Posted on 07/03/2006 8:48:47 PM PDT by Nextrush
As the National Education Association meets in Orlando this year, I've been reminded of an old newspaper I picked up a few years ago that describes the NEA convention in 1938.
Here's how it was written up by the Associated Press for the York Gazette and Daily June 30, 1938:
LEGION HEAD NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO NEA CONVENTION
Doherty Sought Permission To Answer Criticsm Of His Organization...............
(By the Associated Press)
New York June 29--A night gathering of the National Education Association came to an abrupt close at Madison Square Garden tonight when its president refused permission to Daniel Doherty, National American Legion commander, to address delegates and guests.
Doherty had sought permission to answer NEA criticism of the legion which arose from an article published in the Columbia University Bulletin stating that the legion controlled or attempted to control the activities of the NEA.
The commander, who said he had obtained the right to make his address from Willard Givens, NEA executive secretary, after being referred to Givens by Miss Caroline S. Woodruff, president, this afternoon, said he would give his speech before the convention tomorrow morning.
Some 15,000 guests and delegates had just heard Mayor LaGuardia, a legionnaire, appeal for a national education program when Miss Woodruff suddenly terminated the meeting.
Said legion was "fascist"
The differences, brought into the open when Teachers College of Columbia released a book-length thesis written by William Gellerman, graduate student and also a legionnaire, continued today between Doherty and Prof. Frank Kingdon, president of the University of Newark, N.J.
Kingdon said the legion should "cooperate more with the NEA and it's up to the people do do something about it" while Doherty replied replied that the educators remarks were "shallow thinking" adding that the legion had always cooperated with the education group.
Gellerman, in his thesis, said the legion was "fascist" and accused it of being manipulated by a small group of special interests.........
Another story that appeared on page 1 of the same newspaper:
ROOSEVELT SIGNS FLOOD CONTROL AND 53 OTHER BILLS......
Prepares Speech For N.E.A. Convention
(By the Associated Press)
Hyde Park, N.Y. June 29--President Roosevelt urged today in signing the $386,500,000 omnibus flood control bill that congress provide as early as possible a better coordinated waterways-soil program......
Roosevelt said he signed the bill "with some reluctance" because "it is not a step in the right direction in the set-up provided for general government planning."
The flood control measure was on of 54 bills signed by President Roosevelt during a busy day.....
Roosevelt called a stenographer to take a speech he will deliver tomorrow before the National Education Association's convention. That address at the 1939 World's Fair education building at 2 p.m (E.S.T.) will follow a brief speech at 1 p.m. (E.S.T.) dedicating the fair's Federal building.....
The education address, it was understood, will link education and peace. Mrs. Roosevelt will present her husband to the teachers........
The NEA stopped its meeting to prevent the American Legion from defending itself against the "fascist" allegation.
The convention was to hear from FDR the next day and maybe the cutoff was a way of keeping Doherty off the platform until then. They apparently were going to move to the World's Fair site for FDR's speech the next day and could offer the excuse the President was a more important speaker than Doherty. Maybe Doherty would be allowed to speak before an empty or semi-empty hall instead of the large evening crowd.
Some background though is in order on FDR and 1938 politics here. Roosevelt was blocked in his New Deal initiatives by conservative Democrats and he devoted major energy to taking them out in 1938 Congressional elections. He actively campaigned to replace them with New Dealers (imagine a Republican president taking out liberals in the GOP primaries).
Groups like the National Education Association and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) were all involved in supporting the Roosevelt agenda of liberalizing the Democrat party in 1938 primary elections.
FDR the only President that ruled for life.
He ignored the two term tradition and ruled until his death.
"Groups like the National Education Association and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) were all involved in supporting the Roosevelt agenda of liberalizing the Democrat party in 1938 primary elections."
Have you read "Hollywood Party?" Lots of good stuff in there about commies in the unions.
He ignored the two term tradition and ruled until his death.
Actually, I think the present two term situation came about after his death to keep anyone else from "rul[ing] for life."
Excellent to bring up this historical tidbit. We conservatives need to know more of our history, and the liberals'. Items like this are further evidence that, contrary to neoconservative and neoliberal perceptions, the Democratic party and liberalism didn't suddenly turn sour in 1968-72 with the hippies and black power lunatics and (Gene) McCarthy followers and McGovernites. There have been many, many world-class jerks, to say the least, in the upper reaches of the Rat party ever since the New Deal era.
Congrats to this poster. Let's see more!
"Actually, I think the present two term situation came about after his death to keep anyone else from "rul[ing] for life."
Before him it was tradition (remember Washington established it), because FDR showed what a president could do without the force of law, we had to write a formal law to prevent anyone else, especially a younger, healthier man from ever again so firmly grasping the reins of power.
"Actually, I think the present two term situation came about after his death to keep anyone else from "rul[ing] for life."
We now have a legal two-term limit, but before that we had a two-term *tradition* started by George Washington.
Everyone deferred to Washington until Comrade Franklin Franklinovich Rooseveltsky got into the White House. Commie swine.
Thanks.
With groups like the Friekorps kicking commie ass in Germany the NEA had a well grounded fear of politically active ex-military.
I'm too lazy to do one of those 10 page diatribes, but in a time when Fascism and other forms of strong man rule were sweeping the world (not just Germany and Italy)And strong rule was the norm, even the US was affected.
FDR wasn't the great evil dictator, but he was the closest our country has ever come to having one, someday in the distant future the subject will start showing up in the history books.
It became law after FDR's death but up til then it had been a tradition established by Washington and carried on by all the other Presidents.
Bill and Hillary I think hope to follow the examples of FDR
and Eleanor.
Read up on Lincoln.
"Read up on Lincoln"
I know, but everything that Linclon did, we can believe was temporary and he would have left office in 68.
FDR did many of those things during the war and that doesn't interest me much, what I was saying is that FDR really was consolidating power under himself to advance his vision, extend his power etc.
It's not the constitutional excesses they did, related to short term goals that bothers me. I think FDR was ruling America,not simply presiding over it during a period of turmoil.
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