Jeepers Creepers

February 12, 1950 — U.S. Editorial


The Mossadegh Project | July 27, 2020                    


An editorial on the upcoming Congressional elections on November 7, 1950, which turned out badly for Democrats.

United States media archive




Voters This Year Will Choose Between Liberty and Socialism

THE Republican party seems finally to have come to its senses and decided that the real issue before the country is Liberty vs. Socialism. This newspaper has repeatedly warned against the dangers of creeping Socialism and urged that all non-Socialists, regardless of party, swing into action against the trend before it engulfs our personal liberties, saps our stamina and destroys our character.

The Republican members of the House and Senate adopted a statement of principles and objectives in which the Republican National Committee concurred. The statement was important, as distinguished from the usual political palaver, because it dealt with basic questions which concern every citizen in this country. Vice President Barkley [Alben W. Barkley] replied that the Republicans were injecting the issue of Socialism “to try and frighten the American people.” We think it could more accurately be said that the Republicans have raised the issue to try and enlighten the American people.

Norman Thomas, the perennial Socialist candidate for President, once observed that the American public would never vote for Socialism as such, but that Socialism was inevitable because their representatives in Congress would continue to vote for individual measures which, in the long run, would add up to Socialism. That is an exceedingly shrewd observation, as the record will attest. The march toward the socialistic state can be halted only if the peril of Socialism is fully understood. The Republican party’s position is in refreshing contrast to its pusillanimous platitudes of 1948. It insures that the issues of 1950 will be hotly debated throughout the country.

This is the decisive year in which you will determine by your votes for United States Representative and Senator which system you prefer. Liberty or Socialism? That’s the issue!


Newspapers that published this editorial included:

The Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) — February 12, 1950 (untitled)
The Long Beach Press Telegram (Altoona, Pennsylvania) — February 19, 1950 (untitled)
The Wilmington News-Journal (Wilmington, Ohio) — March 6, 1950 (title: Voters This Year Will Choose Between Liberty and Socialism)

All three newspapers also ran the following untitled editorial on the same dates. The Shamokin News-Dispatch (Shamokin, Pennsylvania) quoted the first line on March 16, 1950, crediting The Detroit Free Press.



THE President should tell his saber-rattling friend, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson, that such remarks as “We can lick hell out of Russia on an hour’s notice” are both pointless and untrue.

Mr. Truman has spoken many times of his efforts to bring about world peace. He is unquestionably sincere. But the cause of peace is not being furthered by his pugnacious defense secretary who goes about daring Russia to knock the chip off Uncle Sam’s shoulder. We suggest to Mr. Johnson that he stop his blustering and get on with his own job, in which he has made a commendable start.



Search MohammadMossadegh.com



Related links:

Socialist Gloating Will Neither Prevent Nor Cure A Depression (Oct. 14, 1953)

Emotions Ride Election Tide | Wilmington Morning Star, Nov. 7, 1952

Taxpayer Does Not Get Money’s Worth? (1953 letter on Socialism)



MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”

Facebook  Twitter  YouTube  Tumblr   Instagram