944" be camev:
in c r e a s i n g ly im p o rta n t in the 1946 S en a to r ia l, e l e c t i o n "because, l i k e
■'
th e 1946 p rim ary, th e y p rovided th e fo u n d a tio n f o r a s i m i l a r h u t -much
more v ir u l e n t a t t a c k .
L ik e h is a f f i l i a t i o n w ith th e P .A .C ., E r ic k s o n 's su p p o rt o f the
M.V.A. in 1944 was e a s i l y - e x p l o i t e d by B cton in th e 1946 cam paign.
28
IiVhile Ford s t r o n g ly opposed the M.V.Av, E rick so n was a c t i v e l y in v o lv e d
i n th e M is s o u r i R iv e r developm en t p r o j e c t . . E rick so n w a s, i n f a c t ,
named ' th e Chairman ,,of • th e R eg io n a l A s s o c ia t io n o f th e M.V.A.
29
A lthough E r ic k s o h 's l o s s in 1944 can n ot be e x p la in e d e x c l u s i v e l y by
h i s su p p o rt o f th e M .V .A ., i t w a s •c e r t a i n l y o f m ajor con seq u en ce.
50 '
The is s u e re-ap p eared i n 1 9 4 6 , and E r ic k s o n 's p r e v io u s su p p o rt o f th e
program was- c r u c ia l t o B a to n 's cam paign.
L ik e th e M.V.A. i s s u e , E cton
was a b le t o c a p i t a l i z e on the p r e v io u s ly m e n tio n e d -a sp e c ts • o f E r ic k so n 's,
p o l i t i c a l r e c o r d . -' E r ic k s o n 's s e r v ic e ',on ■th e R a ilr o a d . M ed ia tid n -Board !
-
h is . a s s o c ia t io n w ith th e P .A .C. , and h i s su p p o rt c f th e M.V.A, zill
proved p o l i t i c a l l y d e tr im e n ta l i n 1 9 4 6 .
' :*1
1=. 2 8 . F or'.a more .thorough d e s c r ip t i o n of" th e M.V.A. , s e e
C hapter I I I . ' .;
'
;
.-
:=
1 2 9 . Rew York T im es.' J u ly 1 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I ;
J u ly 1 3 , 1945» F . I*
-
-
•
-
P e o p le ' s ' V oice (H elen a ) ,
30.
For comments- by E rick so n su p p o r tin g th e M. V. A. ,s e e B i l l i n gs G a z e t t e . O c t .,1 8 , 1 9 4 4 ,
I ; G reat F a lls , T rih u n e. O c t . -2 2 , 1 9 4 4 ,- p . , I ;
' F or comments'.by Ford ,r e f u t in g th e .:M. V. A., s e e . B i l l i n g s . . G a z e t t e , O ct. 8 ,
■1944> p , I
.
■
•/: .
- . -
ZALES ECTON:
AN AGRARIAN BACKGROUND
Z ales N. EctQji, l i k e E r ic k so n , was n o t a n a t iv e Montanan.
He
was b o m i n W eldon, Iowa on A p ril I 0 1 8 9 8 , the so n o f Arron S . E c to n ,
a ra n c h e r . 31
When Zal.es was n i n e , th e E cton fa m ily l e f t D eca ta r
C oun ty, Iowa and moved w e st .to Montana. . Z ales r e c e iv e d h is p r e lim in a r y
e d u c a tio n a t p u b lic s c h o o ls in G a lla t in C ounty, M o n t a n a . and a tten d ed
M on tan a,S tate- C o lle g e (Bozeman) from 1 916 t o 1 9 1 9 , and th e U n iv e r s it y
o f C hicago from 1 9 1 9 +0' 1 9 2 0 . ^
-y
He th en became in v o lv e d in ra n ch in g and farm in g and. was s u c c e s s f u l •
enough t o e v e n t u a ll y claim e x t e n s iv e h o ld in g s .in la n d and c a t t l e
around M anhattan.
E cton m a in tain ed th e s e i n t e r e s t s u n t i l h is d ea th
on March 3 , 1 9 6 1 .
E cto n n o t o n ly r a is e d c a t t l e , b u t he a ls o u t i l i z e d
much o f h is, la n d t o r a i s e g r a in .
-
I n t h a t r e s p e c t , E cto n was n o t o n ly ■
a member o f the. Montana ,Stockgrow ers A s s o c ia t io n , h u t he was a l s o an
a c t iv e member o f th e Earm.-Bureau F e d e r a tio n .
• Thns e le m e n t o f E ccon 1s ,
background be came, in c r e a s i n g ly im p o rta n t, as- he fun c'cionaJ.ly used, h isf arm ing e x p e r ie n c e s i n an: a ttem p t t o show-.empathy f o r , and’ t o draw
■ 31« B io g r a p h ic a l D ir e c to r y o f the; American C o n g r e ss,- Chairman, ,.
■J o in t Committee .,o n -P r in tin g ,. Carl H ayden..’ C om piler,' James L.. H a r rish n .
(W ashington D».C.: U .3 .-G overnm ent P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 5 0 ) , p . 1117»
3 2 . The 'N a tio n a l,' C yclo p a ed ia o f American B io g r a p h y . U n i v e r s i t y -•
M icro film s,.- A Xerox Company, Ann A rbor,-M ichigan., R e p r in t ; Copy. ’
(New York; ..Jam es T. VThite and CO., 1 9 6 6 ) , - V o l .- 4 9 , ,p . 3 4 9 « ...
r■
- 20 '
su p p o r t from th e t r a d i t i o n a l D em o cra tic farm in g com m unities n o rth o f
th e M isso u r i R iv e r on th e ’’H ig h -lin e " ..
EGTONtS POLITICAL CAREER AND CONSERVATISM -
'
-
E cton was' e l e c t e d to th e S t a t e House o f R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s from
G a l la t in County w hen.he was t h i r t y - f i v e , y ea rs o ld . He serv ed in t h a t
' #' *
c a p a c ity from 1933 t o 1 93%» .E c tc n th en i n i t i a t e d h i s c a r e e r as a
■i
' '■
■
'
S ta te S e n a to r from G a lla t in . County and se r v e d u n t i l 1 946» In a d d it io n
■
: f. .■y . ■
'.
.
t o th e a fo r e m e n tio n e d , he s e r v e d from 1 940. t o 1 9 4 4 . a s . chairman o f +he 1
.
.
Montana S t a t e R ep u b lica n C en rra li C o n m ittee.
E ct o n ’s p o l i t i c a l
e x p e r ie n c e a n d rln flu en ce. made him th e l i k e l y ca n d id a te f o r th e G..0, P. ■
n o m in a tio n in 1 94 6 .
M ile s Romney has su g g e ste d t h a t E c to n fs opponent
in th e prim ary (ReE.- S k e e n , a N orthern. P a c i f i c Brakeman from B i l l i n g s j)
e n te r e d th e campaign on a w ager,
A t any r a t e , E cto n dom inated the.
;
•
■7^
p o l l i n g r e s u l t s when he c o l le c t e d 22,731 v o te s ,to S k e e n ’s 1 1 ,2 2 6 .
■
E cto n was a w ell knof/n c o n s e r v a tiv e in.M ontana’ p o l i t i c s .
37 '
' .-.-Hifi
v o t i n g reco rd i n th e S t a t e House,..and S e n a te in d ic a te d - th a t-h e fa v o red '34*67
34.
I b id .
-.
•
.
'35« -% s t e m News (L ibby)',. S e p t . 1 2 , 19459 p . 4 .
36.
Montana;
E l l i s - W aldron, Montana P o l i t i c s S in ce 1864',,-; (M is s o u la ,
Montana. S t a t e .U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 3 8 ) , :p. 3 .l5 i. .
37.
■P« 7 2 . .
H .S. - News. " P eop le o f the Week" , Nov. 8 , 1946 , V o l. 21; 2 ,
rm rk
'■
"• ""
'
'
-
21 -
the ‘b u sin ess community in Montana as opposed to the s m a lle r in t e r e s t s
This t o f c o u r se , brought c r ie s th a t i f Ecton were e le c te d he, would be
a puppet o f the Anaconda and Montana Power Companies.
The Anaconda .
Company d id su p p ort Ecton and thus fo u g h t E rickson w ith the same v ig o r
i t d isp la y ed when Erickson, attempted to .unseat Governor Ford in
1944»'
The supp ort o f the " In te r ests" ( i » e . , the Anaconda arid Montana
Power Companies) c e r t a in ly provided Ecton w ith a d ef i n i t e ■advantage..
I t i s w e ll r e c o g n iz e d t h a t t h e •Montana press"has' p la y ed a p e c u lia r
'
- '
'
'
40
r o le in. the d isse m in a tio n o f the "Companies•" p o l i t i c a l power.
In 1951* i t was determ ined th a t the Anaconda Company, owned- newspapers
in fo u r o f the f iv e la r g e s t c i t i e s in Montana and con seq u en tly '
'
■ ■"
""
’‘
.
-
41
d is tr ib u te d about 55 pei'cent o f the to ta l- Sunday c ir c u la t io n . *39
,
3 8 ... "For a n s ly z a tio n o f E cton 1s v o tin g record on c r u c ia l b i l l s •
s e e . P e o p le ’s V oice .■ J u ly .26 , 1946 , p . I.; .Aug. 2 , 194*5 ♦ p.. I ; Aug.
9 , 1946 „ p.. I ; Aug. 5.0 ,'1.946, p. I-; S e p t. 6 , 1946 ?. p. 1;? S ep t.. 13 , 1 9 4 6 ,
p . I i S e p t. 2 0 , 1946 , p . I ; S ep t. 27, 1 9 4 6 , p. I ; . O ct. 4," 1 9 4 6 , p. I ;
Oct. I i , 1 9 4 t, p. I ; O ct. 18, 1946 , p. I .
.
3 9 . Jtileb A. Karl i n , " P rogressive P o lit ic s - in Montana", op. c i t . , - p . 275.;. - ,
. 4 0 . .S ee John M. S c h ilt z ^ "Montana’s C aptive P r e s s " , Montana
O p in io n . I,- J u n e, 1 9 5 6 , p . 3 i R ichard T. R u e tte n r '-"Anaconda Jou rn alism ;
'The End- o f an Era"., .J ourrialism Q u a rter ly . W in ter, i 9 6 0 , , p,"..4; R ichard
;.
T.. R u e tte n , " T ogeth ern ess;- A Look in t o Montana Journalism " ...The Montana ■
P a s t ' An A n th o lo g y , e d s . , M ichael P . Malcne and R ic h a r d .3 . - R oed er9
' "[Mdssoiiia-,. Montana; '--U n iv e r s ity o f Montana .P r e s s , 1 9 6 9 ) ; "Anaconda
Country" . Economis t . V o l. 18 4 , S e p t i ' 7 , 1 9 5 7 , P* 766;. Montana Kaimi n .
(M isso u la ) , O ct. .2 4 , 1 9 5 8 , p . 2 ; - Hungry Hbrse News ("Columbia F a l l s ) , J a n .: 3Q, 1 9 5 9 , p . 2 .
•
-. . .L•
.
: L;:
".. : ' " '•
, ' ; .
41 • The- .Xnaconda 'Company owned a c o n t r o ll in g i n t e r e s t (5 O^o o r more)
■
.
"
•
\
-v •
•
. •
J.
'f-' .'"V •
''
-
,
.
•
'
'
• •
- "- ■ -.:
-2 2 AnacondaeS hegemony r e l a t i v e to th e Montana p r e s s w ent beyond
j u s t i t s im m ed ia tely owned n ew sp a p ers, how ever.
I t has o f t e n been
-O
s u g g e s te d th a t a f e a r o f th e Company and p o s s ib le economic, r e p r i s a l s
e x p la in s much in u n d e rsta n d in g A naconda's d o m in a tio n o f th e Montana
p resse
Of th e te n d a i l y and t h ir t e e n w eek ly new spapers su rv ey ed in t h i s
s t u d y , o n ly M iles Romney's W estern News (L ib b y )^^ and H arry B i l l i n g s ' s
P e o p le 's V o ice (H elen a ) su p p o rted E rick so n o v er E cto n r
I t was a g a in
t o E c to n ' s advantage t h a t n e it h e r - ,o f These, p u b lic a t io n s were d a i l i e s
w hich c e r t a i n l y a f f e c t e d t h e i r t o t a l c i r c u la t io n and u ltim a te im pact
on th e v o t in g c o n s t it u e n c y .
C o n v e r s e ly , a t l e a s t se v e n d a i l y new spapers f o r c e f u l l y su p p orted
E c to n a
Among th e s e were the M iles C ity S t a r . ■Montana S tan dard (B u tte ) ,
Bozeman C h r o n ic le , In d ep en d en t Re c o r d . ( H e le n a ), L e w is to wn Democrat
HeVYS, Havre D a i l y , and th e B i l l i n g s G a z e tte .
The m ost o b j e c t iv e news coverage was p rovid ed b y th e Gr e a t F a lls
Tribune and the P io n e e r P re ss (C ut Bank)..
A lthough th e Tribu n e d id
n o t su p p o r t the Dem ocrats w ith th e v ig o r o f Romney o r B i l l i n g s , the 42
i n th e B u tte D a ily P o s t .. Montana Standard ■(B u tte ) , L iv in g s t o n E n t e r p r iz e .
In d ep en d en t Record ( H e le n a ), B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e . and th e M ineral
P u b lis h in g Co. in S u p e r io r . T his in fo r m a tio n was d eterm in ed when, in
1951» th e Fairm ont C o rp o ra tio n , a s u b s id a r y o f Anaconda attem pted to
p u rch ase a sh are o f th e G reat F a l l s r a d io s t a t i o n KFBB. ,
4 2 . ' The s i t e of. the W estern News was moved t o ,H aaiil-ton i n 1947« ■
-2 3 p a p er’a i n t e r e s t in th e ,e l e c t i o n and. f a i r coverage o f l o c a l , p o l i t i c a l
news ite m s h elp ed th e Dem ocrats be h ea rd .
Dan W h etsto n e 's P io n e e r J
P r e s s p ro v id ed f a i r news coverage as w e ll as c l e a r , p r o b i n g ' e d i t o r i a l s .
A lthough W hetstone d e p lo r e d the Communist.smear t a c t i c s o f th e
A3
R e p u b lic a n s ,' he e v e n t u a lly "supported the R ep u b lica n P a rty e s he
exp ressed - a f e a r o f Communist i n f i l t r a t i o n in government;,
In 1 9 4 6 , th e "Company!' p r e s s p la y ed an in s tr u m e n ta l. r o le i n the
d is s e m in a t io n o f "smear" campaign techniques.,,'
One o f th e papers m ost
r a d ic a lly - .p o t e n t in i t s -a tta ck o f E rick so n , was th e M ile s C ity S t a r . .
At th e ex p en se o f u n b ia sed r e p o r t in g , th e S t a r showed d is f a v o r f o r
45
E r ic k s o n , n o t o n ly i n i t s e d i t o r i a l s ,
h u t a l s o in th e many p aid
I . " C■ ■
'
•
■
. . . .
p o l i t i c a l . a d v e r tis e m e n ts i t p erm itted t o be p r in t e d .
'One su ch f u l l page
a d v e r tis e m e n t u t i l i z e d th r e e p a r a ll e l h e a d lin e s p r in te d in one. in ch ,
. b o ld ty p e s.
: "AMERICANISM OR COMMUNISM"
"BYRNES FOREIGN POLICY OR WALLACE RUSSIAN. POLICY"
-'
;
''
' '
"ECTON OR ERICKSON"^.. -456
4 5 . . P io n e e r P r e ss (C ut Bank)., O ct. 2 5 , 1 9 4 6 , E d it o r i a l p a g e.
I t should' be n o ted t h a t i n 1 9 4 6 , Dan Whets tone was a R ep u b lica n .
N a tio n a l-' Committeeman from Montana. -.
. 4 4 . ■P io n e e r P r e ss (.Cut B an k ), S e p t . 1 3 , 1 9 4 6 , E d it o r i a l p a g e.
'4 5 . M ile s C ity S t a r . S e p t. 2 9 , 1946 , E cton P a p e r s ,.-op. c i t . ,
O c t. 1 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 4 - 46.
■
M ile s C ity S t a r . O ct. 2 7 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 13; N ov.: 3 , 1 9 4 6 , ' p . 13.
V"
V.
--v
-■
-2 4
The nature o f the p r e ss and i t s r e la t io n to the "Montana f'.vtins"
sa y s itftich in e x p la in in g the general ten or o f t h e ' campaign*
In a
s t a t e w ith v a s t d is t a n c e s , sparce p o p u la tio n , and g e n e r a lly inadequate
f a c i l i t i e s fo r mass communication, the r o le o f the Montana, p ress i s
s ig n ific a n t.
In t h is r e s p e c t , Ecton was -at a co n sid era b le xadvantage
as he dominated the Montana p ress r e le a s e s .
This a sp e c t o f the
campaign i s c e r t a in ly s i g n i f i c a n t in un derstanding Ec io n ’s ev en tu a l •
v ic t o r y .
- .Xv
u
I ll
- "The Campaigns
■
governmental C ontrols Versus Reaction"
C
THE ELATEORM CORMITTEES
On T u esd ay, A ugust 1 3 th , Montana. R epublle a n s con clu d ed a tw o-day
S ta te C onvention in H e le n a ,
Among th o se in .atten d an ce was C a rro ll
R e e c e , Chairman o f th e N a tio n a l C om m ittee.' T y p ify in g a new f e e l i n g
o f en th u siasm -an d c o n fid e n c e d e v e lo p in g i n th e G .O .P . , R eece concluded
t h a t th e 1946 C o n g r e s s io n a l■e l e c t i o n s o ffe r e d ,R e p u b lic a n s "the b e s t ,
chance f o r - v i c t o r y . . . s in c e th e Dem ocrats won c o n tr o l o f th e F ed era l
I
government in 1 9 3 2 ." ' . The p la tfo r m 'th a t Reece m aintained would
"in su re" a R ep u b lica n C ongress w as. b a s ic a lly , a reh a sh o f th e c l a s s i c a l
R epublican d isp u te w ith F.D.R. *s "New D eal" .
p o in t s , i t -c a lle d - fo r ;
:
C o n stitu ted o f e ig h t
.
I . ; A red u c tio n in the huge governmental bureaucracy ■
. 2 . A n .e f f e c t i v e means o f i n v e s t i g a t i n g s u b v e r s io n in W ashington
3 . ..An end to. c o n tr o ls on th e e c o n o m y . .
. 4 . Jobs fo r World 'War I I veteran s
5 . P r o t e c t io n o f s t a t e and l o c a l r i g h t s '
6 , ■-Ah end to s e c r e t c o n fe r e n c e s w ith 'fo r e i g n ...govemmerits
7» A r e d u c t io n i n -income t a x e s . .
8 . An end to d e f i c i t spending^ .
...
■In announcing th e platform ., Reece sim u lta n e o u sly .h in te d , a t the
o v er-rid in g : theme the party-would u t i l i z e to g iv e c o n tin u ity to I t s r campaign.
"The v o te r s are tir e d o f s e n s e le s s and i r r i t a t i n g c o n tr o ls
1e "In d ep en d en t Record , (H elen a) , Aug. - 1 3 , 1946 » -p. . 10.
2.
I b id .
,
I
V
'
V-'
/
V -'
'
vD .
=I- ■■■:
-
26 -
d i c t a ted by b u rea u cra ts who draw t h e i r p o l i t i c a l id e o lo g y from* Moscow",
he p o in te d out='
"J_ They^yr have come to r e a l i z e t h a t t h e . , .p a r t y in
power i s dom inated on th e p o lic y -m a k in g l e v e l by e le m e n ts a n t a g o n is t ic
t o th e American form o f go v ern m en t.. . -
Tlie dem ocracy had been p u t on
c l e a r n o t ic e t h a t " p a tr io tis m ” would he c e n tr a l to G.O. P. campaign .
•ta c tic s .
On su ch a b a s is Montana R ep u b lica n s r ea d ied th em selv es f o r
a h e a te d and e m o tio n a lly -c h a r g e d cam paign.
•
,
Three weeks l a t e r th e S t a t e ’s Dem ocraia convened in -G r e a t F a l l s , . ,
c o n v in c e d , d e s p it e , the ob viou s sch ism caused, by th e "hard fought"
p rim a ry , th a t th e p a r ty cou ld r e g a in i t s
form er harmony-and r e u n i f i c a ­
tio n .
'
T h e ir p la tfo rm h ig h lig h t e d p o l i c i e s a lr e a d y i n i t i a t e d by the Truman
a d m in is tr a tio n and r e s p e c t f u l l y su p p o r te d . b y the D em o cra tic P a rty in
M on tan a.' In summary, i t fa v o red :
■
-
1 . S u pp ort f o r th e IJ.N. '
2 . V eteran s b e n e f it s s im il a r t o th o se c a l l e d - l o r b y the-G.O ..P.■ 3 . C o n tin u e d 'fe d e r a l su p p o rt o f fa rm ,lo a n a g e n c ie s
4 . Rural e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n t o 'e v e r y , farm in Montana
5 . • C o n tin u e d .fe d e r a l s u p p o r t .o f la b o r
6 . Aid t o the sm a ll businessm an ■; ..
•7 . Programs to . c o n tr o l i n f l a t i o n •
8 . 'E ffo r ts t o e s t a b l i s h In d ia n s a s in d ep en d en t, c i t i z e n s
•'
. 9« . Improvement1and e x t e n s io n o f s o c i a l s e c u r i t y
1 0 . S u pp ort f o r a p la n 'f o r developm en t o f n a tu r a l r e s o u r c e s ,
. / - ( r e f e r r in g to th e M isso u r i V a lle y A u th o r ity ) , .
3.
Ib id ..
- \
" G reat Fa l l s Tribiine 0 S e p t.
-■ : ■> "
:
i -V
:
...
.
•'
1"94&, P* I*
. V
~
-2 7 A d d itio n a lly ,' th e co n v en tio n attem p ted t o m eet th e t r ip lic a t io n
t h a t E ep u b lica n le a d e r s would u se th e Communist s c a r e tech n iq u e
w ith a p led ge o f m i l i t a n t o p p o s itio n to any o r g a n iz a tio n th a t would
5
undermine American i n s t i t u t i o n s .
The 1946 C o n g r essio n a l e l e c t i o n in Montana,' then* had been, s ta g e d
w ith programs and a p p ea ls r e p r e s e n t in g th e mood, o f th e n a tio n a l
p a r tie s '.
Such R ep u b lica n p la tfo rm p la n k s as a r e d u c tio n o f econom ic
c o n t r o l s , a r e d u c tio n o f income t a x e s ,, a r e d u c tio n i n governm ental.
.
b u rea u cra cy , and an end to d e f i c i t sp e n d in g c e r t a i n l y a ffr o n te d
b a s ic , con cep ts ■o f th e. "Rew D ea l" .
That the D em ocrats, on. th e o th e r
h a n d , were h o p e fu l o f e x te n d in g the "Hew D eal" was b e s t ex p ressed "
b y th o se p lan k s on a g r i c u lt u r e , la b o r , s o c i a l s e c u r i t y , ru ra l
e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n and th e M.V.A.
The .1946 campaign found th e d is p u te o v er governm ental .co n tro ls
■
a t the core o f th e p o l i t i c a l r h e t o r i c .
6
■
■
The.Montana Dem ocrats
campaigned in su p p o rt, o f "Rew D eal" program s, w hile; th e R epublicans. ■
m ain tain ed t h a t co n tin u ed governmental' grow th and. c o n tr o l would d e s t r o y
dem ocracy by .te n d in g tow ards s o c ia lis m and ev en Communism. f
Major
i s s u e s were governm ental p r ic e - fix in g * - '.the: M isso u r i ■V a lle y - A u th o r ity ,
.
V
;
;
':
' V
-
5.,.
ib id .
6.
Rew York T im es. R ev. 1 0 , 1 946,. P a r t IV , p . 3 .
■ Te'' R .S . Rews, "Key I s s u e s i n t h e ' 1 9 4 6 -E le c tio n " -, V o l,'-2 1 ,
O c t. 2 4 ,- 1 9 4 6 ,. Pp. 24^5...
1V-. ■;
.
'
'
• V.
•-V
■, r '
.
•‘
• V V-
^
:: ■
Z
: / h' , , ' '
.V
■
*
.
V.‘
■ •:
■
and th e planned economy.
GOVBRMIffiiJfm .COMTROL. THE -Q-. P. A. , AHD IHE MEAT .CONTROVERSY
P u b lic d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n ov er governm ental c o n t r o ls was op en ly
e x p r e s s e d ,in the months p r e c e d in g th e e l e c t i o n .
I t appeared t h a t th e
admin is - t r a t i o n ’s planned p ea ce-tim e r e c o n v e r s io n program would n o t
s o lv e su ch problem s a s i n f l a t i o n , unem ploym ent, sh o r ta g e o f consumer
g o o d s, and la b o r u n r e s t .
.
8
'
By e a r l y 1 9 4 6 , the' g e n e r a l p u b lic d is c o n ■
-
•
■
-
ten tm en t had become a s e r io u s c o n s id e r a tio n i f the Dem ocrats were to
have a s t r o n g sh ow ing in th e 1946 m id-term e l e c t i o n s .
• Much o f th e p u b lic d i s s e n t o v er governm ental c o n tr o ls ' revolvedaround Truman’s a tte m p t, i n 1 9 4 6 , t o c o n t r o l. i n f l a t i o n .
On J u ly
t w e n t y - f i f t h , Truman..signed in t o la w a b i l l . t h a t would- en la r g e th e
wartime governm ental _powers • and ex ten d th e O f f ic e o f P r ic e A d m in istra 9
'
■
; ■
'
t io n ( 0 . P. A .) f o r one more y e a r .
‘The con tin u ed s p i r a l o f i n f l a t i o n
d em on strated t h a t th e 0 . P. A. was an i n e f f e c t u a l weapon.
And when o n .
-August 20th the governm ent t r ie d to u se its= li m it e d a u t h o r it y t o s t o p
th e s o a r in g p r ic e o f m eat by re im p o sin g c e i l i n g s ., l i v e s t o c k growers. *30
8 . For f u r t h e r i n s i g h t i n t o th e d o m e stic problem s o f th e ■
, e a r l y Truman, y e a r s s e e : Henry B. Paries and ,V in cen t P . C arcsso.,
R ecen t America. (New York:' Thomas" Y, Cronwell Company, 1963);'. Pumas
Malone .and B a s il Rauch, America and World L ea d ersh ip 1 9 40-1945 (.New
York: ^ M erid ith P u b lish in g . Company, .19.6.5) , V o l. V I l '
3 0 ' Truman's r e q u e s t o f Congress, to ex ten d the. O.P. A .. was m et
w ith a b i l l t h a t was v i r t u a l l y u s e l e s s as an ,a n t i - i n f l a t i o n a r y weapon.
Truman vetoed, t h i s b i l l , on -June 2 9 , b u t r e l u c t a n t l y a ccep ted th e :
s l i g h t l y s t r o n g e r ,'O.P. A. b i l l bn J u ly 2 5 .
10
r e fu s e d t o m arket t h e i r a n im a ls.
The sh o r ta g e o f m eat was k e e n ly
o
f e l t i n Montana. Not o n ly t h e .-Montana c a ttle m e n , b u t th e v o t in g
p u b lic a t .l a r g e r e a c te d n e g a t iv e l y t o 1.th e O .P.A. and p r ic e f i x i n g .
. By e a r l y O cto b er, th e O .P.A. m eat r e s t r i c t i o n s were ca u sin g
c o n s id e r a b le p o l i t i c a l , tu r b u le n c e .
On O ctober 1 0 th , th e b e e f in d u s tr y
had cou p led a demand f o r th e ,immediate s c r a p p in g o f p r ic e c o n tr o ls
w ith .a prom ise o f p ro v id in g , an ample s u p p ly o f m ea t, p o s s i b l y b efo re .
th e N o v e m b e r 'e le c tio n s
11
On th e f i f t e e n t h o f O cto b er , Truman
n o t i f i e d th e m eat in d u s t r y t h a t th e O .P.A. *s .p rice c e i l in g s on c a t t l e
and co rresp o n d in g b y -p ro d u c ts would be r e s c i n d e d . ^
,U n fo rtu n a tely
f o r th e D em o cra ts, th e Montana P r e s s rep o rted , t h a t Truman, b efo re
making h is d e c i s i o n on th e O .P .A ., had co n sid ered b u y in g th e c a t t le
on t h e , p la in s ' in an a ttem p t t o e v e n ly r e - d i s t r i b u t e th e n e a t .
Bales. N. E e to n , on th e same d ay t h a t Truman r e p o r te d th e ,O.P.A.
r e tr a c tio n * ; commented on th e m eat problem . ■ "Some o f th e b u rea u cra ts
have b een t a lk in g o f s e i z i n g th e ,c a t t le on the ra n g es t o s o lv e a
m eat1sh ortage: which e x is t s ? 1,. 'Ecton m a in ta in e d , " o n ly be cause the
law. o f su p p ly and demand was n o t p erm itte d t o f u n c t io n .
The Communist
D a ily Worker ad vocated s e i z i n g th e c a t t l e and s o th e b u rea u cra ts, and*1
T 10.
11.
Parks and C a ro sso , op. c i t . , p . 205•
D a ily In te r -L a k e ( K a i i s p e l l ) , O ct. 1 0 , 1946 ,. p . , 1 .
V■;
D a ily Inter-L ake ( K a l i s p e l l ) , O ct. '15, 1946 .> p.. ,1.
.
12.
.
-3 0 13
f e l l o w t r a v e le r s e v i d e n t l y s e e ey e to e y e ." J
G-OYSRinffilNfTAL CONTROL AND THE MISSOURI VALLEY AUTHORITY
As e a r l y as 1 9 4 2 , governm ental c o n tr o l r e l a t i v e t o th e d e v e lo p ''
•
A
m ent o f th e M isso u r i R iv e r became p o l i t i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t ,in Montana. ’
A lm ost im m ed ia tely the M isso u r i R iv e r developm en t p r o j e c t became a
c o n t r o v e r s ia l p o l i t i c a l is s u e a s numerous and v a r ie d p la n s were
su b m itte d f o r c o n s id e r a tio n .-
15
•
. A la c k , o f c o -o r d in a te d p la n n in g le d
t o in c r e a s e d m isu n d ersta n d in g s u n t i l S e n a to r Murray, in, 1944» cre a ted
a b i l l t o e s t a b l i s h th e M isso u r i V a lle y A u th o rity (M. V-. A .)
As was p r e v io u s ly n o t e d , th e M.V.A. is s u e was o f m ajor consequence
i n th e 1944 G u b ern a to ria l r a c e .
13«
17
E r ic k so n ’s c lo s e a s s o c i a t i o n to
M iles C ity S t a r . O ct. 15» 1 9 ^ v , p . 3«
14« The T en n essee V a lle y A u th o r ity A ct (T .Y . A .) , ’ th e f i r s t
e x p e r im e n t in in t e g r a t e d developm en t o f a r i v e r b a s in , became law
i n 1933« The n e x t y e a r , S e n a t o r .George W.,.M orris o f N e b r a s k a ,.
T. V. A. *s s p o n s o r , in tro d u ced a b i l l t o c r e a te a M is s o u r i V a lle y A u th o r ity . A3, though th e b i l l d ie d in th e S en a te I r r i g a t i o n Committee *
i t s tim u la t e d i n t e r e s t i n th e d evelop m en t o f the M is s o u r i R iv e r b asin '.
15« For a co m p reh en siv e-stu d y o f th e e a r l y p r o p o s a ls f o r th e
d ev elo p m en t o f th e M iss o u r i R iv e r s e e Josep h K in sey Howard, "Golden
R iver" . H arp er's .M ag a zin e, V ol. - 19 0 , May, .1945-, p . P1S,.
•16. W esley P r i c e , " B a ttle Over th e M isso u r i R iver" , Readers
D i g e s t . V o l. 4 3 , .A p ril,- 1 9 4 6 , p . 71; the same a r t i c l e appears i n The S atu rd ay Ev e n in g P o s t . V o l. 218:4» J a n .. 19» 1 9 4 6 . .
17« For .comments by E r ic k so n s u p p o r tin g the-M .V .A . s e e ,
B i l l i n g s , G a z e t t e . O ct. 18» 1944» p« I ; G reat F a lls T r ib u n e ,' O ct. 2 2 ,
1944» P« I : f o r comments by F o r d -.r e fu tin g th e- M.V.A. s e e ,
G a z e tte ... O ct. 8 , 1 9^4» p . I ,
''
. -3 1 S e n a to r Murray and th e M.V. A. program in th e 1944 r a c e d id much to
cause E rick son ’% e v en tu a l d e f e a t .
18
• Although he attem pted to remain
q u ie t on the M.V.A. is s u e in 1 94.6 # E rick so n ’s s ile n c e d id l i t t l e
to
d is p e l th e ..b e lie f th a t he was in f u l l su p p ort o f the M.V.A. ^
The R epublicans /■ in 1 9 4 6 , were again f o r c e f u lly ■opposed to the
M.V.A. ..The 1945. Cpngress s t a l l e d on 'M. V„ A., proposal d e s ig n e d , in
p a r t , by Senator Murray.
20
Under h is p la n , three men would have
been, appointed-*by the P r e sid en t to i n i t i a t e and d ev elo p a system o f .
dams and power p la n ts on both the Columbia (C.V. A .) and M issouri
R iv e r .
I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t th a t i t was n o t s p e c if ie d th a t the a p p o in tees
be r e s id e n t s o f Montana.
21,
>
I t i s fo r t h is reason th a t i t was .feared
th a t Montana would l o s e co n tro l o f the M issou ri R iver w ater by the
developm ent o f . a system th a t would o n ly s to r e w ater f o r down-stream •
hydro - e l e c t r i e p la n ts and u lt im a te ly d estroy' the ir r i g a t io n p o te n tia l
in. Montana.- I t was w e ll known th a t new p roposals would b e.d esign ed ,,
and .c o n s e q u e n tly , th e M.V.A. became a con cern in th e su b seq u en t
• ':.
'
'7V •
. ' .;
'
e le c tio n . ■
. .
. i s . Re,w York Times ,, J u ly 1 5 , 1 946,■ p . I ; P e o p le ’s V oice (H elen a ) ,
J u ly 1 3 , 1 9 4 5 , p . I .
,
■ "19^ ■ P io n e e r P r e s s (Cut .B ank), S e p t . 2 , 1 9 4 6 ,, E d it o r i a l p a g e. .
2 0 e V E r n e st K ir s c h te n .,-," S ta lle d -B u t Rpt S topped" ,, R a tio n , . V o l. 163.
Auge . 1 7 , 1 9 4 5 , p . I .
2Ti
.
' .,
-i
'•
D a i l y - In te r-L a k e ■(.Kal-i s p e l l ) , O c t.' 3t), 1 9 4 6 p ..'4 . 1
./
-v .' '
: u*
V-Vi .
-
• ■■• ft V
-
32 -
I t was obvious, t h a t E cton f e l t th e M.V.A. was a n o th e r e x te n s io n
o f th e "New D eal" and. th e co rresp o n d in g governm ental c o n tr o ls and
°
,
in v o lv e m e n t. H is c r i t i c i s m o f th e E .V .X . was t r a d i t i o n a l , He fea re d
th a t th e M.V.A. and th e C .V .A ., i n c o n ju n c tio n w ith the T .V.A. „
would b r in g ab ou t a n a t io n a li z a t io n o f e l e c t r i c pow er.
On Septem ber 1 9 th , E cton ad d ressed an au d ien ce composed .m ostly
o f F ergus County farm ers in Lew isto w n .
E cton d e s c r ib e d th e a u t h o r it y
w hich th e M.V.A. b i l l s o u g h t t o e s t a b l i s h as a " co rp o ra tio n - which
cou ld do a n y th in g i t p le a s e d - a d ic t a t o r s h ip 'a s Com m unistic as
a n y th in g Joe S t a l i n cou ld e v e r d p s ir e , a s u p e r s t a t e w hich-w ould
?2
su p e rced e the r ig h ts , o f ,the s t a t e ." '
•
•
-
.
E cton was- v e r y c a r e fu l to p o in t
o u t t h a t he fa v o red th e developm en t o f th e .M is s o u r i R iv e r f o r
i r r i g a t i o n , f lo o d c o n t r o l a n d e l e c t r i c pow er, b u t t h a t he r e fu s e d
., '
.
- ;
t o su p p o r t th e M urray’s M.V.A. b i l l .
■ . .s
.
. The■n e x t day- i n .P o is o n , E cton c a lle d f o r E r ic k so n .to s t a t e h i s
' ■
." .
*
• .
p o s i t i o n on th e M.V.A. p rop osal'. . He answered h i s own q u e s t io n ,
h ow ev er, when he n o t e d , " E veryon e-sh ould know t h a t my opponent
l_ 'E rick so n ^ y i s . h o g - t ie d t o the Murray program ."^ 'E r ic k so n made no g r e a t a ttem p t t o - r e p ly , t o su ch a t t a c k s .
On
. 2 2. M ontana-Standard ( B u t t e ) .. S e p t . - 2 0 . 1 9 4 6 . v . 2; In dependent
• Re cord. (H elen a ) , S e p t . .- 2 0 , 1 9 4 6 .p*. 1 0 ; Bo zem anlC hronic l e .' S e p t. .2 0 , 1946., p . I L ew is town- Lem ocrat Hews. -S e p t. , 2 0 . 1 9 4 6 . p < , l . ■
23i
Montana S tandard (R u tte) , O ct. .2 2 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 2.
.-V1f; .
; -.
-3 3 O ctober 8 t h , he a n t ic ip a t e d the campaign r h e t o r ic when he s a i d , , ■
" R ep u b lican s WilcJ. i n t e r j e c t a t h r e a t o f Communism i n t o th e campaign" \
and added t h a t th e r e w i l l n ev er be any d an ger o f Communism in th e U .S .
as lo n g a s " th e common m a n ...h a s a s e n s e o f s e c u r it y ." ^
E rick so n r e m a in e d -q u ie t on th e M.V.A. i s s u e .
r e l a t i v e l y w e ll known, how ever.
At any r a t e ,
E r ic k s o n ’s p o s it io n was
The P e o p le ’s V oice (H elen a ) observed
t h a t i t s main r e a s o n f o r s u p p o r tin g L e i f E riclcson was h i s " s tr o n g ,
courageous- su p p o r t o f th e M.V.A."
25
Prsd H u n tin g to n , a B i l l i n g s a tto r n e y and lo n g tim e R e p u b lica n ,
was th e P r e s id e n t o f th e Montana M.V.A. A s s o c ia t io n i n 1 946« He
- '
'
,
attem p ted to d efen d th e M.V.A. by h i n t i n g , as D em ocrats had in 1 9 4 4 ,
t h a t th e R ep u b lica n s were p o l i t i c a l pawns o f the Anaconda and Montana
-
;
•
Power com panies’ by d isa p p ro v in g , o f th e M.V.A.
26
'
He made, su ch ch arges .
’
27
on two o c c a s io n s in open l e t t e r s p u b lish e d in th e P e o p le ’ s V o ic e .
" . . . I m ust con clud e t h a t you r / E c to n es _j7‘c a l l i n g ev er y o n e .’ Communist’
w h o-ven tu res t o d is a g r e e w ith y o u ,.m u s t have some u n d is closed- p u rp o se ," .'
H u n tin gto n w r o t e " m a y b e you. d o n ’ t want t o e x p la in why a l l th e .
,24i
L e w isto w n 'D em ocrat Hews. O ct, 9 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
25'. ,P io n e e r . P r e ss (C u t B a n k ),'S e p t.- 2 , 1 9 4 6 , E d it o r i a l p a g e.
- 26 . . M e r r ill G-.. Burlingam e and K., Ross T o o le , A H is t o r y o f Montana; (New York:' L ew is H is t o r ic a l. P u b lis h in g C o ,, 1 9 5 7 ) , V o l., I , p . 273.
27. ' P e o p le ’ s V oice.. Septb 2 7 ,.1 9 4 6 , p. I ; O ct. 2 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p. I ,
.r>•
-
:
.
,
-3 4 ”
1 company* papers j a l l th e * company* p o l i t i c i a n s , 'a ll th e 1company’s 1
CS
p ow erfu l i n t e r e s t s ., are a c t i v e l y w orking f o r you." ^
BUREAUCRACY AND THE P tAMED ECONOMY '
The O f f ic e , o f P r ic e A d m in is tr a tio n , as. w e ll a s th e M.V.A. , was
view ed b y E cto n and h i s su p p o r te r s a s governm ental in t e r f e r e n c e Ir.
s ta te a ffa ir s .
In a d d it io n , i t was h e ld t h a t the- d e f i c i t sp e n d in g o f
O '
.
th e Truman A d m in istr a tio n cou ld be reduced or. e lim in a t e d , by l i m i t i n g
th e f e d e r a l govern m en t's powers and a c t i v i t i e s .
Truman, o f c o u r s e ,
had m ain ta in ed many o f h i s em ergency war m easures i n an a ttem p t t o
g e n e r a te ■■a h e a lt h y economy d u r in g th e t r a n s i t i o n from war to p e a c e . •
These c o n t r o ls were view ed by the. G .O .P. as a d i r e c t a f f r o n t to
p e r so n a l and s t a t e l i b e r t i e s ,
Ecto n s a id t h a t th e one way. t o c u t f e d e r a l e x p e n d itu r e s was t o
" pu t an end. t o t h i s s y n t h e t i c p e a c e ,u n d e r which we are l i v i n g . . . .
I f th e s t a t e of- war.;were, t e r m in a te d .. . th e fe d e r a l p a y r o l l , w hich .
i s s t i l l n e a r th e wartim e p eak , would be red u ced ."
29
The n a t io n a l d e b t had in c r e a se d ’ 1 ,3 4 0 p e r - c e n t - s in c e 1933 t o a
t o t a l o f 26,8 b i l l i o n d o l l a r s .
E cton p o in ted o u t t h a t th e Truman .
. ,a d m in is tr a tio n had la b u d get of. more than" f o r t y b i l l i o n d o lla r s in ■
: 1 9 4 6 , a s 1 compared , w ith, n in e b i l l i o n " d o lla r s ’ in' th e h ig h e s t postw ar
2 8 ., R s o o le ’s. V o ice . (H elen a) ,J'Oct. 2 $ , 1 9 4 6 ,: p . I «.
■'
: , ; V V
"
. 29® . In d ep en d en t Record (H elen a )., .Oct® 3 * 1 94&» p® ,1® =
:
-3 5 s p e n d in g .year under th e R o o s e v e lt a d m in is tr a tio n .-
•50
E cto n f e l t
t h a t a r e l a x a t i o n .o f f e d e r a l c o n t r o ls was e s s e n t i a l . to d e v e lo p a
h e a lt h y economy in th e U .S .
E cto n to ld an a u d ien ce on O ctob er 7» a t th e G lasgow co u r th o u se ,
t h a t , " th e p r e s e n t planned economy under which the a d m in is tr a tio n
i s ru n n in g our governm ent i s f o r c in g us towards s t a t e s o c ia lis m in
a form t h a t i s Com m unistic in i t s im p lic a t io n
31
Two. d ays l a t e r in =Sidhey, E cton con tin u ed h is a tta c k , when he
n o t e d , " th e oversh ad ow in g is s u e in t h i s campaign i s w h eth er t h i s co u n try i s t o co n tin u e th e c o n s t it u t io n a l governm ent u n d er which
i t h as grown g r e a t o r w hether s t a t e s o c ia lis m w ith Com m unistic
-•
go
im p lic a t io n w i l l he s u b s t it u t e d f o r i t . . . . "
.
■
S e n a to r M urray, a t t h i s same t im e , was in Montana f o r a s e v e n d ay campaign t r i p on b e h a l f . o f th e D em ocrats0
The t r i p to o k him
a c r o s s th e " h ig h -lin e " w h ich , f o r th e .most p a r t , a llo w e d him to
f o ll o w E c t o n .. The S e n a to r spoke on th e need f o r v i g i l a n c e and
p r o t e c t io n a g a in s t th e encroachm ent o f Communistic p o l i c i e s , w h ich ,
he s a i d , ."have made t h e i r g r e a t e s t b o r in g from w ith in d u r in g the
'
,3 0 .
.I b id .
■• . . . ■
31.
Glasgow C o u r ie r . O ct, .1 0 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
32.
D a ily M is s o u lia n ,. O ct, 1 2 . 1 .9 4 6 .-tP ...3 .
G .
G
r
i i
:
.
.
‘
la s t-, s i x y ea rs in our s t a t e , and n a tio n ."
X7
I t i s s ig n if ic a n t th a t
S e n a to r Murray, a D em ocrat o f some e s te e m , c a lle d f o r an in c r e a se d
a w a r e n e ss. o f Communism in A m erica,
M urray's e x p r e sse d concern
ab ou t Communism in Am erica c e r t a in ly p ro v id ed E c to n 1s s i m i l a r fe a r s
w ith a c e r t a i n 'e le m e n t o f v a l i d i t y ,
E cto n and h is s u p p o r t e r s . c l e a r l y d em onstrated t h e i r concern
t h a t th e M..V.A. and the O .P.A. were exam ples o f s t a t e s o c ia l is m .
.
v
I t was t h e i r c o n te n tio n t h a t th e planned economy su p p o rted a huge
b u rea u cra cy which n o t o n ly expanded d e f i c i t sp e n d in g and i n e f f i c i e n c y ,
b u t t h a t i t a l s o p ro v id ed an o p p o r tu n ity f o r Communist s u b v e r sio n .
E r ic k so n r e a c te d s t r o n g ly to th e s e k in d s o f c o n t e n t io n s .
In
Roundup on O ctob er 12 th , E r ic k so n charged' "t h a t th e R e p u b lic a n s,
la c k i n g a c o n s t r u c t iv e p la tfo r m , have r e p e a te d ly c a l le d a l l Dem ocrats'
' Communists' „
Yftien th e y c a l l our D em o cra tic .P arty members' Coiranunist o ,
L
.
"
*
th e R ep u b lica n c a n d id a te s are a d o p tin g th e t a c t i c s o f a Gerald T.K.
S m ith , Ameri ca n ’F ir s t e r and p r o - f a s c is t ." ^
E r ic k s o n ’ s in fe r e n c e
was drawn from th e f a c t t h a t ,, on O ctober 5 t h , - Ectori and f o r t y - f i v e ,
o th e r C o n g r essio n a l c a n d id a te s were, endorsed., by S m ith .
.im m ed ia tely r e fu s e d th e s u p p o r t, "I d b n 't know him /
E cton
Smith_%.
I
r e p u d ia te su ch an en d o rsem en t, as m y.D em ocratic opp onent / L e i f 34
33.
34.
The H erald News (W olf P o in t) „ O ct. 1 0 , 1946., p . I .
'G reat F a l l s T rib u n e. -Octi. .13 , 1946 ; p , 4 , ' .
E r ic k so n J ^ sh o u ld r e p u d ia te th e endorsem ent o f pro-com m unist
■ 35
g r o u p s .e .."
>
THE WALLACE AFFAIR
•
t
.,
In a d d it io n t o th e e x t e n s io n o f war tim e governm ental' c o n t r o ls ,
th e Henry W allace c a b in e t f i g h t on f o r e ig n a f f a i r s proved h ig h ly
d e tr im e n ta l t o th e D em o cra tic e f f o r t in Montana.
Yifallace ( S e c .
o f Commerce) c a p ita liz e d the d isp u te w ith .a n a tio n a lly , a d v e r tised
s p e e c h i n Hew York on Septem ber 1 2 th .
36
I t i s in c o n s e q u e n tia l to
th e Montana campaign t h a t P r e s id e n t Truman approved th e sp e e c h b e fo r e
i t was g iv e n .
I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t , however,^ t h a t W a lla c e 's candid
remarks, opposed the " h a r d -lin e " p o l i c y taken, in r e l a t i o n t o R u s s ia
b y Truman and th e S t a t e D epartm ent.
W all a c e 's c r i t i c i s m s o f p ostw ar
Am erican d ip lo m a cy , e s p e c i a l l y o f w hat he co n sid ered to be i t s
d e p a r tu r e s from R o o s e v e lt 's e f f o r t s t o co -o p e r a te w ith and r e a s s u r e
th e Kremlin, o f Y /ash in gton 's g o o d w ill and f r i e n d l i n e s s , amounted t o a.
s e r io u s in d ic tm e n t o f th e S t a t e D epartm ent and, in'T rum an's, o p in io n ,
:
.'
"an a l l - o u t a t t a c k on our f o r e ig n p o l i c y ” .
'
'
37.
The e v en t had. s e r io u s r ep er c u ssio n s in Montana because L e if
35«
Montana Standard (/B u tte ), O ct. 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p .. 2 .;,;
36« . D a ily In ter-L a k e. ( K a l i s p e l l ) , S e p t. 1 3 , 1946., p . I .
37» Parks arid Carossq-, op. c i t . , p. 305; th e t e x t o f th e,
W a lla c e ■sp e e c h can be fo u n d 'in t h e ..B i l i i n g s G azette'. S e p t . 13 , 1 9 4 6 ,
D .. I : Bozeman C h r o n ic le . S e n t . 21 . 1946 . p. .1 . ...
E r ic k so n had t r a v e le d t o Washington' and met w ith W allace o n ly days
b e fo r e th e New York sp eech .^ ®
I t was agreed on and announced a t t h a t
tim e t h a t W allace would come t o Montana t o campaign on b e h a lf o f th e
D em o cra tic P a r t y , O n Septem ber .1.2th9- th e same d a y t h a t W allace
gave h is sp eech i n New York, E rick so n retu rn ed to M ontana,
The R ep u b lica n c a n d id a te s u sed E rick s on’ s " c o n n e c tio n w ith W allace •
t o g r e a t p o l i t i c a l a d v a n ta g e.
From Septem ber 12th u n t i l W allace was
r e le a s e d from th e c a b in e t on Septem ber 2 0 t h , the R ep u b lica n P a r ty
u n r e l e n t l e s s l y e x p lo ite d . E r ic k s o n ’s u n com fortab le cir c u m sta n c e .
As
h as . b een d em on strated in r e l a t i o n to th e -M11VtA. and th e O.P. A. , th e
R ep u b lica n s fe a r e d s o c i a l i s t i c - t e n d e n c i e s and Ccrnmmiist su b v e r sio n i n
governm ent.
.
The W allace sp eech -provided. E c to n 'and th e R ep ub lican s
w ith th e t o o l i t needed t o ground’ t h e i r ;a t t a c k .
E cto n im m ed ia tely
c a l le d f o r D em o cra tic s u p p o r t t o p r e v e n t " th e M oscow -slan ted id e a s o f .
Henry W allace from -becom ing th e f o r e ig n .p o lic y o f th e U n ited S t a t e s ."
When Truman f i n a l l y r e l ie v e d "W allace • o f h i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , th e •
•
*
'
'
R e p u b lic a n -C o n g r e ssio n a l, c a n d id a te s i n M ontana’r e le a s e d sta te m e n ts to
.
.
' 3 8 . •' D e i f E r ic k so n l e f t fo r. W ashington w ith S e n a to r Murray ■
im m ed ia tely a f t e r , th e S t a t e D em o cra tic C onvention . I ii a d d itio n to
E r ic k s o n 's m e e tin g w ith Wallace", h e - t a lk e d e x t e n s i v e l y w ith P r e s id e n t ■
Truman, and P o stm a ste r General-vR obert Hanneg a n .'(Hannegan was - th e .
■;
N a tio n a l D em o cra tic P a r ty Chairman i n I $ 4 6 ) . -.
- . ' 39.
■ 40.
B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e . IQct.. 9., 1946 ,Lp. I .
' ..J
Bozeman C h r o n ic le . S e p t . 1.8, 194.6v p . I .'
..
-39"
th e p r e ss e
"
W esley A, D^Ewart, the incum bent’ .Congressman ru n n in g a g a in s t
John Holmes i n th e Second D i s t r i c t , supported, Truman’s a c tio n :
" I f th e s e c r e t a r y ^ /" W a lla c e w a n t s t o encourage th e Communists
o f the world he sh o u ld n o t be a llo w ed to do i t as a spokesman o f
our g r e a t r e p u b lic ,"
41
.
W.B. R an k in , who was a tte m p tin g to u n s e a t-th e incum bent MikeMans f i e l d i n th e F i r s t D i s t r i c t , t y p i f i e d the R ep u b lica n r e a c t io n
to th e W allace ep iso d e:-
" W a lla ce's sp eech was a s a b o ta g e o f what
I c o n s id e r to be a. fo r w a r d -lo o k in g f o r e ig n p o lic y as announced .by
James Byrnes /" S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e _ 7 a t S t u t t g a r t ., ," - , m aintained- .
• R ankin,
The c o n tr o v e r s y was c h a r a c t e r is t ic o f. th e " con fu sed
42
s i t u a t i o n and c o n tr a d ic to r y - p o l i c i e s o f the p r e s e n t -a d m in istr a tio n ," ^
-: E c to n , h o w ev er, was th e m ost a ssid u o u s o f th e R ep u b lica n s i n h i s
u s e o f th e in c i d e n t ,
He e x p lo it e d th e e p iso d e by em p h a sizin g h is
. f e a r th a t Communism was a grow ing menace i n America:
" I have b een
-
, con vin ced ■from the b egin n in g" , E cto n c la im e d ,, " t h a t W allace J_ i s _ 7 a
r a l l y i n g p o in t o f - Communis t i c , in f lu e n c e s t r y in g t o dom inate our
' governm ent." '
'• , '
....
'
;•
41o"’ L ew is tow n;D em ocrat News , S e n t , - 2 1 , 1946 V Pi 8 ,
' ■
■ ' V i: ' : '.' - :
- / Y
'■
^
[
-
42.
D a ily M is s o u li a n , S e p t , 2 1 . 1946 . n . 8 .
43;.
I b id .
■-
-4 0 -
When M a n sfield , Holmes, and E rickson d e c lin e d to comment,. Ecton
saw an op p ortu n ity and pushed i t h ard , e s p e c ia lly as i t r e la te d to
E rick so n .
E rick so n ’s con n ection w ith W allace proved p o l i t i c a l l y
u n h ealth y as Ecton reminded the Montana c o n s titu e n ts th a t W allace,
b efo re the New York sp e e c h , had agreed to campaign fo r the Democrats.
in M ontan a.^
Where d id E rick son stand?
I t was E rick so n ’s o b lig a t io n ,
Ecton trum peted, " to t e l l the v o te r s w hether he [_ was_7"., .o n the s id e
o f Wall ace or the S e c r e ta r y o f S ta te Bymes- in the R ussian s i t u a 45
tio n ."
A d d itio n a lly , Ecton asked "how -the b i- p a r tis a n p o lic y o f
B ym es arid Senator Vandenburg, which r e p o r te d ly has the. sa n c tio n o f
■
•
-
P r e sid e n t Truman,'would be fu rth ered by e l e c t i n g a Montana Senator
.
j_ E rick so n ^ / who by in feren ce, i f n o t open ad m ission , has accepted the
su p p o rt o f elem en ts demanding appeasement o f R ussia and which are
tr y in g to undermine Byrnes?"
-
Because o f the p o l i t i c a l turbulence r e la t iv e to h is New York
s p e e c h , W allace d ecid ed he would n o t campaign on b e h a lf; o f the47
D em ocratic Party, arid thus . would n o t come to Montana.
I r r e g a r d le s s ,
44*
B i l l i n g s G a z ette . O ct. 9 . 1 9 4 6 . p . I . ,
45.
L ew istow n- D em ocrat News. O ct. 9 , 1946 * p*. I .
'
4 6 . .' Havre D a i l y . O ct. 2 1 , 1 9 4 6 , p « ' I ; In d ep en d en t: R ecord' (H elen a)
O c t. 2 1 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 2 . ■
. ‘
47« Bozeman, C h r o n ic le . S e p t . 2 2 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I ; B i l l i n g s G a zette . ■„».
O ct. 9 , I 9 4 6 , p . 7.
' V ■ .
.--I..
;
-4 1 E r ic k s o n ’ s p r io r m e e tin g s w ith W a lla c e , coupled, w ith h i s s i l e n c e on
b o th the W allace0 S p eech and th e M.Y. A. i s s u e , c e r t a i n l y proved
d e tr im e n ta l t o h is p o l i t i c a l a s p i r a t i o n s »
THE DEMOCRATS AM) OUTSIDE HELP
W hile the R ep u b lica n s were e x p r e s s in g a f e a r o f s t a t e s o c ia lis m
and C om m unism the D em ocrats prepared a d e fe n s e o f t h e i r p a r ty »
The
Dem ocrats arranged .f o r th e S e c r e ta r y o f 7the I n t e r i o r , J .A . Krug; a
D em o cra tic S e n a to r from Id a h o , G len -H . . T a y le r ; and th e M a jo rity le a d e r
o f th e S en a te from K en tu ck y, A lben W, B a r k le y ,, t o v i s i t M ontana-in
m id -O c to b e r .^
E c to n , upon h e a r in g ab ou t th e v i s i t s responded from P o p la r on
O ctob er 8 th .
" I h o p e" , he s a i d , " t h a t th e c o n s c r ip te d p o l i t i c i a n s
my opponent i s b r in g in g ,in t o th e s t a t e t o a d v is e th e -p eop le t o v o te
fo r ,.h im , w i l l , t e l l w hat i s wrong w ith p r e v e n tin g Communism from
d o m in a tin g t h is ■govern m en t,.■ w ith , r e d u c in g th e n a t io n a l d e b t , w ith
.
b a la n c in g th e b u d g e t, and p u t t in g an end t o reg im en ta ttlo n by
b u r e a u c r a ts." 4 9
-
.
/ G len T a y le r , a form er, r e s id e n t i n G reat F a lls and f i r s t term
S e n a to r , spoke i n G rea t F a l ls on .O ctober 12th and i n B u tte on
48»: .The R e p u b lic a n s d id n o t s p o n s o r -any - n a t io n a lly r e c o g n iz e d
R e p u b lic a n s 'to sp e a k on b e h a lf, o f t h e i r p a r ty i n 1946«
. 49«
B i l l i n g s - G a z e tte
".
.-A-.:
: -
Oct-. 9 , -1946 , p . 7«
; - ,
-
:
.
th e 15th .
T a y le r d id n o t a ttem p t t o m eet the R epublic,an s c o u ia e e
o f Communist i n f i l t r a t i o n , b u t r a th e r he fa ced th e i s s u e s w ith
can d id remarks'.
In reg a rd s to the m eat c o n tr o v e r sy P h e . m ain tain ed
t h a t th e U n ited S t a t e s was p rod u cin g more meat than a t. any o th e r
tim e i n h e r h i s t o r y ,
is
T a y le r w ent on to s a y , "the o n ly d if f e r e n c e
th a t.m o re p eo p le have th e money t o buy i t . "
50 '
■ In term s o f the
n a t io n a l d e b t , T a y le r reminded the a u d ien ce o f P r e s id e n t H arding’s
f e a r o f d e f i c i t s p e n d in g when he n o t e d , ."we had b a la n ced budgets
b e f o r e , b u t we co u ld n ’ t e a t them.?'
51
-
‘
'
S e c r e t a r y o f th e I n t e r i o r , K rug, a tte m p te d .to rem ain a lo o f from
th e p o l i t i c a l b a t t l e in Montana.
He was in t e r e s t e d r a t h e r in th e
Bureau o f R ecla m a tio n , O ffic e o f In d ia n A f f a i r s , G ra zin g S e r v i c e ,
and o th e r a g e n c ie s o f th e D epartm ent o f t h e •I n t e r i o r .
52
I t was
c l e a r , hov/ever, t h a t h i s main i n t e r e s t was the M iss o u r i and Columbia
R iv e r p r o p o s a ls . .
In t h a t s e n s e , K rug's t r ip , was n o t in ten d ed to
-p ro v id e E r ic k s o n :w ith a v ia b le ' p o l i t i c a l , spokesm an..
.
S e n a to r Murray,
■most s i n g u l a r l y r e s p o n s ib le , f o r Krug’s - p r e s e n c e in M ontana, p u t th e
. 50o
r .;
51-
G reat F a lls 'T r ib u n e -. O ct. 13» .1 9 4 6 , p . I .
ib id .
r
'
, ■ '-'y,-, '
-5 2 . • G reat F a l ls T rib u n e. O ct. 1 5 . 1 9 4 6 , p . 4 .
,
53» Im m ed iately upon h is retu m .- t o , W ashington» Krug: recommended
t o C ongress ■t h a t th e y e s t a b l i s h - a . r e g io n a l, power a u t h o r it y which would
c o -o r d in a te a l l p u b lic power programs i n t h a t r e g io n .
-4 3 purpose o f Krug’s t r i p i n t o p e r s p e c t iv e when.he n oted t h a t i t was
n o t a " p o l i t i c a l b a rn sto rm in g tour"
Both L e i f E rick so n a n d .S en a to r Murray met Krug in B i l l i n g s on
O ctob er 1 2 th .
A fte r s p e a k in g in B i l l i n g s on " the d evelop m en t o f
th e W est", Krug and E r ic k so n f le w t o G reat F ia lls e^
t a l k was s t e r i l e o f p o l i t i c a l c o n tr o v e r s y .
A gain Krug’s
The E ep u b iic a h s d id n o t
e x p e c t Krug to d ip lo m a t ic a lly a v o id th e cam paign.
E r ic k so n had been
f a i t h f u l i n h is a c t iv e su p p o rt t o programs f o r th e d evelop m en t o f
Montana w a te r , and thus t h e -K ep u b licans e x p e cted Krug •to f o r c e f u l l y
su p p o r t E r ic k so n . . As i t w a s, h o w ev er,'K ru g l e f t E r ic k s o n ’ s d e fe n s e
to S en ate m a jo r ity le a d e r A lb in B a r k le y .
S e n a to r B a rk le y a r r iv e d in H elen a oil O ctober 2 1 s t e
He proceeded
t o o v e r t l y engage th e R ep u b lica n c h a lle n g e a t a D em o cra tic r a l l y
h e ld t h a t same d a y .
B a r k le y d efen d ed h i s p a r ty by r e c a l l i n g th e V
o s t e n s i b le c o n d itio n s o f f e a r and need d u r in g th e e a r l y y e a r s o f th e
d e p r e s s io n , and c l a s s i c a l l y , r e l a t in g , th e s e problem s t o th e H arding
A d m in istr a tio n ;
. "
’ '
"The t r u th i s t h a t the p o l i c i e s o f th e R ep u b lica n
■ P a rty a c t u a l l y f e s t e r Communism. Communism grows
o u t o f d is c o n t e n t and f e a r o f econom ic i n e q u a l i t y .. .
P o l i c i e s o f th e R ep u b lican .le a d e r s b ro u g h t t h i s
’ co u n try t o th e lo w e s t econ om ic l e v e l in h i s t o r y ■ . . '
i n 1932- and. i f t h a t c o n d itio n , had con tin u ed , f o r 54
54.
G reat F a l ls .. T rib u n e. O ct. 1 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 4».
55.
Ib id .,
...
"44 "
o
a l i t t l e lo n g e r i t would have afford ed the b reed in g
p la ce fo r more Communism .than was ev er dreamed o f in
th e U nited S t a t e s .
B arkley went on to s a y th a t the Republicans were g u i l t y o f
" p o l i t i c a l bankruptcy and cowardice" , on what he s a id was, a
nationw ide attem pt to "scare the American people" on the s u b je c t
o f Communism.
57
■
B arkley had a rriv ed in Montana the day a f t e r Truman r ele a sed
W allace from h is, c a b in e t,
B ark ley did n o t m ention the in c id e n t
s p e c i f i c a l l y , bu t d id note th a t he f e l t i t would be d is a s tr o u s i f
the "world should o b ta in the im p ression th a t the P r e s id e n t, the
S e c r e ta r y o f S ta te , and the / U .S.^yr d e le g a te s to the in te r n a tio n a l
con feren ces were rep udiated by the American p eo p le."
58
Both T ayler.and B ark ley attem pted to defend the B em ocratic Party
by r e la tin g , the p o l i c i e s o f the Hoover a d m in istr a tio n and the
R epublicans to the "Great R ep ression " .
In th a t r e s p e c t , T ayler and
B arkley met the. R ep u b lican 's fe a r of-governm ental c o n tr o ls w ith a - '
r e c o lle c t io n o f the a lle g e d causes and corresponding problems o f
the d e p r e s s io n .;
I t i s d i f f i c u l t to a s c e r ta in th e impact o f the D em ocrat's '
560
Iteo p le' s V o ice (hele n a i
O ct. . 25» 1 9 4 6 , p . I..
57»
Montana Standard ( B u t t e ) . O ct. 2 2 , 1 9 4 6 , p» 2 . ,
5 8 . . P e o p le 's V o ic e .-(H elen a -) . O ct. 2 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
t •
>
v .
"
•A
.
,*
-4 5 a ttem p t to se c u r e s u p p o r t from p a r ty members o f n a t io n a l ra n k ,
K ru g's appearange i n Montana was n o t a p o l i t i c a l move d e sig n e d to
p ro v id e a c t iv e su p p o r t f o r E r ic k so n .
S en a to rs T a y le r and B a r k le y ,
on th e other, hand, made an e x p l i c i t a ttem p t t o d efen d th e D em ocratic
P arty*
The S e n a to r s ' e f f o r t s were s o m e w h a t 'n u llif ie d , how ever, when '
th e - Montana p r e s s o v erlo o k ed mos t o f t h e i r p r e s s r e l e a s e s .
If
T a y le r and B a rk ley were g iv e n p r e s s room i t w a s, f o r th e m ost p a r t ,
r e la g a te d in a b r i e f summary form t o the .in s id e f o ld s o f th e new sp ap er.
Only th e G reat F a l ls Tribune and- the P e o p l e ' s . V oice
(H elen a) covered, th e s i t u a t i o n on page o n e.
There car. be l i t t l e
d ou b t t h a t the l i m i t e d p r e s s coverage d e tr a c te d from p o t e n t ia l im pact
B a rk le y and T a y le r co u ld have made on th e D em o cra tic cam paign,
THE MONTANA CITIZENS'- COUNCIL
. ,
The.Montana C it iz e n s C o u n c il, o rg a n iz ed in H e len a on Septem ber
t w e n ty -n in t h , d id much to f u r t h e r E c to n 's ■cla im s t h a t Communist
s u b v e r s io n was d e s t r o y in g dem ocracy.
A lthough i t p u b l i c l y en d orsed
no ca n d id a te and m a in ta in ed - i t was n o n -p a r tis a n ., th e C o u n cil, l e f t
no d o u b t t h a t i t s . p r in c ip le opponent i n th e 1946 cam paign, as in
CQ-,.
1 9 4 4 , was L e i f E r ic k so n . .
'
j
"
E.G . Toomy9 H elen a a t t o r n e y , was th e fe a tu r e d s p e a k e r d u rin g
th e o r g a n iz a tio n a l m e e tin g s in, H e len a . ' I n h is p r e s e n t a t io n , Toomy
■5 9 .
G reat F a l l s T rib u n e, S e p t . 50« 1 9 4 6 , p . ! •
.
I
—
46 —m entioned E rick so n b y name and sought' t o l i n k him to th e P o l i t i c a l
A c tio n Committee. ( P .A.C») and through i t . t o th e Communist p arty..
The o b j e c t iv e o f th e grou p , Toomy e x p la in e d ,, was to oppose " . . . t h e
P . A . C . C . I . O . , or any o th e r o r g a n iz a tio n th a t t r i e s t o come in and
dom inate the s t a t e ."
60
There has- been some s p e c u la tio h , t h a t th e Montana C it iz e n s C ouncil
was n o t n o n -p a r tis a n 'a n d t h a t i t was in flu e n c e d b y th e . Anaconda .
Company.
M iles Romney, e d i t o r o f the W estern Rews in L ib b y , contended
t h a t th e Council, was o rg a n ized b y George I . M a rtin , t h e .- s t a t e m anager,
o f th e A sso c ia te d -In d u s tr ie s o f Montana.
.
In any c a s e , th e C oun cil .w a s-v ig o ro u s i n i t s a ttem p t to r e in fo r c e
' f a i t h i n th e A m erican -system . , L a rry Sm ith and- F u lto n L e w is , H .B .C.
news com m entators, campaigned o n -b e h a lf o f th e C o u n c il.
B oth L ew is
. and Sm ith can vassed -the s t a t e d i s c u s s i n g the ^ p r e s e r v a tio n o f " rea l .
' American p r in c ip le s " and i t s r e l a t i o n t o t h e " sp re a d -o f' Communism
''
'
'
- g z ., '
and o th e r s u b v e r s iv e V id ea s ."
'V / ' -
• v.'
J n - a d d it io n t o .Smith and ;L ew is, th e C ouncil a cq u ired th e s e r v ic e s
,. o f George W ashington^Rqbnett o f ,.Chicago.
'V
6 Oe : I b id ,
He was S e c r e t a r y o f th e "
y:
:
-:
. 61» Romney’s i n f e r e n c e : i s tha.t M artin,,- as. s t a t e manager o f • th e
A s s o c ia te d In d u str ie s:^ r e c e iv e d much i n f lu e n c e . from th e; Anaconda
- Company^',Weste r n Hews '(Libby) .'.Q cta, 24 « 1 .9 4 6 . p; 4 . .
.!.: '
.-.-'-V'
v
■ ;**-
• ■■
-
-
-
^
,
- ".
-
i ;'
- .- -
._
.
.
.
,
6 2 . L arry S m ith 1-sp ea k in g ^ t b fi^ ^ h u h d ra d - p e o p le ; a t :'th e . ju d ittf'
T h eatre, i n Lew istow n.- L ew istbw n L em ocrat Hews. O ct. 2 7 , 1946 , p . IV
A
*
■
_
.
•
T-•
: ■
.
.
■ :
/ • .
• -I.: 1 - •
"
'.V
’
,
-
.
;
"'.I:
-:
-
.-
- -
=47E a tio n a l laym en ’s C o u n c il, Church le a g u e o f America^ and e d i t o r o f
t h e i r o f f i c i a l p u b l ic a t i o n , "News and V i e w s " Eo b n e t t was a
p r o fe s s e d e x p e r t on Communism and c o n se q u e n tly tou red th e s t a t e
d i s c u s s i n g th e " i l l s "
o f su ch a s y ste m .
He d is c u s s e d th e s u b v e r siv e
te c h n iq u e s employed b y Communists, a r g u in g t h a t "Communism can do
damage in America o n ly through th e c o lla b o r a t io n i t g e t s from the w e ll
m eaning p erson s who le n d t h e i r p r e s t ig e and names- t o h ig h -so u n d in g
„64
c a u s e s ."
-
-
■
>
.
Remarks su ch as t h e s e , c o u p le d -w ith th e R ep ub lican s' a ttem p t to
a s s o c ia t e E rick so n w ith th e P . A .C. and u lt im a t e ly Communism, p rovid ed
th e fo u n d a tio n f o r th e R ep u b lica n cam paign.'
THE PO lITICAl ACTION COMMITTEE AND-ERICKSON ■
The P o l i t i c a l A ction .C om m ittee was d ev elo p ed in 1 9 3 9 by the
C .I . O., la b o r 'o r g a n iz a tio n ..
I t was o rg a n ized in an a ttem p t t o e n a b le
'
'
65
th e C . I . 0 . to g a in i n f l u e n c i a l p o l i t i c a l su p p o rt f o r i t s i n t e r e s t s .
The P. A.C. was- exem pt .from th e. C orrupt P r a c t ic e s A ct., in s o f a r as
p o l i t i c a l e x p e n d itu r e s were co n cern ed . .C o n s e q u e n tly , i t m ain tain ed
a h u g e . p o l i t i c a l fund and th e r e b y a b ly h elp ed t o f in a n c e the campaigns
. - T=
.6 5 . . Lew istow n D em o cra t-N ew s. O ct. 1 1 , 1 9 4 6 . p . 8&
64»
I b id ,
■65®. U .S.: C o n g r e ss. C o n g r e ssio n a l R eco rd . .79th' C o n g r ess, 2nd
S e s s i o n , V o l. 9 2 , .P a r t 1 2 , (W ashington: Government P r in t in g O f f i c e ,
1 9 4 6 ) , p . A. 3859»
;•
.
'• .V '
:
“A8“
o f c a r e f u l ly s e l e c t e d c a n d id a te s .
.
I t was a lle g e d , th a t the P. A . C. , e a r ly in i t s developm ent,
p rovid ed the m ajor avenue b y which th e Communists i n f i l t r a t e d la b o r .
67
'
The com plete v a l i d i t y o f su ch an a c c u s a tio n has alw ays been d i f f i c u l t
t o s u b s t a n t ia t e .
I t i s n e c e s s a r y to -u n d e r sta n d , h o w ev er, t h a t by
194b th e Montana p r e s s alm ost, assumed there, was an in a t e c o n n e c tio n .
I t w i l l be remembered t h a t th e .D em ocratic prim ary s tim u la te d th e
cla im th a t E rick so n was supported- by th e P .A .C. and o u ts id e fu n d s.
With th a t as a b a s e , the E ep u b lioan s reminded v o t e r s o f th e r o le the
P .A .C. p la y e d .in th e 1944 G u h erh a to ria l r a c e .
The D a n ie ls County
L ead er (S cobey) and th e B ig Timber P io n e e r ‘p r in te d th e s e remarks
a b ou t E rick so n and h is r e l a t i o n to the P.A .C . in 1 944:
"Glen Z om , a..recognized Montana Communist and former ■• S ta te Chairman, who was a ls o s e c r e ta r y to the S il v e r .
Bow County P. A. C-. , had t h i s to s a y in h i s summary to
th e P. A. C^- a f t e r the 1944 e l e c t i o n :
'We th in k th e S t a t e
C ouncil [_ P. A. C ._y was c o r r e c t in c h o c sin g ^E rickson as i t s
c a n d i d a t e . .. . We f e e l t h a t our S t a t e C oun cil and can d id ate
E rick so n would have fa red m u ch -b e tter b y . . . t e l l i n g the
p eop le th a t...C o m m u n ists and. C.1 . 0 , and A .P .L-. trad e u n io n is t s
and farm ers -and o th ers are w orking to g e th e r f o r the common •
- p e o p le . . . . 1 I r a S ie b r a s s e o f G reat F a lls , who i s the - u n o f f ic ia l s e c r e ta r y o f the Communist p a r ty in Montana,
. bragged a t the Communist convention there l a s t J u ly 6th "67
66.
I b i d .:
-
6 7 . R e p r e s e n ta tiv e George Dondero ..of M ichigan d is c u s s e d a
S ch o o l f o r P o l i t i c a l A ctio n Te ch n iq u es :and i t s c lo s e . a s s o c ia t io n .'
w ith su sp e c te d Communists in : U .S . C o n g r ess. . C o n g r essio n a l ..Rec o r d .
7 9 th C o n g ress, 2nd S e s s io n , V o l. 9 2 , P a r t 5 , (W ashington:- Government,
P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 4 6 ) , p . 6 6 9 9 .
. -y: . _ :
-
'
. .... y. :/ -49- .
:y
..
■ / 1 9 4 6 _ /r t h a t th e y are .h o ld in g E r ic k so n to h is prom ise, o f
• two- y e a r s ago t h a t i f e l e c t e d t h i s tim e IO^ o f - h i s a p p o in t- :
ments w i l l go t o th e Communist, p a r t y . "^q
Such comments and n o tio n s were c e n tr a l to what was e a s i l y the
m ost p o te n t a s p e c t o f th e R ep ub lican s*, a t t a c k on E r ic k s o n .
J . Edgar H oover s u p p lie d v a l i d i t y t o th e R ep u b lica n s' :f e a r o f
Communist s u b v e r sio n in an an ti-co m m u n ist sp eech t o th e American
L eg io n on Septem ber 1 3 th .
George Gossman, th e Montana R ep u b lica n
Campaign Chairman,, made i t a p o in t t o a tte n d H oover’ s s p e e c h , and on
h i s r e tu r n to M ontana, u sed i t t o q u ick en th e pace o f the’ R ep ub lican
a tta c k .
"J. Edgar H oover d e c la r e d t h a t Communism was th e number one
problem o f th e c o u n tr y " , Gossman rep o rte d i n M iss o u la ; "and I know
t h a t some su p p o r t f o r th e D em ocratic can d id a te f o r th e U n ited S t a t e s
S en a to r l_ Erickson_J7 i s coming from s u b v e r s iv e elem en ts .-.a n d our
b i g f i g h t i s a g a in s t Communism - i t i s th e b ig d anger t o .,t h is
.
„69
c o u n tr y ."-
•
W hile,'the R ep u b lica n s were a tte m p tin g t o con n ect E r ic k so n to
Communism, he-'was- en d ea v o rin g t o remind the c o n s t it u e n t s o f the
d is a s t r o u s drop in farm p r ic e s under the C oolid ge a d m in is tr a tio n
70
a f t e r World War I . 68970
6 8 . D a n iels. County L eader (S cobey) ,. O ct, 3» 1-946 » p . 4;
B ig Timber P io n e e r , O ct. 2 4 , 1946» p . 4*
69.
W olf P o in t H e r a ld . S e p t. 3 0 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 6 .
70 .
E rick so n r e c a lle d t h a t on January o n e , 1 9 2 0 , w heat was
-
50 -
On O ctober 1$th i n Glasgow,. E r ic k s on -a tta ck ed E cto n by
q u e s tio n in g th e v i a b i l i t y o f ■h is p la n t o cu t back f e d e r a l s p e n d in g ,He s u g g e s t e d ' t h a t E c to n sS p ro p o sa ls ran g o f " fa lse, economy",
" /~ E cto n _ y i s c u t t in g th e th r o a t o f p o t e n t ia l p ro g ress" , E r ic k so n
a r g u e d , "Dams w i l l n o t be b u i l t n o r any r e c la m a tio n p r o j e c t s co m p leted ,
I am f o r econom y n a t u r a lly b u t n o t a t th e e x p e n s e , . „ o f Montana
d evelop m en t,"
71
.
E r ic k so n ’s r e tu r n r e l a t iv e - to th e Communist S p e a li p erm eatin g
th e p o l i t i c a l aren a.w as sim p le and c o n c is e j "M y.record and e x p e r ie n c e ■
i n p u b lic, l i f e
c o n s t it u t e an open book, and i f anyone can read any -
.
72
Communistic te n d e n c ie s in t o i t , I sh o u ld l i k e to s e e th e page,"
I n 1 9 4 6 , Chet K in sey was th e e x e c u t iv e s e c r e t a r y o f th e Montana
C hapter o f th e P. A. C.
K in sey r e ta in e d th e p o s it io n from -.Jerry
O’ C on n ell who was th e e x e c u t iv e s e c r e t a r y in 1944»
73
From G le n d iy e , on O ctober 1 1 th , K in se y p u b l ic l y announced t h a t
$ 2 ,5 0 a. b u s h e l. in h i s home town o f S id n e y , By Jan u ary One , 1 9 2 1 ,
w heat had.dropped t o $ .8 3 a b u s h e l. G reat F a l ls T r ib u n e . O ct. 9»
1 9 4 6 , p. 4 . ' '
. 71• • G reat F a lls T rib u n e. O ct. 19» .1 9 4 6 , p i 4 .
'7 2 ... G rea t F a l ls T rib u n e. O ct. 9» 1 9 4 6 , p, 4«
73» A f t e r th e 1944 cam paign, 0 ’ C onnell jo in e d the:= D em ocratic
O r g a n iza tio n i n th e s t a t e o f W ashington. ' By 1946 , he had become -.
th e e x e c u t iv e s e c r e t a r y o f the. D em o cra tic,C en tra l. Committee in t h a t
sta te . .
• .
I
',Vy
"i
'i. ,
■ ■. v
■'.= ",
■
■
-
51-
he v/ould f o llo w 0* C o n n e ll's 194.4 P. A. C. #s endorsem ent o f E rick son *
O ’
"
74
Kot o n ly d id th e P . A .C. en d orse E r ic k s o n , b u t th e y e x p l i c i t e l y
p roclaim ed su p p o rt f o r John Holmes and Mike M a n s fie ld , b o th D em ocratic
c a n d id a te s f o r th e H ouse.
Im m e d ia te ly 'th e P. A. C. began c i r c u l a t i n g h a n d b ills c a l l i n g f o r
th e d e f e a t o f E cto n .
The h a n d b ills d is c u s s e d th e la b o r reco rd o f .
Ectori w h ile he was a member o f the Montana L e g is la t u r e .
They
w d r e'sig n ed ,• " C ir c u la te d and p aid f o r by th e Montana C ouncil f o r
P r o g r e s s iv e P o l i t i c a l A o tio n , C h e ste r K in se y ,' E x ecu tiv e S e c r e t a r y , ■
G reat F a l l s ."
76
■ The R ep u b lican s u sed the h a n d b ills as. e v id e n c e th a t
E r ic k so n was a c t i v e l y su p p orted b y the. P .A.C.
George Demko,. V a lle y County R ep u b lica n C en tral Committee chairm an,
e x p lo it e d the. in c id e n t when he s a i d , "The D em ocrats, can n ot den y th e
P .A .C . s u p p o r t th e y a re g e t t i n g in t h i s e l e c t i o n , which was a ls o
r e v e a le d in campaign c o n tr ib u tio n s a c c e p te d . .,.Promi P. A. C. , so u r c e s
' n il
o u ts id e Montana.
•
‘
. . . . .
,
'A d d it io n a lly ,. E cton used th e P.A . C .'s su p p o rt o f E r ic k so n t o
74.
G reat .F a l l s ,Trihune, O ct. 1 2 , 194& , p . 4 .
7 5 . . Z ales N. .Ec t o n , P e r so n a l M an u scrip t C o lle c t io n , Montana
- S t a t e 'U n iv e r s it y L ib r a r y , Bozeman, 1 9 4 6 -1 9 5 2 .
'
76*
' 77.
I b id .
■r "l " ■
Glasgow C o u r ie r . Octv 3 1 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I . :
.
-5 2 q u e s tio n the s i l e n c e o f th e Dem ocrats on th e W allace sp eech .,
"Perhaps
t h e i r s i l e n c e has been in s p ir e d by th e aw areness t h a t th e P .A .C. has
a la r g e campaign fu n d," E cton s a i d , "but I cannot b e l i e v e t h a t money
o, .c a n dupe th e workers and farm ers t o s e l l t h e i r b ir t h p la c e A m ericanism ,, , f o r a m ess o f S o v ie t p o tta g e ,"
78
What E cton c a lle d the " k is s o f death" fo r .E r ic k s o n to o k p la ce
when A. O s s ip o r , h ro a d ca st i n g f o r Moscow r a d io v i a E n g la n d , endorsed
th o se C o n g ressio n a l ca n d id a tes t h a t were backed by th e C. 1 . 0 . , P. A ,C.
The tr a n s m is sio n was i n E n g lish and n oted t h a t th e e l e c t i o n was n o t
be tween Dem ocrats and R ep u b lican s b u t betw een " p r o g r e s s iv e s and
r e a c t io n a r ie s " .
79
E cton im m ed ia tely e x p lo it e d th e Moscow en d o rsem en t,
"My opponent
[_ E r ic k so n _ 7 has. th e P. A. C. ' s b a c k in g an d , hence" , E cto n s a i d , "has
80
th e Moscow, r a d io 's endorsem ent." ■
At t h i s same t im e , Governor Sam Ford b la s t e d th e P. A .C. in a
campaign to u r in N o r th e a ste r n M ontana.
In S co b ey o n -O ctob er 1 9 th ,
Ford s a i d , "The Communist c o n t r o lle d P . A .C. i s avow ed ly and .
w h o le h e a r te d ly d ev o ted to o v erth ro w in g th e c o n s t it u t io n a l la w s o f th e 7890
78,
Montana Standard (B u tte ) , S e p t , 2 4 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 2 .
7 9 , ' Montana Standard ( B u t t e ) , O ct, 2 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p , .2; M iles C ity
S t a r . O ct. 5 0 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 2; In d ep en d en t Record ( H e le n a ) , O ct. 2 8 ,
1 9 4 6 , p , 5: B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e , O ct. 2 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 5«
80,
B illin a s ' G a z e t t e . O ct. 2 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 5«
-5 3 s t a t s o f M o n ta n a ....
The -P.A.C. movement i s one o f the m ost s e r io u s
81
th r e a ts to our n a t io n e v e r d e v e lo p e d ." •
By the l a s t d ay in O cto b er^
Ford was- in Opheim t e l l i n g l i s t e n e r s t h a t " th e Communists o f t h is
co u n try have p r a c t i c a l l y tak en o v er th e D em ocratic P a r ty in Montana."
82
On O ctober 22nd, D a n ie l C. Dem psey, a Cascade County a t t o r n e y ,
s poke to a D em o cra tic r a l l y a t Sun R iv e r .
He was a tte m p tin g to
d is c u s s th e G rea t D e p r e s s io n and r e l a t e i t t o th e R ep u b lica n P a r ty .
"The R ep u b lica n s axe cla m o rin g f o r a change"., Dempsey, s a i d , b u t
"our memory i s n o t s o p oor t h a t we cannot remember w hat th e-R ep u b lica n s
terra th e 'good o ld d a y s ’ " . ^
'
On October. 1 9 th , E r ic k so n a g a in r e a c te d s t r o n g ly to the R ep u b lica n ,
’sm ear t a c t i c s * and c a s t doubt on th e R ep u b lica n ’s cla im t h a t th e y
cou ld reduce t a x e s .
84
He r e p e a t e d ly h in te d t h a t G .O .P. c o n tr o l
o f f e r e d o n ly a n o th e r d e p r e s s io n .
A ccord in g to E r ic k s o n ,
R ep u b lica n argum ents c en ter ed around Communism and t a x e s :
"We a re j u s t a s a n x io u s ," he s a i d , "as t h e ’ R ep ub lican s'
to r e t a i n th e fr e e econom ic s y s te m . Communism can n ot;
e x i s t when p e o p le are s e c u r e . . . .
Communism can o n ly
•
■ - 1 v
,
8 1 . Dani e l s Cou n ty D eader (S co b ey ) , O ct. 24, ' 1-946 * '.p» I ?Dawson County R ev iew . IGle n d iv e ) , Oct^ '31 *..1946.» p» .I*
.--•
;■
■/
' . .,
8 2 . . G lasgow C o u r ie r . O ct; 31» 1 9 4 6 , p . I . ■
• 83.
84o
G reat F a l ls T ribune.. O ct. 31.» 1 9 4 6 , .ps- I . •
P io n e e r P r e ss (C ut Bank) .. O c t. 2 5 . 1946 ,. p . 2 .
*'/v .
•
-■'
v
-
:
’•
- , - <■
;
-
■
,
-
vV
come o u t o f ch a o s. The road o f r e a c t io n i s th e road
t o Communism. V/e were c l o s e s t t o Communism in 1933«"g^
I n Anaconda on O ctober 26 t h , E r ic k s on a tta ck ed th e R ep ub lican
e l e c t i o n campaign as " H it l e r li k e " .
" H it le r and S m ith , head o f the
American F i r s t P a r ty , fo llo w e d a s e t p a tte r n o f c a l l i n g everyone
opposed to them Communists and u n p a t r io t ic ."
E r ic k s o n .c o n tin u e d ,
"T his i s the p a tte r n fo llo w e d in xhe cam p aign .. .a g a i n s t m e."^
B efo re and d u r in g , th e 1946 C o n g r e s s io n a l.'e le c t io n s , b oth James
F a r le y (a form er D em ocratic R a tio n a l Chairman) and Bob Hannegan
( th e 1946 R ational.. Chairman) made s ta te m e n ts i l l u d i n g to Communist.
i n f i l t r a t i o n in t o the D em ocratic P a rty .
On September $ th , F a rley
d e c lin e d an i n v i t a t i o n to a tte n d th e Rew York D em o cra tic C onvention .
A t t h a t tim e F a r le y argued t h a t " the D em o cra tic P a r ty i s now in the
t h r o e s o f t r y in g t o r id i t s e l f , o f th e Communist and Communist
f e l l o w tr a v e le r elem en t which a tta c h e d i t s e l f to th e P a r ty f o r i t s
own s u b v e r s iv e e n d s .
L ea d ersh ip which c o n tin u e s t o p la y b a l l w ith
t h a t un-Am erican e le m e n t f a c e s r e j e c t i o n b y the rank and f i l e o f th e
D em ocratic Party and make no m istake about i t . "
87
Only, days b e fo r e the e l e c t i o n , Hanriegan', in a n a t io n a l ra d io
85.
I b id . '
86.
Bozeman C h ron icle« O ct. 2 7 , 1 9 4 6 » p'« I «
.87•
P e o p le 's V o ice (H elen a ) , Rove 1 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 3 .
.
b r o a d c a s t, d em on strated a concern t h a t th e Communists had made
g a in s in the D em o cra tic P a r ty .
88
'
.
Both P a r le y and Hahnegan, u n in t e n t io n a lly , a id ed th e R ep u b lican s
in t h e i r campaign e f f o r t in. Montana. . In th e c l o s i n g d ays o f the
cam paign, the R ep u b lica n s u sed t h e i r c o rr esp o n d in g s ta te m e n ts in
news r e l e a s e s „ campaign s p e e c h e s , and p o l i t i c a l a d v e r t is e m e n t s ,^
Again in M isso u la on O ctob er 3 0 th , Governor Ford i n s i s t e d t h a t
"Communism j_ was__7 a n • im p ortan t is s u e ," and a s s e r te d t h a t "Communists,
90
through the P. A. C. , have v i r t u a l l y tak en ov er the D em o cra tic P a rty ." ’
On November 2nd i n B i l l i n g s , E cton summarized th e l a s t two weeks •
o f th e R ep u b lica n cam paign. when he. s a id t h a t E r ic k so n "has n o t
r ep u d ia ted th e en d orsem en t o f th e P. A .C, , w ith i t s Moscow b l e s s i n g , .
•.
■ 91
and we must, assume he a c c e p ts i t w ith a l l i t s im p lic a t io n s ."
A t no tim e d u r in g the-, e l e c t i o n d id any R ep u b lica n can d id ate
e v e r , claim t h a t E r ic k so n was a Communist. . I t i s a p p a r e n t, how ever,
t h a t th e y f e l t E r ic k so n was in "bad. company" and. c o n s e q u e n tly g u i l t y
b y a s s o c i a t i o n . 890*
88.
M iles' C ity S t a r . Nov. 3 * 1 9 4 6 , p. 1 1 .
8 9 . In d ep en d en t Re cord ( H e le n a ), O ct. 2 5 , 1946 , p .; 1 0 ;
P e o p le 's V o ice ( H e le n a ), Nov. I , 1 9 4 6 , p. 3; M ile s C ity S t a r ,
N ov. 3 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 1 1 .
.
,
90.
...
Bozeman C h r o n ic le . O ct. ;3.1 * 1 946 , p . 6 .
-
,
.■
-
'
%
'
'
.
.
-
91• : In d ep en d en t Record ( H e le n a ), Nov. 2 , 1 9 4 6 , p . I .
'
-5 6 -.
Tiiere were many l o c a l , is s u e s in Montana in 1 9 4 6 .
A b r ie f su rvey
cou ld in c lu d e th e. wool m a rk et, th e su g a r ,beet h a r v e s t , d is p la c e d ,
v e t e r a n s , a s h o r ta g e o f h o u s in g , r u r a l e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n , farm s u b s id i e s
h ig h f r e i g h t r a t e s , the s i l v e r prob lem , and a need f o r b e t t e r s t o c k
m a rk etin g .
These as w e ll as o t h e r s ,. h o w ev er, had l i t t l e
p o litic a l
s i g n i f i c a n c e in 1946» ■
As has been d em o n str a ted , the 1946 campaign saw th e R ep u b lican s
take to o f f e n s iv e and c o n t in u a lly a ttem p t to fo r c e E rick so n to r e a c t
to charges, and in s in u a t io n s .
L ik e E r ic k so n ’s d e f e a t in the 1944
G u b ern a to ria l r a c e and the c o n t r o v e r s ia l te n o r o f th e p rim ary, th e
d e f e n s iv e n atu re, o f th e D em o cra tic campaign p ro v id ed th e R ep ub lican s
w ith an a d v a n ta g e.
I r r e g a r d le s s , th e r e were no v i s i b l e s ig n s o f
d is il lu s i o n m e n t o r pessim ism among the Montana "Dem ocrats.
The g e n e r a l
s e n tim e n t o f E r ic k s o n ’s su p p o rter s on th e ev e o f th e e l e c t i o n was
b e s t e x p r e s s e d by the New York Times when i t p r e d ic te d a " c lo s e
r a c e '..9 2 '
-v
,i"
9 2 . ■ New York T im es.. Nov. 3 , 1946» P a r t IV , p . .1 1 .
IV
The Iss u e s and a Turn Right?"
MONTANA; ■ A REFLECTION
To the d e lig h t o f the 'c o n s e r v a tiv e s „ the f i r s t R epublican Senator
in Montana’s p o l i t i c a l h is to r y was e le c te d on November 4 th ,
Ecton
dominated the v o tin g s t a t i s t i c s by g a th erin g 101,901 v o te s and fo r ty -o n e
c o u n t i e s , w h ile E rick so n claim ed o n ly f i f t e e n c o u n tie s and 86,476
1
■
v o te s.
•
.
Although Ectonhs v ic to r y broke, a c e r ta in c o n tin u ity in Montana p o l i t i c s , h is v ic t o r y was part o f the 1946 n atu ral p o l i t i c a l p a tte rn .
In exam ining the reasons f o r .E cton1s v ic t o r y , i t i s s i g n i f i c a n t to
r ec o g n iz e th a t the G.O.P. stim u la ted a la n d s lid e more p rod u ctive o f
C ongressional s e a t s than in any e le c t io n sin c e the 1 9 2 0 ’s .
2
'
. The:. •
a d m in is tr a tio n ’s d e fe a t was so to ta l, th a t Arkansas D em ocratic Senator
J . W illiam .F ulbright. su ggested th a t " P resid en t Truman should appoint a .
R epublican S e c re ta r y o f S ta te and resig n .fro m o ffic e " thereby g iv in g I.2
I.
-V m V
See. Appendix I I .
2. N elson Poynter,. e d , P o li t i c s in America 1 9 4 5 -6 8 ,, W ashington,
- D .C .s C o n g ressio n a l Q u a r te r ly S e r v i c e , 1 9 6 9 , P« 2; Henry B . .Parks
and V in c e n t P* C a ro sso , Rec e n t America A H is t o r y S in c e I 9 5 5 . (New York;
■Thomas. Y. C ronw ell Company, 1 9 6 3 ) , p . 366;. Time. V o l , A8. Nov. 18,
...1946 , p . 21; ■The G.O.P. won. th ir te e n Senate r a c e s , in c r e a s in g i t s t o t a l
th ere to 51 $ the Democrats lo s t . 12 and. thus, found t h e ir number in the ■
upper house reduced to 47« In the House o f R e p r esen ta tiv e s the two
p a r ty lin e - u p was 246 to 188 in favor, o f the;,.Reprblle a n s i In a d d itio n ,.,
the G.O.P. e le c te d 25 governors and;/a h o s t , o f . l e s s e r s t a t e o f f i c i a l s .
''M
V-
.
■
th e G .O ,P. c o n tr o l o f th e White House as w e l l . ^
Many o f th e n a t io n a l is s u e s which s tim u la te d th e reso u n d in g
R ep u b lica n v ic t o r y were r e a d i ly r e f l e c t e d in M ontana.
N a t io n a lly ,
p r ic e c o n t r o ls r m eat s h o r t a g e s , f o r e ig n p o l i c y (th e W allace s p e e c h ) ,
4
and th e P .A .C. and Communism proved to be k ey i s s u e s . '
H ousing s h o r t ­
a g e s , s t r i k e s , la b o r la w s , h ig h t a x e s , and governm ent sp en d in g were
o th e r g r ie v a n c e s t h a t s tim u la te d th e R ep u b lica n s to c o in t h e i r campaign
C)
s lo g a n , "Had Enough".T h is same p u b lic d is c o n te n tm e n t was a ls o prom inent in Montana.
The
O.P. A ., th e M. V, A. , and th e-m ea t s h o r ta g e s is s u e s ' were couched in . a
g
r h e t o r i c a l resen tm en t o f governm ental, c o n t r o ls and b u rea u cra cy .
E cton
. c o n t in u a lly claim ed t h a t th e "New D eal" and i t s r e l a t i o n to a planned
■ .
■
- r- ; •
...
.
economy was le a d in g America towards Communism. .Hie ^Democrats ( i . e . ,
•
.
y
■. • • ‘
r * E r ic k s o n , T a y le r , B a rk le y ) r e t o r t e d by a tte m p tin g t o .cau se the
"
c o n s t it u e n t s t o .r e c a ll th e d e p r e s s io n and u lt im a t e l y ..rela te, i t t o th e
3.
For th e t o t a l i t y , o f F u lb r i g h t ’s remarks s e e , New ,York T im es.
Nov. 7 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 3 .
, .
.
;
•
.....:
■
.•
4» For a su r v e y i n d ic a t i n g th e ;k e y is s u e s s e e , TI.S. News,
"Key I s s u e s i n 1946 E le c t io n : P r ic e . C o n tro l a t Top of. L i s t " , V o l. 2 1 ,
O ct. 2 5 , 1 9 4 6 , pv 25. .
.'I.
.:'. i .
.
5» The. D em o cra ts, on th e o t h e r : h an d , co in ed , th e ' s lo g a n , " A ctio n
N ot R ea c tio n " . ' Sanders- County In depend en t l e d g e r , (Thompson F a l l s ) , •.
D b t. 2 3 , 1946, p. 3 .
' - .T '
K I: ,T l
- - T
. v " / T ' T. - .
... 6 o .The'■New R e p u h lic .. " E le c tio n Roundup"., V o l. 115t, Nov. 1 8 ,
1 9 4 6 , p . 647;. ILs . -News , "Key I s s u e s - .in 1 946 .E le c t io n : - P r ic e Control":
a t Top o f L is t " , V ol. 2 1 ,. Oct.. 1 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p. 28 ...
L
-59
H oover a d m in is t r a t io n .
BCTON AND THE 'tCOIffltTONIST BOGEY”
E cton fea re d t h a t Ccmmxmist s u b v e r sio n was d e s t r o y in g dem ocracy
i n A m erica, and in t h a t s e n s e , he attem p ted to co n n ect E r ic k s o n .to
Communism.
E cton cla im ed th a t E rick so n was in "bad company" in r e l a t i o n
t o h i s a s s o c ia t io n w ith the P ,A .C;
E r ic k so n ’ s en d orsem en t by the
P .A .C ., b o th in I 944 and I 9 4 6 , cou p led w ith -W a lla c e 's sp e e c h and r a d io
M oscow 's, endorsem ent o f P.A .C . c a n d id a t e s ,• o n ly s e r v e d to r e in f o r c e . R ep u b lica n claim s' t h a t E rick so n was a s s o c ia t e d w ith Communism.
'I
A d d it io n a lly , J . Edgar- H o o v er's a n ti-co m m u n ist sp eech .' w as'u sed
e f f e c t i v e l y b y th e R ep u b lica n s ( i . e . , E c to n 9 F ord , Morrow) to le n d
v a l i d i t y to t h e i r cla im t h a t c r e e p in g Communism ,had become- a s e r io u s
menace i n A m erica.
E cto n i n i t i a t e d h i s a t t a c k x isin g E r ic k s o n 's
m e e tin g w ith W aliace j u s t p r io r t o h i s " s o f t - li n e " , f o r e ig n p o lic y
sp e e c h in New Y ork, and E r ic k so n ’ s c o rr esp o n d in g s ile n c e , on th e i s s u e ,
t o c a s t dou bt on E r ic k s o n 's o p p o s it io n t o Communism.
.
'
:
■
; '
. ■
'In e x te n d in g th a t
.
a t t a c k , E cton was a b le t o q u e s tio n E r ic k s o n 's c h a r a c te r and p r o f e s s io n ­
a lis m b y p u b l ic i z in g E r ic k s o n 's sim u lta n e o u s s e r v ic e on b o th the
g
R a ilr o a d M ed ia tio n Board and th e S t a t e Supreme C ourt. *v
.
7« • The P .A .C . was s tr o n g enough in Montana in 1946 to m ail to
e v e r y r e g is te r e d , v o t e r a b o o k sized pam phlet a t t a c k in g E cto n . The' •
hand o u t . serv ed to a d v e r t is e t h e i r su p p o r t o f E r ic k s o n . .
•••.
v
- ';
8.
r
- " - ; - ^ '' '
See- F o o tn o te s 1 9 and 2 6 , C hapter
-
-
-
=-
- 60A ll o f th e s e p o l i t i c a l t o o l s allo w ed th e R ep u b lica n P a rty to
c a p i t a l i z e on th e p u b l i c ’s .g en era l d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w ith wartime
c o n t r o ls and s h o r t a g e s .
9
The a ttem p t t o i d e n t i f y a l l l i b e r a l programs
( i . e . , M.V.A. and O .P .A .) and in d iv id u a ls ( i . e e , E r ic k so n ) w ith
Communism was a r e f l e c t i o n , o f the R ep u b lica n P a r ty ’ s n a t io n a l c a m p a ig n .^
Communism» in t h i s r e s p e c t , was a m ajor i s s u e , n a t i o n a l l y as w e ll as
l o c a l l y , in th e 1946 e l e c t i o n s .
11
W ithout the a d v en t o f s c i e n t i f i c a l l y d esig n ed s u r v e y d a t a , i t i s
d i f f i c u l t t o d eterm in e th e im p act o f th e "red sca re" t a c t i c s in Montana.
B urton K. W heeler h as in d ic a t e d th a t th e c o n tin u a l u s e o f th e "Communist
bogey" i n Montana p o l i t i c s from 1920 sh o u ld have p rev en ted the
c o n s t it u e n t s from b e in g " m isled " .
12
Both Mike M a n sfie ld and W estley
B 'E w a rt, on th e o th e r h an d , r e la y e d th e b e l i e f t h a t th e f e a r o f *1
9»
U .S . News, op, c i t . , V o l. 2 1 , O ct. 2 5 ,. 1 9 4 6 , p . 24.
10 . Few c a n d id a te s su p p o rted b y th e P .A .C. d id w e ll in 1 9 4 6 .
Of th e 318 c a n d id a te s en d orsed by th e P .A .C ., o n ly 73 were e l e c t e d .
F or a d d it io n a l in fo r m a tio n on th e P. A. C. and the 1946 e l e c t i o n s e e ,
New York T im es. N ov. 1 1 , 1 9 4 6 , p , I .
.
.
11. A rthur Krock f e l t t h a t th e p u b l ic ' s r e sen tm en t o f a Communist
in f lu e n c e in th e D em o cra tic P a rty was th e fundam ental i s s u e . . New York
T im es. Nov. 1 0 , 1 9 4 6 , IV , p . 3» s e e a l s o Denna A. Flem m ing, O rig in s
o f th e Cold War. (Garden C it y , New York: D oubleday and C o ., 1 9 6 1 ) ,
Pp. 4 3 0 -3 1 o For a r e v ie w o f the ca n d id a ted and is s u e s , by s t a t e s e e , •
New York T im es. IV , N ov. 3 » 1946» p . H o •
12 . B urton K. W h eeler, W ash in gton, l e t t e r , 27 November, 1 9 7 0 ,
To th e a u th o r . ,
-
61-
- 13
Comiminisni ■was o f c o n s id e r a b le im portance in the cam paign.
A d d itio n ­
a l l y , the P e o p le ’ s V o ice (H elen a ) f e l t t h a t s u c h ■t a c t i c s were
s i g n i f i c a n t in s w in g in g th e in d ep en d en t v o te to th e R e p u b lic a n s.
1A
A lthough the e x a c t, im p act i s n e b u lo u s, th e u se o f th e, f e a r o f Communism
was fundam ental t o E cton ?s a t t a c k o f E riclcson . •
•
.
OTHER POLITICAL TOOLS
I n a d d it io n , , M ontana's t r a d it i o n a l s e n s i t i v i t y t o th e n a tio n a l
p o l i t i c a l en vironm en t was a ls o o f s in g u la r im portance i n 1 9 4 6 .
15
Tlie
n a tio n a l m indedness o f th e Montana c o n s t it u e n t a llo w e d E cto n to e a s i l y
resh ap e th e n a t io n a l R ep u b lica n campaign and a p p ly i t t o E rick so n and
Montana. ' E cton was c e r t a in ly a id ed a lo n g th e se l i n e s b y th e
overw helm ing su p p o rt, he r e c e iv e d from th e f a c i l i t i e s o f th e Anaconda
p ress.
16
'
.
'
’
'
L i t t l e m en tion was made o f th e Anaconda Company d u r in g th e
•
e l e c t i o n , b u t i t was w e ll re c o g n iz e d .th a t the. Company,and - i t s
13.
Mike M a n s fie ld , .Vfashingtonv I e t t e r , 8 D ecem ber, 1 9 7 0 , to
th e au th o r; V festley D 'E w art, V f i l s a l l , Montana, l e t t e r ' ; 9 D ecem ber, to
th e a u th o r. 1;
14.
P e o p le 's V oice (H elen a )., Nov. 2 2 ,'1 9 4 6 , p . 3»
1 5 . Thomas- P a y n e, "1956 E le c t io n s , in Montana", W estern P o l i t i c a l
Q u a r te r ly . X., No. I , M arch, 1 9 5 7 , P- 127; Thomas P a y n e, "Montana:
P o l i t i c s Under th e Copper Dome", p o l i t i c s in the American W estf e d . ,
Frank H. J o n a s., (S a lt.L a k e C it y , U t a iit . U n iv e r s it y o f Utah P r e s s ,
1 9 6 9 ) , -p. 204.
■■■' : .
.'
/ \
-"
■■ :
..
- " , ''
,
,
: : , ' ' . . . I ' " ': '
' ' . ... :
1 6 . - The New R e p u b lic . V o l.. 1 1 5 , Nov. 18> 1 9 4 6 ; p , 6 4 7 .
■ V i;;
.V- ■' .
' ■r-
•;
/ ." •
■-■
”6 2 —
c o rr esp o n d in g new spapers s t r o n g ly su p p orted F e to n .
17
I n a d d i t i o n , ^the v ir u le n c e o f th e W h eeler-E rick so n prim ary n o t
o n ly caused p a r ty d i f f u s i o n , b u t p ro v id ed E cton w ith a sp rin g b o a rd by
w hich he i n i t i a t e d h is campaign.
18
Coupled w ith th e y o t e r s 1 fr e s h
r e c o l l e c t i o n o f th e p rim a ry , E r ic k so n ’s p o l i t i c a l background ( i . e . ,
a s s o c i a t i o n w ith th e M.V. A. , P. A. C. in 1944» and th e R a ilr o a d M ed ia tio n
Board i s s u e ) p ro v id ed E cto n w ith a s o l i d fo u n d a tio n upon which he
a p p a r e n tly con n ected E r ic k so n to Communism and governm ental c o n t r o ls .
THE 'CONSTITUENTS: . A TURN RIGHT?
Upon ex a m in in g j u s t th e r h e t o r ic o f th e cam paign, i t i s e a s y to
con clu d e t h a t E r ic k so n was the v ic tim o f a r e a c t io n a g a in s t th e "New
D e a l" .
The v i c t o r i o u s R ep u b lica n " c la s s o f 1946" g a in ed r e c o g n it io n
f o r t h e i r o p p o s it io n t o li b e r a li s m and c e r t a in ly r e p r e s e n te d the
R ep u b lica n P a r t y ’s m ost c o n s e r v a tiv e w in g.
19
, Upon th e e l e c t i o n o f the
17.
In 1 9 4 4 E r ic k so n spoke o u t d i r e c t l y a g a in s t Ford and h is
r e l a t i o n s h i p t o Anaconda, b u t in 1946 no such a t t a c k was p rom inent.
S ee M e r r ill G. Burlingam e- and K. Ross T o o le j A H is t o r y o f M ontana.
(New York: L ew is H i s t o r i c a l P u b lis h in g Company, I n c . , 1 9 5 7 ) , V o l. I ,p . 275; P e o p le ’ s V o ice (H e le n a ), S e p t . 2 2 , 1944» P® I » C o l. I .
18 .
B urton K. ItVheeler, op. c i t . , l e t t e r ; W heeler f e e l s th a t
th e " I n te r e s t s " c o n tr ib u te d to th e d e f e a t o f th e D em o cra tic P a rty in
1946 by s u p p o r tin g E r ic k so n in th e p rim a ry , and th en s w it c h in g t h e i r
su p p o r t to , E cto n d u r in g th e g en era l e l e c t i o n . Burton K. W h eeler, .
p e r so n a l in t e r v ie w w ith M ichael .P« Malone., A s s is t a n t P r o f e s s o r o f H i s t ­
o r y , M .S.U . , May 2 3 , 1 9 7 0 . .
19 .
Among th e new S en a to rs were John W. B r ic k e r (R - O h io );
I r v in g M. I v e s (R - N .Y .) ; W illiam E. Jen n er (R - I n d , ) ; W illiam F.
■■
•V "
-63 c o n s e r v a tiv e 1946 C o n g r e ss, th ere was immediate: s p e c u la t io n th a t a
O
new c y c le in American p o l i t i c s had b een i n i t i a t e d and in t h a t s e n s e ,
1946 saw th e d e s t r u c t io n o f th e D em ocratic c o a l i t i o n ( la b o r , farm ers
and m in o r it ie s ) . ^
U lt im a t e ly , the He p u b lica n -d o m in a ted E ig h t ie t h
C ongress b i t t e r l y opposed th e "New Deal", and attem p ted to r e - a s s e r t
21
th e p r e -R o o s e v e lt ia n governm ental l i m i t a t i o n s . '
n o tio n s and p o l i c i e s were o n ly tem p orary, how ever.
•
■
Such c o n s e r v a tiv e
22
-
S in ce th e a t t a c k on th e "New D e a l” b y the E ig h t ie t h C o n g ress, the
. . . .
'
.
g e n e r a l p o l i c i e s i n i t i a t e d , in la r g e p a r t , by E ran M in D. R o o s e v e lt
have n e v e r s e r i o u s l y been th r e a te n e d . . The. g e n e r a l b e l i e f t h a t th e
R ep u b lica n v i c t o r y in d ic a t e d a r e a c t io n a g a in s t th e "New D eal" i s ■
in c o r r e c t.
IVhile th e R ep u b lican c a n d id a te s th em selv es- opposed many
a s p e c t s o f t h e "New D e a l" , t h e i r e l e c t i o n d id n o t c o n s t it u t e a r e a c t io n ■
.
*V
Knov/land (R - C a l i f . ) , who had been a p p oin ted t o .th e S e n a te '.in .1945;
George-. W. Malone (R - N e v .) - ; Joseph ■R .' McCarthy (R - VVis-.) ; ArthurV. W atkins '(R - Utah);" John J . W illia m s.'( r .— D e l'.) p w it h .t h e e x c e p tio n
o f . I v e s , a l l rep re se n ted " t h e i r p a r t y ’ s m ost c o n s e r v a tiv e w in g.
20.
IDS. News . "The New C ycle In P o l i t i c s : . ,,Dreak; in .D e m o c r a tic
C o a lit io n " , V o l. 2 1 , N ov. 1 5 ','1 9 4 6 , p , 3 , : .
■;
' '7.
21. Barton J . B e r n s te in , -P o litic s and P o li c i e s • o f ■the Truman /
Administr a tio n (Chicago? ■'.Quadrangle-Books.,. 1 9 7 0 ), P« 204. /
-. '
. ■ •
" -. - '.. ■
V
■ 'f, • .
22. - P r e sid en t Truman d efea ted Thomas Dewey i n 1948. b y , in
p a r t, co n c en tr a tin g h e a v ily on one s u b je c t - " th a t n o to rio u s R epublican
E ig h tie th Congress". , The Truman s tr a te g y - climajced. i n a hammering on
..the R epublican C on gressicn al record' o f 1947—4 8 .as a c o n s is t e n t a s s a u lt
on th e i n t e r e s t s - o f'o r d in a r y A m ericansand ■the "New-Deal!'.: 7 See, E r ic ■
Fo Goldman,. TIie Cr a c ia l Decade-. (New York; 7Alfred..:JA»,-K n o p f^ i n c i , '
and Random .House, I n c . , 1956) , p . 85« '
7
-'- 7
-.
'
'
"
'
'
-...
v 7-V.
'-f
7 '1V -7
-c :
-V 'L i
- ?: ■
■
>" -
by th e v o te r s a g a in s t the t o t a l i t y o f th e "New D ea l" .
I t w a s, r a th e r
a "mass" r e v u ls io n o f Truman’s h a n d lin g o f p o s t war problem s coupled
w ith an a lle g e d Communist in f lu e n c e in th e D em ocratic P a r ty . J
In
t h a t r e s p e c t , E cton e f f e c t i v e l y con n ected E rick so n to many o f the
n e g a tiv e a s p e c ts o f th e u n s e t t le d atm osphere o f the p o s t war e r a . '
E r ic k s o n , th e n , was u lt im a t e l y th e v ic tim o f the Montana c o n s t it u e n t s
in terregn um d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w ith Truman and the D em o cra tic P a r t y .^
2 3 . In a s u r v e y tak en by Fortune a f t e r th e 1946 e l e c t i o n , i t
was d eterm in ed t h a t th e American v o t e r favored the b a s i c co n cep ts o f
the. "New Deal" , F o r tu n e . V o l. 35» March, 1947» P« 6 . Dan. Viihetstone
f e l t t h a t th e R ep u b lica n v ic t o r y r e p r e se n te d a m a ssiv e human movement
t h a t was r e l a t i v e l y u n a ffe c te d by p u b l i c i t y , s p e e c h e s , and propaganda
P io n e e r P r e ss (C ut B a n k ), Nov. 1 5 , 1 9 4 6 , E d it o r ia l p a g e .
2 4 . The 1948 e l e c t i o n s i n Montana were a v i r t u a l D em ocratic
l a n d s l i d e . Truman d e fe a te d Dewey f o r th e P r e sid e n c y b y 22,301. v o t e s .
S e n a to r Murray (Dem.) overwhelmed the c o n se r v a tiv e D a v is b y 3 0 ,7 4 0
v o t e s . R e p r e s e n ta tiv e M a n sfield (Dem.) won o v er Angstman (R ep .) in
th e F i r s t D i s t r i c t b y a p l u r a l i t y o f 3 0 ,7 4 0 . A d d it io n a lly , Governor
Sam Ford (R e p .) was d e fe a te d by th e Dem ocrat John B onner b y 26,4 7 5
v o t e s . The sw eep was s o s u c c e s s f u l t h a t t h e .Dem ocrats won e v e r y
c o n t e s t f o r s t a t e o f f i c e . The s o l e R epublic a n s u r v iv o r o f th e
D em o cra tic la n d s lid e was V e s t le y D’E w art. He d e fe a te d F r a s e r (Dem.)
in th e Second D i s t r i c t by the m eager p l u r a l i t y o f 2 ,4 1 3 °
APPENDIX
Appendix I
V
0 An A n a ly s is o f th e E le c t io n R e su lts"
The e l e c t i o n was c e r t a in ly n o t as c lo s e a s had b een p r e d ic te d .
1
E c to n 1S v i c t o r y was a c o n v in c in g one as he was a b le t o g a in a c le a r
p l u r a l i t y o f 1 5 ,4 2 5 v o t e s .
2
I t i s th e purpose o f t h i s a n a ly s is to
d eterm in e the so u rce o f E c to n 's su p p o rt and u lt im a t e l y th e c a t e g o r ic a l
k e y t o the R ep u b lica n s u c c e s s .
I n a d d it io n to an a n a ly s is o f the
S e n a t o r ia l r a c e , the C o n g r e ssio n a l r a c e s in D i s t r i c t s One and Two
w i l l a l s o be s u r v e y e d .
A com parative s tu d y i s s i g n i f i c a n t as i t w i l l
h e lp to d eterm in e th e d ep th o f th e 1946 R ep u b lican v i c t o r y in Montana.
I t sh o u ld be m entioned t h a t b e s id e s E cto n and E r ic k s o n , Floyd
Jo n es ( S o c i a l i s t ) was a l s o in c o m p e titio n f o r the S e n a t o r ia l s e a t .
He gain ed a t o t a l o f o n ly 2 ,1 8 9 v o t e s w h ich , o f c o u r s e , was o f l i t t l e
s i g n i f i c a n c e .^
Only th e county o f M u s s e ils h e ll cou ld have been
a f f e c t e d by, th e n u m erica l in f lu e n c e o f F loyd J o n e s .
E rick so n won a
m a jo r ity i n M u s s e lls h e il by th e s l i g h t advantage o f o n ly tw e n ty -e ig h t
v o t e s .^
The f o r t y - f i v e v o t e s c a s t f o r Mr. Jones co u ld have a lt e r e d 12
1.
Hew York T im es. J u ly. 2 1 , 1 9 4 6 , S e c t io n IV , p . 6 , C o l. 5«
2.
Appendix I I .
3«, Appendix I I .
4o
Appendix I I .
th e p o l i t i c a l a ll e g ia n c e o f t h a t p a r t ic u la r co u n ty , b u t he c e r t a in ly
°
had l i t t l e or n o .n u m e r ic a l in f lu e n c e on th e outcome o f th e S e n a t o r ia l
race.
Mike M a n sfield (D em ocrat) was a b le t o d e f e a t W.H. Hankin f o r
5
.
R e p r e s e n ta tiv e by a c l e a r m argin o f 1 2 ,4 6 0 v o t e s .
Mans f i e l d gain ed
te n o f s e v e n te e n c o u n tie s lo c a te d in the F i r s t D i s t r i c t p r o v id in g
th e Dem ocrats w ith t h e i r o n ly C o n g ressio n a l d e le g a te t o be d e r iv e d
fppm th e 1946 e l e c t i o n .
I t i s o f some i n t e r e s t to n o te t h a t Mike
Mans f i e l d d e fe a te d ; incum bent Z ales N. E cton f o r th e S e n a t o r ia l s e a t
i n 1 9 5 2 , and has s in c e g ain ed n a t io n a l r e c o g n it io n as M a jo r ity
L ead er o f th e S e n a te .
•
W esley D’Ew art. c l e a r l y d e fe a te d John J e Holmes i n th e Second
D i s t r i c t f o r R e p r e s e n ta tiv e by a p l u r a l i t y o f ,9 ,7 4 3 .
D’Ewart
-
managed t o a cq u ire s u p p o r t from tw en ty -sev en ; o f th e t h ir t y - n in e
PT
•co u n ties i n .th e E a ste r n D i s t r i c t . .
Floyd J o n e s , ru n n in g bn the
S o c i a l i s t t i c k e t , a g a in proved, th e im potence o f t h a t .p a rty b y p o l l i n g
8
;•
o n ly 841 v o t e s . , , /
...
The v o t e r t u r n -o u t d id n o t e x p r e s s any g r e a te r en th u sia sm on *•
5«
Appendix I I .
'• 6 .
A ppendix I I .
7 . Appendix V.
■v " ■ v
;
• ■8 . :Appendix I I .
-S- .
-6 8 -
f
"behalf o f the c o n s t it u e n c y than was ex p ressed in any p rev io u s
e,
y e a r . y The t o t a l v o t e s c a s t in th e e l e c t i o n d id "not break the
c o n t in u it y o f the .,e le c t io n t o t a l s com piled .from 1928 t o 1 9 5 2 .
V o tin g e n th u sia sm , as e x p r e sse d a t th e p o l l s , t h e n , d id c o in c id e
w ith the' normal p a tte r n and c e r t a in ly rem ained c o n s is t e n t w ith p a s t
r e s u lts . .
- -
In an a ttem p t t o in c o r p o r a te fu r th u r a n a l y s i s , I have provided
f o r th e eco n o m ic, n u m e r ic a l, and g e o g r a p h ic -c a t e g o r iz a t io n o f Montana.
Those c o u n tie s dom inated by la b o r , the w heat fa rm er, r a n c h in g , the
d a ir y in d u str y ', and lum ber w i l l be studied" and t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e '
v o t in g a ll e g ia n c e s t r a c e d . . The p o p u la tio n w i l l be a n a ly z e d , n o t
o n ly as i t r e l a t e s t o e i t h e r th e urban or. r u r a l a r e a s o f Montana,
b u t a l s o b y s i z e based on p o p u la tio n .
F i n a l l y , the. v o t in g p a tte r n s
o f th e ■C o n g r essio n a l D i s t r i c t s w i l l be - s tu d ie d in an a ttem p t to
d is c o v e r s i g n i f i c a n t v o t in g a ll e g ia n c e s and u lt im a t e l y th e so u rce o f
th e c a n d id a te s su p p o r t.
I t sh o u ld be n o ted t h a t a s i n g l e cou n ty w i l l , a t .tim es ,- q u a l i f y
under more than one c a te g o r y .
I t i s s u g g e s te d t h a t p r e c in c t
com parisons would have been, a V alu ab le t o o l i n t h i s •s t u d y , b u t u n fo r ­
tu n a te ly . su ch r e tu r n s a re n o t o b t a in a b le .
The a n a ly s is m u st, o f
n e c e s s i t y t h e n ,:b e b ased on o f f i c i a l a g g reg a te d a t a . I t sh ou ld be ■
'
.' ■
...
■
• '■
..
9o Appendix X I I .
Vv
"
.
v
,V
' ; '
-
.
V-V-
- ' .r
.
■■
'
.
'
.
■: \
.
^"
-
:
•
-
69 -
r e cogn ized t h a t c e r t a in w eaknesses are ap p aren t in r e l a t i o n to the
u se o f a g g reg a te d a ta in an e l e c t i o n a n a l y s i s .
I t i s p o s s ib le th a t
th e d a ta a v a il a b l e d is a llo w s the a n a ly s t from d e te r m in in g v a r ia t io n s
w ith in c a t e g o r ie s .
I n o th e r w ord s, i t i s p o s s ib le t h a t th ere w i l l
b e , a t t im e s , a g r e a t e r v a r ia t io n w ith in th e s p e c i f i e d
c a te g o r ie s
than be tween them
S c i e n t i f i c a l l y d e sig n e d su r v e y s are som etim es more r e l i a b l e in
d e te r m in in g group v o t in g p a t t e r n s .
P er so n a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , f o r
ex a m p le, can be u sed to g r e a t advantage i n in d ic a t in g v o t in g .p a t t e r n s
r e g a r d le s s o f g e o g r a p h ic a l lo c a t i o n .
A ggregate d a ta can s tim u la te
f a l s e a ssu m p tio n s ab ou t th e a ll e g ia n c e s o f p a r t ic u la r subgroups
( i . e . , th e b lu e c o l l a r v o te in a c o u n ty ).
Although the b lu e c o l l a r
f a c t i o n m ig h t, f o r i n s t a n c e , be o f m ajor s i g n i f i c a n c e i n a co u n ty ,
the v o t i n g p a t t e r n s o f t h a t cou n ty do n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e p r e s e n t th e
a ll e g ia n c e s o f th e b lu e c o l l a r w orker.
r,
U n fo r t u n a t e ly , th e r e were no s c i e n t i f i c su rv ey s conducted in
Montana d u r in g th e 1946 e l e c t i o n , thus e lim in a t in g any la r g e body o f
hard d a t a t h a t c e r t a i n l y would have f a c i l i t a t e d a more i n t r i n s i c s t u d y .
1 0 . For f u r t h e r i n s i g h t in t o th e problem s r e la t e d t o the u se
o f a g g r e g a te d a ta s e e , Erwin K. S ch eu ch , vC r o ss-U a tio n a l Comparisons
U sin g A ggregate D ata: Some S u b sta n tiv e and M eth o d o lo g ica l Problem s” ,
-e d s . , R ichard L. M e r r it t and S t e i n Rokkan, Comparing R a tio n s (New
Haven; Y ale U n i v e r s it y P r e ss , 1 966) , . Pp. 131-67.; V/.8. R o b in so n ,
" E c o lo g ic a l C o r r e la tio n s and the B eh a v io r 'of I n d iv id u a ls " , American
S o c io l o g ic a l R ev iew .■ V o l. 1 5 , J u n e, 1950» PP» 351-57«."
-7 0 I t m igh t a l s o be m entioned t h a t th e a u th o r r e c o g n iz e s t h a t
a m u lt iv a r ia t a n a ly s is r e l a t i v e to th e u se o f ch a rts would have been
O
more h ig h p ow ered, b u t th e b iv a r i a t i n v e s t i g a t i o n f u l f i l l s th e lim it e d
p urposes o f t h i s s t u d y .
The b a s ic framework f o r the f u n c t io n a l c a t e g o r iz a t io n used in
t h i s s tu d y was d e r iv e d , in p a r t , from Joseph K e lly ’ s u n p u b lish ed
M asters T h e s is .
11
THE LABOH FORCE
The la b o r c o u n tie s were c a te g o r iz e d by co m p ilin g th e c o u n tie s
w ith th e l a r g e s t p erce n ta g e , o f b lu e c o l l a r workers in c lu d in g su ch
in d u s tr y groups as c o n s t r u c t io n , m a n u fa ctu rin g , m in in g , f o r e s t r y and
f i s h e r i e s , and t r a n s p o r ta tio n and u t i l i t i e s .
Any co u n ty h a v in g a
b lu e c o l l a r la b o r f o r c e o f o v er 4 O^o was co n sid ered s i g n i f i c a n t in
terms o f r e p r e s e n t in g th e r o le o f la b o r i n the e l e c t i o n .
12
L e i f E rick so n was a b le to e l i c i t s u p p o r t from fo u r o f th e s i x
la b o r c o u n t ie s . (S ee ta b le one)
Two o f th o se f o u r , S i l v e r Bow and B eer L od ge, r e p r e se n te d the ■
m ajor c e n te r s o f u n io n iz a t io n in Montana.
Both c o u n t ie s housed
e le m e n ts o f o rg a n ized la b o r p a r t i a l l y as a r e s u l t o f th e urban 1
11 . . Joseph P. K e l l y , "Study in th e B e f e a t o f S e n a to r Wheeler" , '
U npublished M asters T h e s is , Montana S t a t e U n i v e r s it y , 1959» P« 59»
12 .
Appendix V I.
-7 1 cen tezs o f B utte and Anaconda.
I t should a ls o be poin ted out th a t
M u s s e lls h e ll and L in c o ln , the rem aining la b o r co u n ties th a t supported
E rick so n , are a ls o ca teg o rized as more urban than r u r a l. '
TABLE ONE
VOTE ON SENATORIAL RACE BY LABOR COUNTY
B eer Lodge Flathead L in co ln Mineral M u s se lls h e ll S ilv e r Bow
E rickson:
Ecton:
3 ,5 2 7
2 .0 6 2
5 ,5 8 9
3 ,1 1 6
3 .8 7 5
6 ,9 9 1
1 ,3 7 5
1x15-8
2 ,5 3 3
339
151
696
1 ,1 5 4
1 .1 2 6
2 ,2 8 0
1 1 ,4 4 2
7 .4 4 2
18,8 8 4
The la b o r county a n a ly s is shows th a t E rickson c o n tr o lle d the blue
c o lla r vote by a p lu r a lit y o f 5 »000.
13'
i
The wide margin was la r g e ly
d u e, however, to the overwhelming supp ort fo ste r e d in S il v e r Bow
County fo r E r ic t e on.
S il v e r Bow turned out n e a r ly 18,000 v o ters in
1 946, or about ten p ercen t o f the t o t a l vote c a s t in a l l o f Montana.
While E rickson was ab le to con trol S i l v e r Bow w ith a s tr o n g p lu r a lit y
o f 4*000, he managed v ic t o r y by a margin o f only 1 ,0 0 0 v o tes in the
f iv e rem aining la b o r c o u n tie s .
E rick son , th en , c e r ta in ly did n o t com pletely dominate a l l o f the
blue c o lla r vote in the 194^ e l e c t i o n .
In th is same r e s p e c t, however,
over th ir te e n p ercen t o f the t o t a l v o te c o lle c te d by E rick son was
d eriv ed s p e c i f i c a l l y from h is v ic t o r y in S ilv e r Bow County.
13.
Appendix I I
Thus,
-7 2 a s i g n i f i c a n t p o r tio n o f E r ic k so n ’s su p p o rt (la b o r and o th e r w ise )
..came from B u tte and S i l v e r Bow C ounty, r a th e r than from a
c r o s s - s e c t io n e d , h etero g e n e o u s f o llo w in g .
F iv e o f th e s i x la b o r c o u n tie s d is c u s s e d are lo c a t e d in the
F ir s t D is tr ic t.
Mike M a n sfield ga in ed th e reso u n d in g su p p o rt o f the
la b o r v o te by c la im in g a l l o f th e la b o r c o u n tie s i n t h a t d i s t r i c t .
M a n s fie ld ’s o v e r - a l l s u p p o r t by th e b lu e c o l l a r w orker was more
c o n v in c in g than E r ic k so n ’s .
M a n sfield n o t o n ly claim ed S i l v e r Bow
County b y a p l u r a l i t y o f 7 ,0 0 0 v o t e s , b u t he a l s o r e c e iv e d a 4 ,0 0 0
v o te m argin from the rem a in in g fo u r la b o r c o u n t ie s , in D i s t r i c t O ne.^
The re a so n can be m ost r e a d i ly e x p la in e d by r e c o g n iz in g t h a t w h ile
M a n sfie ld gain ed th e s u p p o r t o f M ineral and F la th ea d C o u n tie s,
E rick so n l o s t t o E cto n .
I n terms o f th e Second D i s t r i c t , the lo n e la b o r co u n ty ,
M u s s e l l s h e l l , w ent to John H olm es, th e D em ocratic ca n d id a te f o r
C on gress.
WHEAT COUNTIES
The wheat c o u n t ie s , nam ely n orth o f th e M isso u ri R iv e r and e a s t o f
th e C o n tin en ta l D iv id e , were d e fin e d as any county h a v in g ^Qffo or more
o f i t s a g r ic u lt u r a l cash r e c e ip t s d e r iv e d from c r o p s.
E rick so n managed a s l i g h t m a jo r ity as he captured fo u r o f the
14. • Appendix I I
"73s a x w heat c o u n t ie s »
15
E r ic k s o n 's , advantage becomes more d i s t i n c t ,
h ow ever, when the v o t in g s t a t i s t i c s are compared. (S ee ta b le two)
TABLE TWO
VOTE ON SENATORIAL RACE BY WHEAT COUNTY
Chouteau
D a n ie ls
H ill
Pondera
R o o se v e lt
S h erid a n
1 ,5 0 4
1 .6 6 7
3 ,1 7 1
1 ,3 3 0
1 .0 4 0
2 ,3 7 0
Voted fo r :
E rick s on
E cton
1,5 2 4
1 .3 1 8
2 ,8 4 2
582
831
1,413
1 ,1 7 4
857
2,031
2,0 4 3
1 .9 5 9
.4 ,0 0 2
As was p r e v io u s ly m en tio n ed , E cto n ca r r ie d two wheat co u n ties
( i . e . , D a n ie ls and R o o s e v e lt ) .
He won the f i r s t by the s lim margin
o f 249 v o t e s , and th e l a s t by o n ly 412..
16
In t o t a l i t y , E rick so n
o u t-p o lle d E ctqn in th e wheat c o u n tie s by c la im in g 8 ,1 7 5 v o te s to
E c to n 's 6 , 5 7 2 .
The Montana Farm er's U nion , in 1 9 4 6 , claim ed 6 ,4 0 3 dues -p a y in g
members.
The s i x w heat c o u n tie s con ta in ed 3»218 - more than h a l f
17
■
o f the g ro u p 's members.
E r ic k s o n 's sh ow ing in the w heat c o u n t ie s ,
th e n , i s some in d ic a t i o n th a t he r e c e iv e d the su p p o rt o f th e farm ing
community in Montana.
I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o te t h a t i n the Second D i s t r i c t , John
15.
Appendix V II.
16.
Appendix I I .
17.
K e lly , op. c i t . , p . 6 3 .
-7 4 Holmes ca r r ie d th e same w heat c o u n tie s as E rick so n .
DfE w art, l i k e
E c to n , c a r r ie d D a n ie ls and R o o s e v e lt C ou n ties by th e s lim m argin o f
153 v o t e s .
18
H olm es, h ow ever, was n o t a s d e c i s i v e l y v ic t o r io u s as
E r ic k so n , w in n in g th e w heat c o u n tie s by a m argin o f o n ly 1 ,0 1 0 v o t e s .
LIVESTOCK COUNTIES
I f a cou n ty had rIQffo o r more o f i t s a g r ic u lt u r a l income b e in g
d e r iv e d from l i v e s t o c k , th en i t was c l a s s i f i e d as a l i v e s t o c k c o u n ty .1^
S ix t e e n c o u n tie s in Montana m et th e req u ir ed s p e c i f i c a t i o n and were
I
s o c a te g o r iz e d . These c o u n tie s are lo c a t e d in so u th e r n Montana and
are s c a t t e r e d e v e n ly a c r o s s the s t a t e .
Of th e s i x t e e n l i v e s t o c k c o u n t ie s , L e i f E rick so n gain ed su p p o rt
from o n ly M u s s e lls h e ll w in n in g b y a s lim m argin o f 26 v o t e s .
It
sh o u ld be remembered, how ever, t h a t M u s s e lls h e ll was th e o n ly county
in the E a stern D i s t r i c t t o a ls o be c a te g o r iz e d as a la b o r cou n ty.
20
C o n seq u en tly , the l i v e s t o c k com m u n ities’ su p p o rt o f E cto n i s r e l a t i v e l y
s i g n i f i c a n t in r e f l e c t i n g th e p o l i t i c a l a lle g ia n c e o f th e ran ch in g
c o n s tit u e n c y .
Again t h e , campaign in the Second D i s t r i c t , betw een W esley D’Ewart
and John Holmes , fo llo w e d the p a tte r n o f the S e n a t o r ia l ra ce in th a t
18.
Appendix I I .
19.
Appendix V I I I .
20.
Appendix V I . •
f- v.'.'
•
-7 5 d is tr ic t.
D1Ew art c a r r ie d a m a jo r ity in a l l o f the e i g h t li v e s t o c k
c o u n tie s e x c e p t M u s s e lls h e ll.
W esley D'Ewart w as, h ow ever, the
d i r e c t o r o f th e Montana Stock grow ers A s s o c ia t io n , and p r e s id e n t
o f th e Farmers E le v a to r in W i l s a l l .
21
This , o f c o u r s e , sa y s much
in e x p la in in g h i s dominance o f thd l i v e s t o c k v o t e .
In th e s t r o n g ly D em ocratic W estern D i s t r i c t , Rankin (R ep ub lican )
managed a m a jo r ity o f th e l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s by g a in in g fo u r o f s e v e n .
Thus i t would appear th a t th e l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s adhered to t h e i r
t r a d it i o n a l v o t in g p a tte r n s by s u p p o r tin g th e R ep u b lican C o n g ressio n a l
c a n d id a te s .
LIMBER COULfTIES
Any cou n ty t h a t cu t 5 0 ,0 0 0 board f e e t o f lum ber or more per y ea r
was d e fin e d as a lum ber cou n ty.
22
A ll o f th e s e c o u n tie s are lo c a te d
on th e w estern s id e o f th e C o n tin en ta l D iv id e in th e n o rth w e st c o m e r
o f Montana.
Of th e f i v e lum ber c o u n t ie s , Z a les H. E cton gain ed a m a jo r ity in
fo u r .
The o n ly lum ber county in which E rick so n won a p l u r a l i t y ,
F la th e a d , i s a ls o c l a s s i f i e d as a la b o r cou n ty.
S in c e a l l o f the lum ber c o u n tie s are lo c a te d in the F i r s t D i s t r i c t ,
th e y w i l l n o t in f lu e n c e th e a n a ly s is o f the Second D i s t r i c t .
21.
Glasgow C o u r ie r . O ct. 2 4 , 1 9 4 6 , p. I .
22
Appendix IX
-76I n the F i r s t D i s t r i c t , M a n sfield a g a in dem onstrated M ontana's
n o n -p a r tis a n v o t in g h a b it s by w in n in g a m a jo r ity i n a l l f i v e o f the
lum ber c o u n t ie s .
The v i c t o r y , h ow ever, was n o t an e a s y one as the
t o t a l p l u r a l i t y v o te in the f iv e c o u n tie s was 3 , 187» ^
THE UBBM & RURAL CENTERS
The Bureau o f C en su s, in 1 9 5 0 , in d ic a te d t h a t t h ir t e e n co u n ties
in Montana were su p p orted b y c i t i e s w ith a p o p u la tio n o f more than
5 ,0 0 0 ,
24
The cen su s a l s o noted t h a t s e v e n te e n c o u n tie s had no town
w ith a t o t a l p o p u la tio n o f more than 1 ,5 0 0 p e r so n s.
Those c o u n t ie s ,
th e n , w ith a c i t y o f more than 5 ,0 0 0 person s w i l l be co n sid ered
u rb an , and the c o u n tie s w ith no town h a v in g a p o p u la tio n o f more
than 1 ,5 0 0 w i l l be co n sid ered r u r a l,
L e i f E rick so n gain ed a m a jo r ity i n o n ly fo u r o f th e t h ir t e e n
urban c o u n tie s in Montana. (30,8?£)2'’
(See t a b le th r e e )
. As has a lr e a d y been s u g g e s t e d , two o f th e f o u r . D eer Lodge and
S i l v e r Bow, were s t r o n g c e n te r s o f organ ized la b o r .
In a d d it io n ,
H i l l County d e r iv e d much o f i t s econom ic su p p o rt from the wheat farm er
Z a les N. E c to n , th e n , gained the su p p o rt o f th e m a jo r ity o f the
urban c e n te r s by w in n in g p l u r a l i t i e s in th e rem a in in g n in e urban
23 .
Appendix I I .
24 .
Appendix X.
25.
Appendix X.
.
-7 7 c o u n tie s .
Of the s e v e n te e n r u r a l c o u n tie s i n Montana in 1946 , L e i f E rick so n
cou ld g a in a m a jo r ity in o n ly two (J u d ith B a sin and McCone).
Ifot a
s i n g l e w heat cou n ty cou ld claim a r u r a l m a jo r ity , w h ile f i f t y p e r c e n t
o f th e s i x t e e n l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s were r u r a l in o r i g i n .
I t sh ou ld
he remembered t h a t E cto n s u c c e s s f u l l y p o lle d a l l b u t one o f the
l i v e s t o c k c o u n t ie s .
TABLE THREE
FERCEIfTAGE OF COUNTIES (URBAN, RURAL, NEITHER) GIVING ALLEGIANCE
TO EITHER ECTON OR ERICKSON
E cton
E r ic k so n
. Urban
(N=13)
Rural
(N=17)
N e ith e r urban or ru ra l
(N=26)
6 9 .2 $
JO .8$
1 0 0 .0 $
8 8 .2 $
1 1 .8 $
1 0 0 .0 $
9 6 .2 $
3 .8 $
1 0 0 .0 $
There were tw e n t y -s ix c o u n tie s t h a t could n o t be c l a s s i f i e d as
e i t h e r urban or r u r a l , and o f th o se E rick so n r e c e iv e d a m a jo r ity
i n on e.
, Thus E cton gain ed 6 9 .2 $ o f the urban c o u n t ie s , 8 8 .2 $ o f
th e ru r a l c o u n t ie s , and 96.2 $ o f th o se c o u n tie s c l a s s i f i e d as n e it h e r
urban or r u r a l. (S ee t a b le th r e e )
In D i s t r i c t One, Mike M a n sfield a g a in dom inated W.R. Rankin by
w in n in g th ree o f the s i x ru r a l c o u n t ie s , b u t more s i g n i f i c a n t l y ,
26.
Appendix X
-7 8 f i v e o f s i x urban c o u n t ie s .
'
Al though each ca n d id a te gain ed f if t y -
p e r c e n t o f th e r u r a l c o u n t ie s , W.R. Rankin o u t - p o lle d M a n sfield in
t o t a l by 245 v o t e s .
28
C o n v e r se ly , how ever, M a n sfield was g iv e n a
p l u r a l i t y o f 1 2 ,3 5 6 in th e urban c o u n tie s o f the F i r s t D i s t r i c t .
The
c o u n tie s o f D eer L o d g e, S i l v e r Bow, and M isso u la were c r i t i c a l in
th e W estern D i s t r i c t as th e y c o n tr ib u te d f o r t y - t h r e e p e r c e n t o f the
to ta l v o te .
M a n sfield won a l l th ree w ith a p l u r a l i t y o f 12,0 5 7 v o t e s .
There are o n ly fo u r urban c o u n tie s lo c a te d in th e E a stern D i s t r i c t .
Of t h e s e , W esley D’Ewart won tw o. Cascade and H i l l , w h ile John Holmes .
won Y ello w sto n e and Fergus c o u n t ie s .
W esley D’E w a rt, h ow ever, won
•
29
the t o t a l p l u r a l i t y v o te by 1,503 v o t e s .
In a d d it io n , W esley
D ’Ewart won n in e o f th e e le v e n r u r a l c o u n tie s in the Second D i s t r i c t ,
and e le v e n o f th e n in e te e n c o u n tie s t h a t were c l a s s i f i e d as n e it h e r
urban o r r u r a l.
POPULATION
Any county w ith a t o t a l p o p u la tio n o f o v er 1 0 ,0 0 0 was d e fin e d
as l a r g e , and any cou n ty w ith a p o p u la tio n under 5 ,0 0 0 was .
co r r e sp o n d in g ly d e fin e d as s m a l l . ^
27.
Appendix IV, X.
28.
Appendix I I .
29.
Appendix I I .
30
Appendix XI,
Those c o u n tie s c a te g o r iz e d as
/'
-7 9 n e it h e r la r g e o r sm a ll (P o p u la tio n betw een 5 ,0 0 0 and 1 0 ,0 0 0 ) w i l l
be r e fe r r e d to as m iddle c o u n t ie s .
B ig h o rn , Carbon, C houteau, L ake,
R a v a l l i , and R ich lan d were c o u n tie s n o t co n sid ered urban b u t s t i l l
%-t
had a p o p u la tio n o f o v e r 1 0 ,0 0 0 p e r s o n s.
By way o f a n a l y s i s , Z ales N. E cto n gain ed p l u r a l i t i e s in f i f t e e n
o f th e la r g e c o u n t ie s , w h ile E rick so n won m a j o r it ie s in the rem ainin g
fiv e .
In a d d it io n , E r ic k so n managed to g a in su p p o rt from o n ly two
o f e ig h t e e n sm a ll c o u n t ie s .
Of t h e .e ig h t e e n c o u n tie s t h a t ranged in
p o p u la tio n from 5»000 t o 1 0 ,0 0 0 , E cton a g a in gain ed a m a jo r ity w ith
ten .
The la r g e c o u n tie s were o b v io u s ly the m ost c r i t i c a l , and w h ile
E rick so n won the two l a r g e s t - Cascade and S i l v e r Bow - he could
g a in su p p o r t from o n ly th r e e o th e r s w in n in g a t o t a l o f o n ly
tw e n ty -fiv e p e r c e n t o f th e la r g e c o u n t ie s ,
. TABLE FOUR
. . .
PERCENTAGE OF COUNTIES (LARGE, SMALL, MIDDLE) GIVING ALLEGIANCE TO
EITHER ECTON OR ERICKSON
E cton
E r ic k so n
Large
(N=20)
Sm all
(N=18)
75.C $
88.876
5 5 .5 #
25.096
11.296
44.596
IOO.O76
100.076
1 0 0 .0 #
M iddle
( n =18)
5 1 . Henry K. S h e a r e r , D ir e c t o r , Bureau o f .B u s in e s s and
Econom ic R esea rch , The Montana Almanac 1957 (M is s o u la . Montana:
Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 5 7 ) , pp. 1 9 4 -9 5 .
“8 0 E c to n ’s v i c t o r y , th e n , was a c o n v in c in g one as he gain ed c le a r
m a j o r it ie s in a l l o f the th ree p o p u la tio n c a t e g o r ie s ( l a r g e , s m a ll,
m id d le ) .
I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t t o n o te t h a t E r ic k s o n 's f a i l u r e to g a in
a s t r o n g e r f o llo w in g from the la r g e c o u n tie s was c e r t a in ly d e tr im e n ta l
In th e W estern D i s t r i c t , Mike M a n sfield o n ly won f i f t y p e r c e n t
o f th o se c o u n tie s w ith a p o p u la tio n o f under 1 0 ,0 0 0 , b u t he won
la r g e p l u r a l i t i e s in s i x o f the n in e la r g e c o u n tie s which o f course
p ro v id ed him w ith a d e c id e d a d v a n ta g e.
There were o n ly se v e n la r g e c o u n tie s lo c a te d in th e E a stern
D i s t r i c t , and John Holmes gain ed the m a jo r ity by w in n in g fo u r .
In
a d d it io n . Holmes won a m a jo r ity ( i . e . , s i x o f ten c o u n t ie s ) in th o se
c o u n tie s th a t ranged in p o p u la tio n from 5»000 to 1 0 ,0 0 0 p e r so n s.
Thus o f the s e v e n te e n c o u n tie s in the E a stern D i s t r i c t w ith a
p o p u la tio n o f 5 ,000 o r m ore, John Holmes gain ed a p l u r a l i t y in te n .
W esley DeE w art, h ow ever, won e ig h t e e n o f the tw enty sm a ll c o u n tie s .
I t i s u n iq u e , t h a t o f the th r e e C o n g r essio n a l r a c e s , o n ly in the
Second D i s t r i c t was the c r i t i c a l v o te c a s t by the c o n s t it u e n t s o f the
sm a ll c o u n t ie s .
A SUMMARY BY CONGEESSIGNAL DISTRICT
I n D i s t r i c t One, the Rocky M ountain a r e a , L e i f E r ic k so n managed
to w in o n ly th ree o f the s e v e n te e n c o u n t ie s . H is d e f e a t in the,
'■-■ ,
W estern D i s t r i c t i s i n t e r e s t i n g as i t i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y the D em ocratic
s tr o n g h o ld o f Montana.
81Of th e f i v e c o u n tie s dom inated by a la r g e la b o r fo r c e in the
F i r s t D i s t r i c t , th ree p rovid ed su p p o rt f o r L e i f E r ic k s o n .^^
D eer Lodge and S i l v e r Bow, two o f th e more u n io n ized c o u n tie s in
V
M ontana, p rovid ed E r ic k s o n ’ s m ost r e l i a b l e p o ck ets o f s tr e n g th
th rou gh ou t th e e n t ir e e l e c t i o n .
L in c o ln , c l a s s i f i e d in b oth the
la b o r and lum ber c a t e g o r i e s , p rovid ed the a d d itio n a l county to
E r ic k s o n .
33
Thus E rick so n won o n ly th ree c o u n tie s in th e W estern
D i s t r i c t , and a l l o f th o se were la b o r c o u n t ie s .
There were no
m ajor crop c o u n tie s in the W estern D i s t r i c t , b u t a l l se v e n l i v e s t o c k
c o u n tie s p rovid ed a d d it io n a l su p p o r t f o r E cto n .
In D i s t r i c t Two, Z a les If. E cton r e c e iv e d su p p o rt from tw en ty -sev en
o f th e t h ir t y - n in e c o u n t ie s .
S ix c o u n tie s were e c o n o m ic a lly
s u b s e r v ie n t t o cash crops ( i . e . , w h e a t), and o f th o se E rick so n claim ed
a m a jo r ity o f fo u r .
w ent t o E r ic k so n .
The o n ly la b o r cou n ty in the E a stern D i s t r i c t
There are n in e c o u n tie s in E a ste r n Montana s i g n i f i ­
c a n t ly d em o n str a tin g an i n t e r e s t in l i v e s t o c k , and o f t h a t t o t a l ,
E r ic k so n won a m a jo r ity in o n ly one.
E r ic k s o n , th e n , was a b le to claim su p p o rt from o n ly the la b o r and
w heat c o u n t ie s .
In a l l o f th e o th e r c a te g o r ie s in v e s t i g a t e d , E cton
e a s i l y dom inated E r ic k so n .
32.
Appendix X II.
33.
Appendix IX.
“82—
In th e V testem D i s t r i c t , M a n sfield dom inated a l l the a rea s o f
c a t e g o r ic a l a n a ly s is e x c e p t the l i v e s t o c k c o u n t ie s .
WeR. Rankin
gain ed a m a jo r ity o f th e l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s by w in n in g fo u r o f s e v e n .
There were f i v e la b o r c o u n tie s in t h a t D i s t r i c t , and M a n sfield won
a p l u r a l i t y in a l l f i v e .
In a d d it io n , M an sfield won a l l f i v e o f
th o se c o u n tie s t h a t were the m ajor lum ber p ro d u ctio n c e n te r s in
Montana.
P rob ab ly the m ost s i g n i f i c a n t a n a ly t ic a l c a t e g o r iz a t io n
in t h is C o n g ressio n a l ra ce was the urban d e s ig n a t io n .
Mike M an sfield
won f i v e o f s i x o f th e urban c o u n tie s , thus c o n t r o ll in g th o se areas
t h a t produce ov er f i f t y p e r c e n t o f th e v o te in t h a t d i s t r i c t .
The C o n g ressio n a l ra ce in th e E a ste r n D i s t r i c t found W esley
D1Ewart w in n in g by a l e s s e r m argin t h a t e i t h e r M a n sfield o r E cton .
John Holmes won a m a jo r ity o f the w heat c o u n tie s by g a in in g p l u r a l i t i e s
in fo u r o f s i x .
The l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s supported DfEwart e x c l u s i v e l y ,
how ever, by g iv i n g him a m a jo r ity in se v e n o f e i g h t c o u n t ie s ,
In
a d d it io n , the overw helm ing m a jo r ity o f th o se c o u n tie s w ith a p o p u la tio n
under 5 ,0 0 0 , e ig h t e e n o f tw en ty , p rovid ed su p p o rt f o r D fEw art.
Thus,
D fE w artfS d o m in ation o f th e sm a ll c o u n t ie s , as w e ll as th e l i v e s t o c k
c o u n t ie s , p rob ab ly p rovid ed him w ith the v ic t o r io u s m argin.
T r a d it i o n a l ly , la b o r ( p a r t ic u l a r ly m in e, c r a f t and r a ilr o a d ) ,
and the Farmers Union have fu rn ish ed the s tr e n g th f o r M ontana's
lib e r a ls .^
In t h a t s e n s e , E rick so n was a b le to h o ld the la b o r
and w heat c o n s t it u e n c ie s in l i n e .
I t w i l l be remembered, how ever,
t h a t ev en in th e se c a t e g o r ie s , E r ic k s o n 's v ic t o r y was n o t overwhelm ing
C o n v e r se ly , the t r a d i t i o n a l l y c o n s e r v a tiv e l i v e s t o c k c o u n tie s provided
E cton w ith s o l i d su p p o r t.
I t i s ap p aren t t h a t w h ile n e it h e r the
l i b e r a l nor the c o n s e r v a tiv e s tr o n g h o ld s broke the c o n t in u it y o f
t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e v o t in g a l l e g i a n c e s , the in d ep en d en t v o t e r o v er­
w helm in gly su p p o rted the c o n s e r v a t iv e s .
The i n a b i l i t y o f E rick so n
t o s tim u la t e a broad based f o llo w in g c o n trib u ted to h is l o s s o f the
"swing" v o te which u lt im a t e ly r e s u lt e d in E c to n 's v i c t o r y .
34» J u le s A. K a r lin , " P ro g ressiv e P o l i t i c s in Montana", V o l. I
o f A H is to r y o f M ontana. e d s . , M e r r ill Burlingame and K. Ross Toole ,'
3 VolZ [New York: L ew is H i s t o r ic a l P u b lis h in g Company, I n c . , 1 9 5 7 ) ,
p . 248.
•=84—
Appendix I I
G eneral E le c t io n R eturns
Nov. 5 , 1 946
U n ited S t a t e s S en a to r
Countv
(Democrat)
L e i f E rickson
(R epublican)
Z ales Ecton
( S o c ia l is t )
. FLoyd Jones
Beaverhead
979
1 ,7 3 2
23
B ig Horn
824'
1 ,5 8 9
19
1 ,1 5 2
1,061
13
368
855
9
Carbon
1 ,6 1 4
2,141
48
Carter
444
549
17
Cascade
9 ,0 3 9
7 ,1 2 0
206
Chouteau
1 ,5 2 4
1 ,3 1 8
19
Custer
1 ,4 4 7
2 ,1 6 4
39
D a n iels
582
831
19
Dawson
877
1,573
39
3 ,5 2 7
2 ,o 6 2
78
F a llo n
420
781
19
Fergus
2 ,3 6 7
2 ,7 9 9
38
Flathead
3 ,1 1 6
3 ,8 7 5
113
G a lla tin
1 ,8 3 0
4 ,4 1 6
35
G arfield
397
545
3
1,5 1 6
1,323
14
147
415
2
B lain e
Broadwater
D eer Lodge
G la c ie r
Golden V a lle y
Appendix I I ( c o n t.)
County
Granite
(Democrat)
L e if E rickson
(R epublican)
Zales Ecton
(S o cia l i s t )
Ployd Jones
379
782
11
2 ,0 4 3
1 ,9 5 9
42
J e ffe r s o n
668
795
13
Jud ith B asin
897
868
10
Lake
1 ,5 9 4
2 ,4 6 3
35
Lewis and Clark
3 ,7 5 0
4 ,7 3 0
77
L ib e r ty
397
436
8
L in coln
1 ,3 7 5
1 ,1 5 8
51
Madison
630
1,3 2 5
18
Mc Cone
663
609
25
Meagher
337
650
12
M ineral
339
357
17
M issoula
4 ,3 5 0
5 ,7 9 3
160
M u s se lls h e ll
1,1 5 4
1,126
45
Park
1,583
2 ,6 1 3
86
205
4
H ill
Petroleum
182
.
P h illip s
1 ,0 2 7
1,2 5 4
34
Pondera
1,1 7 4
857
21
352
697
4
1 ,006
1,433
33
344
678
12
Powder R iver
Powell
P r a ir ie
-86 “
Appendix I I ( c e n t .)
Coiinty
(Dem ocrat)
L e i f E rick so n
(R ep ub lican )
Z a les Ecton
(S o c ia lis t)
KLoyi Jones
R a v a lli
1 ,5 5 9
. 2 ,3 1 6
26
R ichland
1 ,264.
1,5 2 3
18
R o o se v e lt
1 ,5 0 4
1 ,6 6 7
29
Rosebud
■ 624
1 ,3 1 7
31
Sanders
1 ,0 0 5
1 ,2 5 7
66
S h erid an
1 ,3 3 0
1 ,0 4 0
28
S i l v e r Bow
1 1 ,4 4 2
7 ,4 4 2
289
S tillw a te r
641
1,256
10
Sw eet Grass
334 .
941
9
Te ton
1 ,1 7 2
1,143
13
Toole
1,4 1 6
1,3 2 5
.1 9
217
383
6
: 1 ,6 6 4
1 ,8 5 9
31
Wheatland
442
732
7
Wibaux
313
471
9
5 ,1 5 5
9 ,2 4 6
127
8 6 ,4 7 6
101,901
2 ,1 8 9
T reasure
V a lle y
Y ello w sto n e
T o ta l*
(PLURALITY 15 ,4 2 5 )
v
,
—8 7 “
Appendix I I ( c e n t .)
R ep resen ta tiv e In Congress
F ir s t D i s t r i c t
County
(Democrat)
Mike M ansfield
(R epublican)
WeRo Rankin
Beaverhead
1,2 6 5
1 ,4 7 0
Broadwater
530
707
D eer Lodge
4 ,0 8 1
1 ,6 4 2
Flathead
4 ,0 3 4
3 ,1 7 8
G a lla tin
2 ,6 3 9
3 ,6 6 7
G ranite
553
618
J e ffe r s o n
806
692
Lake
1 ,9 7 6 -
2 ,1 2 8
Lewis and Clark
4 ,5 2 4
4 ,0 5 3
I ,546
. 1 ,0 4 8
Madison
793
1,1 4 7
M ineral
414
302
M issoula
6 ,4 8 9
3 ,9 9 3
Powell
1 ,4 7 5
1 ,0 2 2
R a v a lli
1 ,7 8 9
2 ,1 3 4
Sanders
1 ,2 8 0
1 ,0 5 5
S ilv e r Bow
13,2 2 4
6 ,1 0 2
T otal*
4 7 ,4 1 8
3 4 ,9 5 8
L in coln
■
(PLURALITY 1 2 ,4 6 0 )
—88—
Appendix I I ( c o n t .)
R ep resen ta tiv e In Congress
Se cond D i s t r i c t
(Democrat)
John J . Holmes
(R epublican)
W esley D eEwart
773
1 ,6 0 5
34
B la in e
1 ,1 6 9
1,020
11
Carbon
1 ,5 7 3
2 ,1 4 5
45
C arter
393
556
5
Cascade
8 ,9 1 4
7 ,3 0 5
165
Chouteau
1 ,5 5 0
1 ,3 2 9
10
C uster
1 ,4 9 5
2,093
27
629
749
12
Dawson
1,006
.1 ,4 5 4
12
F a llo n
466
730
10
Fergus
2,462
2,6 5 6
40
359
561
3
1 ,3 7 9
1 ,385
8
172
392
3
2 ,058
1 ,9 6 7
30
Ju d ith B asin
953
804
10
L ib e r ty •
403
Mc Cone
679
568
21
Meagher
300
676
8
Comity
B ig Horn
D a n ie ls
G a rfield
G la c ie r
Golden V a lley
H ill
( S o c ia l is t )
Edgar Spriggs
3
-8 9 Appendix I I ( c o n t .)
County
(Dem ocrat)
John J . Holmes
(R ep u b lican )
W esley D 'Ewart
(S o c ia lis t)
Edprar S p r it e s
M u s s e lls h e ll
1 ,2 1 3
1 ,0 4 6
34
Park .
1 ,3 0 9
2 ,9 4 5
54
166
211
3
P etroleum
P h illip s
1 ,068
Pondera
1 ,2 1 0
1 ,1 7 1 .
19
802
10
Powder H iver
309
724 .
P r a ir ie
341
665
11
R ich lan d
1,211
1 ,4 8 4
21
E o o s e v e lt
1 ,5 4 2
1,5 7 5
19
606
1 ,3 3 0
17
1 ,366
929
S tillw a te r
657
CO
CV
T—
5
S w eet Grass
298
967
5
T eton
1 ,2 1 4
1 , 07a
7
T oole
1 ,3 5 8
1,315
10
209
385
4
1 ,8 0 6
1 ,6 9 2
31
Wheatland
422
730
4
Wibaux
336
421
2
Rosebud
S h erid an
Treasure
V a lle y
5
.
31
c.
Y ello w sto n e
T o ta l*
5 .1 9 0
4 8 ,5 6 4
9 .1 9 9
5 8 ,3 0 7
( plurality 9 ,7 4 3 )
-2 2
841
.
Appendix I I I
□
S
Zales N. Ecton (Republican)... 101,901
41 counties
Leif Erickson (Democrat)... 86,476
15 counties
Source:
Ellis L. Waldron, ed. , Montana
Politics Since 1864. Missoula:
Montana State University Press,
1958.
Appendix IV
VC
i
Firsrt Distirct
Mike Mansfield (Democrat) 47,418
10 counties
W. R. Rankin (Republican) 34,958
7 counties
Source:
Ellis L. Waldron, ed., Montana
Politics Since 1864. Missoula,
Montana: Montana State University
Press, 1958.
Appendix V
i
IV
I
□
0
Second District
Wesley D 1Ewart (Republican) 58,370
27 counties
John J. Holmes (Democrat) 48, 564
12 counties
Source:
Ellis L. Waldron, ed., Montana
Politics Since 1864. Missoula,
Montana: Montana State University
Press, 1958.
Appendix VI
? C T iI
S > I
'^V .
r-'
I
L~7
r
• meatjallsS
c*ic*oe
C,
J 1I
f
•
J
T
• L —.
M« CONf
I
•iCHUA**#
J
LPir-
I V U O tt N B A S IN
4.
I
*. ^ i J V R - T 5L - - i
Vi1.... I
I r
p*\.
v o u n tie s h a v in g a I
fo r c e o f o v er 40%.
i
..........f
' (
( A z ^
i ..........
.
r
r -"
l
i
I
O O W O t w W tVCW
=^l L -
c o l l a r la b o r
Source: Henry K. Shearer, Director,
.of Business and Economic Research, The
Montana Almanac 1957. Missoula,
Montana: Montana State University
Press, 1957.
I
Appendix VII
U
S
z
r
./iL
)
r -T i
•*<*«0uu»
/
<V
LL
I
-T l
I
i
I
^-Tjf
.
""
!
A
• cre^IJALLSj
e‘,C*0<
* r ' cL1
Ii — —. a
kI
I
I
I
I
L / A
^ y L T -A -I
I
I/
1I
Counties with 70% or more in
cash crops (wheat)
L
j u0i t H BASIN I
I
I• » » .= ..„ .)
__ J -___ (f*
•— i
A
SM COWS
. . . A r - A V- T - r - i — k - - - - - - - - JA
X ,r
A
I
J
- r A
- A
i- '- V
/ ":
•
/!
S
JI
' - - ' -
\
W im M U
‘-l
L- ---------------
i
!■— , A 4 ™ - f
J ^ y ils'u w s
Irr A
(
io u * .
L
r - ^ """" j
------ ^ r r
Source:
--Z
5
,.r- r-S -
... .
I
' — l— I - r J
-
f-\
Il--------- f
----- j .
L i
J. P. Kelly, "Study of the Defeat of
Senator Wheeler".
Unpublished M. A.
Thesis, Montana State University,
1959.
Appendix V III
I
3
Counties with 70% or more
invested in livestock.
Source:
J. P. Kelly, "Study of the Defeat
of Senator Wheeler". Unpublished
M.A. Thesis, Montana State University,
1959.
Appendix IX
I
*
I
Lumber Counties (any county cutting
50,000 board feet per year or more).
Source:
Henry K. Shearer, Director,
Bureau of Business and Economic
Research, The Montana Almanac
1957. Missoula, Montana;
Montana State University Press,
1957.
Appendix X
i
\D
Largest Counties (population of
10.000 or more)
Kvxi Smallest Counties (population of
5.000 or less)
I
I Middle Counties (population of
between 5,000 and 10,000.
Source:
Bureau of Census: United States,
Department of Commerce. United States
Census of Population: 1950, Vol.II,
Characteristics of the Population,
p t . 26, Montana.
Appendix XI
I
VO
CD
I
Counties having a city with a population
of 5,000 or more.
Counties having a city with a population
of 1,500 or less.
Counties having a city with a population
of between 1,500 and 5,000.
Source:
U. S. Department of Commerce.
Bureau of the Census.
United
States Census of Population:
1950, Vol. II, Characteristics of
the Population, pt. 26, Montana.
Appendix XII
V ote C ast In E le c t io n s to the U .S . S e n a t e ,
By Major P o l i t i c a l P a r t i e s , 192 8 -1 9 5 2
Year
Democrat
R ep u b lica n
1928
1 0 5 ,6 5 5
9 1 ,1 8 5
. None ■
1 9 4 ,840
1950
1 0 6 ,2 7 4
6 6 ,7 2 4
5 ,1 6 5
176,161
1954
1 4 2 ,825
5 8 ,5 1 9
2 ,2 8 4
203,626
1956
1 2 1 ,7 6 9
6 0 ,0 5 8
5 9 ,6 5 5
221,462
1940
176,755-
6 5 ,9 4 1
None
240,694
1942
8 5 ,6 7 5
82,461
4 ,5 8 0
170,514
8 6 ,4 7 6
101,901 .
2 ,1 8 9
1 9 0 ,560
8 ,4 5 7
2 2 4 ,278
1 ,8 2 8
2 6 2 ,297
1946
.
1948
119,071
9 6 ,7 7 0
1952
1 5 5 ,1 0 9
1 2 7 ,5 6 0
.
Other
T otal
*See n e x t page f o r v o te c a s t in e l e c t i o n s to the House o f Rep.
S ou rces:
U .S . Departm ent o f Commerce, Bureau o f C en su s, Vote C ast
in P r e s id e n t ia l and C o n g r essio n a l E l e c t i o n s . 1 9 2 8 -1 9 4 4 .
W ashington, D .C .: Government P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 4 6 .
E l l i s L . W aldron, e d . , Montana P o l i t i c s S in c e 1 8 6 4 . M isso u la
Montana: Montana S ta te U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 5 8 .
-1 0 0 Appendix X II ( c o n t e )
Vote C ast In E le c t io n s to th e U .S e House o f R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s ,
By M ajor P o l i t i c a l P a r t i e s , 1 9 28-1952
Year
Democrat
R ep u b lican
1928
7 7 ,6 6 9
1 0 3 ,4 7 8
826
181,973
1930
8 4 ,6 0 4
8 2 ,7 3 6
2 ,8 0 7
170,147
1932
1 1 5 ,2 6 2
8 7 ,2 2 3
6,38.6
208,871
1934
135,733
5 9 ,2 7 0
1 ,7 3 6
1 9 9 ,739
1936
1 3 4 ,006
7 3 ,6 5 8
783
208,474
1938
1 0 4 ,825
103,885
None
2 0 8 ,7 1 0
1940
130,453
106,326
1,1 9 6
237*975
1942
9 3 ,2 4 3
7 3 ,6 5 4
2,611
1 6 9 ,508
1944
118,131
1,573
197,217
1946
9 5 ,9 8 2
9 3 ,2 6 5
841
190,088
1948
1 2 2 ,9 8 7
80,061
501
2 0 3 ,5 4 9
1950
1 0 8 ,2 4 8
9 9 ,9 4 8
2,331
211,527
1952
1 1 0 ,8 8 2
144,296
888
256,066
S ou rces $
7 7 ,5 1 3
Other
.
T otal
U .S . Departm ent o f Commerce, Bureau o f C en su s, Vote Cast
in P r e s id e n t ia l and C o n g ressio n a l E l e c t i o n s . 1 9 2 8 -1 9 4 4 .
W ashington, D .C .: Government P r in tin g O f f i c e , 1 946.
E l l i s L . W aldron, e d . , Montana P o l i t i c s S in c e 1 8 6 4 .
M iss o u la , Montana: Montana S ta te U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1958.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
B e r n s te in , B arton J . P o l i t i c s and P o l i c i e s o f th e Truman
A dm inist r a t l o n . C hicago: Quandrangle Books , 1 9 7 0 .
Flemming, Denna A. O r ig in s o f th e Cold War.
D ouhleday and C o ., I 961.
Garden C it y , New York:
Goldman, E r ic k . The C ru cia l D ecad e. New York:
I n c . , and Random H ouse, I n c . , 1 9 4 8 .
A lfred A. Knoph,
J o in t Committee on P r in t in g . B io g r a p h ic a l D ir e c t o r y o f th e American
C on gress. W ashington, D .C .: U .S . Government P r in t in g
O ffic e , 1950.
K a r lin , J u le s A. " P r o g r e ssiv e P o l i t i c s in Montana". A H is to r y o f
Montana, e d s . , M.G. Burlingam e and K.R. T o o le . New York:
L ew is H i s t o r ic a l P u b lis h in g C o ., I n c . , 1 9 5 7 .
K in , David G eorge. The P lo t A g a in st America.
John E. Kennedy, P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 4 6 .
M iss o u la , Montana:
M alone, Dumas and B a s i l , Rouch. America and World L ea d ersh ip 1 9 4 0 -4 5 .
New York: M eredith P u b lis h in g Company, 1 9 6 5 . V o l. V I.
The N a tio n a l C y clo p a ed ia o f American B iograph y. R e p r in t Copy,
.Ann A rbor, M ichigan: U n iv e r s it y M ic r o film s. New York:
James T. White and Company, 1 9 6 6 , V o l. 4 9 .
P a r k s, Henry B. and C a ro sso , V in cen t P. R ecent America A H isto r y
S in ce 1 9 3 5 . New York: Thomas Y. Cronwell Company, 19 6 3 .
Payne , Thomas. "Montana: P o l i t i c s Under th e Copper Dome". P o l i t i c s
in th e American W est, e d . , Frank H. J o n a s. S a l t Lake C ity ,
Utah: U n iv e r s it y o f Utah P r e s s , 1969.
P ayn e, Thomas. "Montana: P o l i t i c s Under the Copper Dome". The
Montana P a s t An A nth ology, e d s . , M ichael P . Malone and
Richard B. B oed er. M iss o u la , Montana: U n iv e r s it y o f Montana
P ress , 1 9 6 9 .
P o y n te r , N e ls o n , e d . , P o l i t i c s In America 1 9 4 5 -1 9 6 8 . W ashington,
D .C .: C o n g ressio n a l Q u a rter ly S e r v ic e , 1 9 6 9 .
-1 0 1 R u e tte n , Richard T. ’'T o g eth ern ess; A Look a t Montana Jou rn alism " .
The Montana P a s t An A n th ology, e d s . , M ichael P. Malone and
R ichard B. Roeder . M iss o u la , Montana: U n iv e r s it y o f Montana
P r e ss, 1969.
S ch u ech , Erwin K. " C ro ss-R a tio n a l Comparisons U sin g A ggregate D ata;
Some S u b s ta n tiv e and M eth o d o lo g ica l Problem s". Comparing
R a tio n s . e d s . , Richard L. M e r r itt and S te in . Rokkan. Rew
Haven; Y ale U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 966.
S h e a r e r , Henry K. D ir e c t o r , Bureau o f B u sin e ss and Economic R esea rch ,
The Montana Almanac 1 9 5 7 « M iss o u la , Montana: Montana S t a t e
U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1957»
T h e s is , Paul A. and Henshaw, Edmund L . Who's YJho In American
P o l i t i c s . Rew York; R.R. Bowker C o ., 1 967.
T o o le , K. R o ss. Montana An Uncommon Land.
U n iv e r s it y o f Oklahoma P r e s s , 1959»
Rorman, Oklahoma;
W aldron, E l l i s L . , e d . Montana P o l i t i c s S in ce 1 8 6 4 » M isso u la ,
Montana; Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 5 8 .
Who's YJho In th e W est. P u b lis h e r , Kenneth R. A nlem ire.
The Von Hoffman P r e s s , I n c . , 1 9 7 0 -7 1 •
Chicago;
W h eeler, Burton K. Yankee From th e W est, Garden C it y , Rew York:
D oubleday and Company, I n c . , 1 9 6 2 .
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
U .S . C on gress. C o n g r essio n a l R ecord. 79th C o n g ress, 2nd S e s s io n ,
V o l. 9 2 , P a rt 12. VJashington; Government P u b lis h in g O f f i c e ,
1946.
U .S . C ongress. C o n g r essio n a l R ecord.
V o l. 9 2 , P a rt 5» W ashington:
1946.
79th C o n g ress, 2nd S e s s io n ,
Government P u b lis h in g O f f i c e ,
U .S . Departm ent o f Commerce. Bureau o f the C ensus. U nited S t a t e s
Census o f P o p u la tio n : 1 9 5 0 . V o l. I I . C h a r a c te r is t i c s o f
th e P o p u la tio n . P a r t 2 6 , Montana.
U .S . Departm ent o f Commerce. Bureau o f the C ensus. Vote C ast In
P r e s id e n t ia l and C o n g ressio n a l E l e c t i o n s , 1 9 2 8 -1 9 4 4 .
W ashington, D .C .: Government P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 4 6 .
"102—
ARTICLES AMD ESSAYS
B e n d in e r , R o b ert. "Men TIVho Would Be P r e sid e n t" .
V o l. 150» A p ril 2 7 , 1 9 4 0 . p . 5 3 2 .
E con om ist.
The N a tio n .
V o l. 1 8 4 , S e p t. 7 , 1 9 5 7 , P* 766.
E r ic k so n , Olu f . " O la f E rick so n S ca n d in a v ia n F ron tiersm an" . W isco n sin
Magazine o f H is t o r y . 3 P a r ts ; P a r t I , S e p t . , 1947; P a rt I I ,
D e c .; 194 7 ; P a r t I I I , March, 1 9 4 8 .
F o rtu n e.
V o l. 3 5 , March, 1 9 4 7 , p . 6 .
Howard, Joseph K in se y . "The D e c lin e and F a ll o f Burton K. W heeler” .
H arper’ s. M agazine. V o l. 1 9 4 , March, 19 4 7 .
Howard, Joseph K in se y .
May, 1 9 4 5 . '
"Golden R iv er" .
H arper's M agazine.
K ir s c h te n , E r n e s t. " S t a lle d But N ot S top ped" .
Aug. 1 7 , 1 9 4 5 .
N a tio n .
"The Shape o f T h in gs" .
The New R e p u b lic .
The N a tio n .
V o l. 1 9 0 ,
V o l. 1 6 3 ,
V p l. 1 6 3 , J u ly 2 0 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 5 9 .
V o l. 1 1 5 , Nov. 1 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 6 4 7 .
Payne, Thomas. "1956 E le c tio n s in Montana".
Q uarterly. X, No. I , March, 1 9 5 7 .
Western P o l it ic a l
P r i c e , W e stle y . " B a ttle Over th e M isso u r i R iv er" .
V o l. 4 8 , A p r il, 1 9 4 6 .
P r i c e , W e stle y , " B a ttle Over th e M isso u r i R iver" .
P o s t . V o l. 2 1 8 :4 , Jan . 1 9 , 1 9 4 6 .
R e id , Gordon. "How They B ea t W heeler".
J u ly , 1 9 4 6 .
R ea d er's D ig e s t .
S a tu rd a y E vening
The N a tio n .
V o l. 1 1 5 :1 ,
R ob in son , W.S. " E c o lo g ic a l C o r r e la tio n s and the B eh a v io r o f
In d iv id u a ls " American S o c io l o g ic a l R eview . V o l. 15,
J u n e; 1 9 5 0 .
R u e tte n , R ichard T. "Anaconda J ou rn alism : The End o f an Era".
J o u m a lism Q u a r te r ly . W in ter, i 9 6 0 .
™103 —
S c h l i t z , John M. "Montana’s C aptive P r e ss" .
V o l. I , June , 1 9 5 6 .
Time.
" N a tio n a l A f f a ir s " .
Time.
" N a tio n a l A f f a ir s bn R ecord".
Time.
V o l. 4 8 , Nov. 1 8 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 21.
Montana O p in ion .
Vol 3 5 - 2 , A p ril 1 5 , 1 9 4 0 , p . 21.
J u ly 2 9 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 16.
Ui S . News.
"People o f th e Week".
V d l. 2 1 ;2 , Nov. 8 , I 9 4 6 , p . 72.
P.'S. News.
"Key I s s u e s i n 1 946 E le c t io n " .
U .S . News. "The New C ycle In P o l i t i c s :
_ V o l. 2 1 , Nov. 1 5 , 1 9 4 6 , p . 3 .
V o l. 21*. O ct. 2 4 , 1 9 4 6 .
Break In American C o a litio n " .
UNPUBLISHED STUDIES
K e l l y , Joseph P. "Study in th e D e f e a t .o f S en a to r W heeler".
U npublished M asters T h e s is , Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1959«
NEWSPAPERS
* B i l l i n g s G a z ette ( D a i l y ) , 194-6.
* Bozeman C h ro n icle ( D a i l y ) , 1 9 4 6 .
^D a ily In te r-L a k e ( K a l i s p e l l ) , 1 9 4 6 .
*D a ily M is s o u lia n . 1 9 4 6 .
^D a n ie ls County L eader (S cob ey - W eek ly ), 19 4 6 .
s-Q lasgow C ou rier (W eek ly ), 19 4 6 .
* G rea t F a lls Tribune ( D a i l y ) , 1 9 4 6 .
*Havre D a i l y . 1 946.
*H erald News (W olf P o in t - W eekly) , 1 9 4 6 .
Hungry Horse News (Colum bia F a l ls - W eek ly ), 1959«
*
A s t e r is k d e n o te s th o se new spapers su rveyed from J u ly 15
1946 .
Nov. 1 5 ,
-1 0 4 ^Independ en t Record (H elena - D a i l y ) , I 946.
*Lew istow n Democrat Hews ( D a i l y ) , 1 946.
*Meagher County Hews (White S u lp h er S p rin g s - W eekly) „ 1 946.
*M ile s C ity S ta r ( D a i l y ) , 19 4 6 .
Montana Kaimin (M isso u la - D a ily )., 1 946.
^Montana Standard (B u tte - D a i l y ) , 1 946.
Hew York Times ( D a i l y ) , 1 946.
^P e o p le 's V oice (H elen a - W eek ly ), 1 9 4 4 , 1 9 4 6 .
* P h i l l i p s County Hews (M alta - W eek ly ), 1 946.
^P io n e e r P ress (Cut Bank - W eekly) , 1 946.
* R iv er P r e ss (P o r t B enton - W eek ly ), I 94 6 .
'
S t . L o u is P e s t-D is p a tc h ( D a ily ) , 1 946.
^Sanders County In dependent L ed ger (Thompson F a l ls - W eek ly), 19 4 6 .
W ashington S t a r ( D a i l y ) , 1 9 4 6 .
*Weste r n Hews (L ibby - W eek ly ), 1 946.
*W h ite flsh P i l o t (W eek ly ), 1 946. *
*
A s te r is k d e n o te s th o se new spapers su rveyed from J u ly 15 - Nov. 1 5 ,
1946.
MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS
E c to n , Z ales N. P erso n a l P a p ers, Montana S ta te U n iv e r s it y L ib ra r y ,
Bozeman, M ontana, 1 9 4 6 -1 9 5 4 .
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE
D 'E w art, W esley.
L e t t e r , 9 D ecem ber, 1 9 7 0 , to the a u th o r.
-1 0 5 Mans f i e l d , M ike.
W h eeler, Burton K.
L e t t e r , 8 D ecem ber, 1 9 7 0 , to th e a u th o r.
L e t t e r , 21 November, 1 9 7 0 , to th e a u th o r.
ORAL INTERVIEWS
W h eeler, Burton K. P erson al in t e r v ie w w ith M ichael P , M alone,
A s s is t a n t P r o f e s s o r o f H is t o r y , Montana S t a t e U n iv e r s it y ,
Bozeman, M ontana, May 2 5 , 1 9 7 0 .
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
8
7(32
§
CO
III I «1 IIlII111 111
S 5