Show i I The John Birch Society Editors Editor's note This is the second and final article written by Charlotte Antrei dealing with the John Birch Society in Sanpete County The controversy concerning the John Birch Society is not so much a controversy concerning ideals and goals as it is a controversy controversy controversy con con- concerning method Few people seem to object to the organizations organization's purpose in infighting infighting infighting fighting Communism Many appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear to object to the manner in which it achieves its ends One such objector Mr Clair Erickson of Ephraim said I have two or three reactions gen gen- One it amazes me how people are taken In by the protestations protestations protestations pro pro- of Americanism desire desire desire de de- sire to preserve our principles and our heritage when their methods too often are the very opposite of the democratic principles principles principles prin prin- of free society Im I'm not talking necessarily about the lo local local local lo- lo cal people but I mean the overall overall overall over over- all methods of the society are not square with the democratic principles as they have evolved from our colonial time up to the present period Secondly I think a lot of sincere sincere sincere sin sin- cere conservative people are kind of duped by this and dont don't see the contradiction between the objectives and the methods used It is interesting to note that the sincere conservative people people peo peo- pie Mr Erickson considers duped by the John Birch Society Society Society So So- think of possibly some peaple people pea peo pIe in our area as dupes of the Communists One member of the John Birch Society Mrs Harriet Lunceford of Manti was asked if she felt that there was a great deal of Communist activity in Manti She replied No but I think some innocent people may be playing into Communist hands Even Lenin stated that the Communist Communist Communist Com Com- scheme to rule the world should be largely carried out by innocent people Members feel that the publicity publicity publicity city they receive from national publications is of a nature that wrongly slanders their tion Mrs Lunceford had this to say concerning statements made about the John Birch Society Some people are calling it immoral They're calling the John Birch members Communists Communists Communists and other names names I hope these people will avail themselves themselves themselves them them- selves of the opportunity to become become be be- become come more accurately inform inform- ed When Garn Lewis coordinator for most of Utah was in Manti Mantion on April 13 he said It is an actual fact that the Jo John Birch Society is not a popular organization organization organ organ- 2 because of the smears that have been put out against it He also said that any individual individual individual dual who is intellectually honest must judge the John Birch Society Society Society So So- on its purposes its principles principles principles prin prin- its objectives and the work that they do and not judge it itt on emotion and misinformation tion and accepting misinformation tion as gospel law without checking checking checking check check- ing into it When asked to comment on Mr Erickson's statement opposing opposing opposing ing the society given above he replied He has charged the John Birch Society with using wrong or bad methods In order to be objective about this and judge it I would have to know exactly what those methods would be The charge has been continually made that our methods methods methods meth meth- are bad but I 1 have yet to have anybody explain to me what those methods are that the John Birch Society is doing that would be un Ameri can or bad methods The opponent to the society stated upon hearing Mr Lewis' Lewis rebuttal of his first remarks that the method he objected to in the society was the use of libel if not out and out libel then implications that certain individuals individuals indi indi- individuals are connected with the Communist Party or engaged In other sinister activities It is interesting to note that a member of the Society does not regard the term tenn democracy in inthe inthe inthe the same light that many other citizens of the United States see it According to Mr Lewis Under Under Under Un der a pure democracy the will of the majority whether by deliberation deliberation de de- deliberation de- de liberation or by passion and Impulse impulse impulse im Im- im- im pulse regulates the way that government is run Instead of a democracy the John Birch Society favors government government government gov gov- in the form of a constitutional constitutional constitutional con republic which Is what it believes the authors of the Constitution designed for us We feel that a constitutional republic has given man his greatest greatest greatest great great- est form of government In the I J history of the world says the area coordinator Chapter Leader Jane Braithwaite Braithwaite Braithwaite Braith- Braith waite defines a constitutional republic republic republic re re- re- re public this way A constitutional constitution constitution- al republic involves majority rule but it provides protection for the minority which a democracy democracy democracy demo demo- cracy does not |