|
Continuity News W. J. Sidis Mimeographed
newsletter, 3 pages, found in Helena Sidis's files in
1977. |
No. 14 June, 1939
Issued by the Successors of
Shays
(Boston Branch)
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A journal of current events presented on the basis of the
theory of social continuity.
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THE PAST IS THE KEY TO THE PRESENT
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Temporary mailing address, 905 Central Sq. Bldg., Cambridge, Mass., c/o Parker
Greene.
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Subscription, $1 per year, 50¢ for 6 months. Issued monthly. For discussion groups, subscription is 25¢ a year for each copy above one, there being required one fully-paid year's subscription.
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We attempt to explain rather than to advocate.
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News contributions and constructive criticism welcomed.
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Continuity News is the property of an organisation, the Successors of Shays, which determines its policy. No individual owns this paper or has authority to decide its policy on any question. All reports to the contrary are outright lies.
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RADICALS AND CONSERVATIVES
Continuity News has frequently issued some rather upside-down definitions of common political terms under the title of "New Deal Definitions"―all definitions, however, being strictly in accord with actual use by some definite body or leaders of the curious group of economic screwballs called New Dealers who have recently gained some political power.
Backwards definitions of "liberal," "radical," and "conservative" were not lacking in our lists. This is owing to the fact that the great bulk of the New Dealers have insisted, in defiance of the regular dictionary meaning of these words, in calling their own side liberal or even radical, and in calling all opponents indiscriminately conservative. As for the latter term, it should be obvious that a conservative means one who wishes to conserve, that is, to stand pat, keep things as they are, and that therefore nobody can be a conservative who is opposed to the New Deal.
In view of the above situation, it might be of interest to note that the New Dealers' Big Cheese, the great Franco of Pennsylvania Avenue, has definitely departed from the New Deal custom in the use of these words, and gone back to meanings better recognisable to users of the Webster publications. In a speech he made on [Monday,] May 22 to the National Retail Forum, and nationally broadcast, he emphatically labelled his own followers "conservative" and his opponents "radical." We have not noticed, however, that his followers have paid any attention to that strong admonition from their Fuehrer.
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In a recent motion picture "Let freedom Ring," it is remarked that Wall Street, being just a street, is not big enough to run America. We second that motion, and wish to amend it by adding that neither is Pennsylvania Avenue.
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An item was sent in to us last year (and not used) that, in the Lincoln memorial in Washington, Lincoln is seated between two Fascist emblems. Mayor Hague has done better; he has seated Lincoln between four such emblems.
It may interest our readers to know that the reason there are no "hot dogs" sold in England is the volume of governmental regulation which has to be overcome. About ten years ago, some Americans in England organised a company entitled "Hot Dog Ltd." and, by the time they were through cutting government red tape, they found that the only version of the product that would comply with the rules was a paper-wrapped frankfurt sandwich to be offered to customers out of stock. And, as this, of course, would hardly give an idea what "hot dog" tasted like, they gave up, and there still are no "hot dogs" in the British Isles. If New Deal regulations multiply sufficiently, will the White House occupants wake up one morning to find their favorite sandwiches suddenly vanished into thin air?
And, while it is true that England's king and queen have sampled "hot dogs" on their visit in this country, and liked them to all appearances, that will probably be insufficient to make their government let up on the efforts to regulate industries out of existence.
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And, speaking of "hot dogs," in Germany it is prohibited to label anything a frankfurter that does not actually come from Frankfurt.
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IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE, BUT―
If it did, by what signs would it be recognised?
In other words: There is no solid basis of continuity or tradition on which a dictatorship could be built in America; but how could we tell one if we saw it here in front of us?
It would have to be based on a single-party organisation under the full control of one man. Threats and coercion would be used freely to enforce enrolment in that party.
It would exalt the power of the one man above all else in the government, and demand the removal and suppression of everything that might interfere with him having his way. Such institutions as state government, congress, and supreme courts, could not be tolerated except in so far as they had been reduced to subservience.
It would be likely to start, as most modern dictatorships have, by promising the masses improvements in their condition through organisations controlled by the dictator; it might even (as Mussolini has done) go to the extent of preventing anyone from working who does not belong to the official labor organisation.
It would exalt public works infinitely above any such minor issue as their actual benefit to the individual, and glory in regimenting its people for the building of gigantic public works.
It would harass both labor and industry with infinitely multiplied rules and regulations that would enslave both to the government, regardless of how much ruin might be caused thereby.
Of course, such a thing can't happen here. Nothing of that exact nature has ever been set up in America. But, should anything remotely resembling it be attempted in this country―watch out, everybody!
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"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."―Dorothy Thompson.
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To those who are interested in the Liberty War Objectors' Association (the proposed organisation was described in last month's Continuity News), we now have pledge blanks available, and will be glad to send them out on request.
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A columnist lately used the expression "The king and queen of
democracy." What would Tom Jefferson and Sam Adams say to that?
Reports are filtering in as to the nature of certain new dictatorships. General
Franco is reported to be planting a number of housing units all over Spain
modelled on the general lines of the New Deal monstrosity at Greenbelt,
So there we have a specimen of the horrors of dictatorship―more Green belts! The New Deal is more than ever the ideal of dictators now.
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"That government is best which governs least."―Thomas Jefferson.
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THE OLD COLONY
The latest of America's railroads to give up is the Old Colony railroad, supplying transportation to the thickly-populated southeast stations of Massachusetts. Service has not yet actually stopped on its lines, but it is but a short time till it does, and nearly two million people will be left without adequate transportation facilities.
The railroad industry, being the first to fall under the deadly hand of political regulation, has been the first to suffer in this way. It is to a great extent political "beat-seat driving"―regulations making it impossible to make a move without the permission of a number of politicians―that has driven railroads out of business in recent years to an alarming extent. The same thing is already happening on a large scale in other industries that the new brand of politicians insist on regulating―maybe "muscling in" would be a more appropriate expression.
With the Old Colony Railroad, serving an intensely industrial district, its termination would not only lose jobs for its own railroad workers, but also for many thousands working in industrial centers dependent on the Old Colony lines for transportation.
What price government regulation?
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"He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance."―Declaration of Independence.
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The President, in a recent speech, has ridiculed the conception that a government must be weak to be a democracy. It is nothing less than the Declaration of Independence that he has been knocking.
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John Llewellyn Lewis, self-styled "dictator" of the CIO, refuses to negotiate with his rivals in the AFL, accusing them of a "rule or ruin" policy. May be true, but it still is a swell case of pot calling kettle black.
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Word has reached Boston that New York state censorship has banned the movie "Yes, My Darling Daughter." Censorship is, of course, very much against the American spirit; but this same American spirit also calls for the type of federal system according to which the issue of "week-end-dates" (the chief topic of the film) is moral in Massachusetts, and immoral in New York. However, New Yorkers should not go to neighboring states to see the film; it is hardly worth it.
Another film we may mention is "Juarez." Its subject is the liberation of Mexico in the 'sixties from Maximilian by Benito Juarez, who is the great hero of Mexican history. The picture is very interesting and gives some excellent pointers as to the nature of democracy, especially as to the difference between democracy and dictatorial reform. To those who see the picture, it may be interesting to note that, historically, Porfirio Diaz later became a dictator in Mexico, after the death of Juarez, and remained so for nearly forty years; he was the emissary in the film who got democratic reform mixed up.
