The Minorities

On Nov. 5, most U. S. voters will vote either the straight Republican or the straight Democratic ticket. But five other parties have Presidential candidates in the field. The piccolos of these minorities were drowned out by the brass bands of the two major political parties.

Their squeaks had an agonized sound, and with reason: they were getting a kicking around from election boards, the courts, the Dies Committee, the American Legion. By one technicality or another, last week 17 States had taken steps to bar candidates of at least one minority party from the ballot.

> Biggest little party was the Socialist Party, the Wailing Wall where genteel liberals could go to decry Republicans and Democrats alike and cast a respectable protest vote against the cacophonies of conscription and capitalism. Their candidate for President: persistent, patient Norman Mattoon Thomas, who, seeing the U. S. drifting into "imperialism abroad and fascism at home," declared: "The only opportunity for escape is a change of the people towards a cooperative commonwealth with machinery harnessed to overcome poverty, and not for the use of militarism." For Vice President: Maynard C. Krueger, University of Chicago economist.

> Most harassed little party was the Communist. In most States a political party must score a certain minimum number of votes to keep its place on the ballot; if it loses its place, must then file nominating papers to get back on. Signatures on Communist nominating petitions were being investigated by the Dies Committee and American Legionnaires, turned over to local prosecutors. Many a signer told investigators he had thought he was approving a new schoolhouse or playground.

Many a signature was found to be an out-&-out forgery. In 21 States the Communist Party was either barred from the ballot or made no effort to get on. Arizona ruled that Communists were not qualified to hold office, on the ground that they could not swear to uphold the Constitution of the U. S.

Candidate for President Earl Russell Browder, convicted of passport fraud and out on bail pending an appeal, was denied the right to leave the State of New York. Attorney General John J. Bennett Jr. expressed his "informal" opinion that Browder, as a felon, had lost the right to vote.

Best Candidate Browder could do was make a radio speech, declare: "I am no spokesman for the Soviet Union. . . .I am the spokesman for a growing body of American workers and farmers, who see friendship and collaboration with the Soviet Union and China as the prerequisite for a sound foreign policy for our country."

Browder's running mate: Negro James William Ford.

>Scorner of Socialists as too nellie-nice, of Communists as too violent, is the Socialist Labor Party. Its candidate for President: John W. Aiken, Massachusetts cabinet-finisher, candidate for one political office or another ever since 1922. For Vice President: Aaron M. Orange, New York City schoolteacher.

> Newly renovated was the Prohibition Party, which met in convention last spring, decided that one way to solve the relief problem was to direct into other channels $5,000,000,000 annually-spent in the U. S. for liquor. Nominated for President was goateed Roger Ward Babson, Wellesley Hills (Mass.) statistician, who forlorn-hopefully declared: "I have nothing to offer the American people except the privilege of sacrificing themselves for the common good. . . ." For Vice President: Edgar Vaughn Moorman, wealthy Illinois feed man.

> Last and least little party: The National Greenback Party, which advocates going off the gold standard and electing John Zahnd, an amateur horticulturist of Indianapolis, as President of the U. S. For Vice President: James E. Yates, apostle in the Phoenix, Ariz. Church of Christ.

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