Bill Smith Letters

A letter with the Bill Smith next sentence the American citizens group Hattiesburg, Mississippi April 8, 1946 letter number 15 help! Help keep America American offices in every home in every city town, village, hamlet and farm. To the right is our motto. Put first things first. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.<br />
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To fellow members of the Bill Smith family:<br />
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Every freedom-loving American should be keenly interested in helping to reestablish and preserve the American way of life as bequeathed to us by our founding fathers and as set forth in the declaration of independence and our constitution with its bill of rights.<br />
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Our Armed Forces fought and gave their lives for the preservation of individual freedom - - the one thing which will keep America American. Individual freedom is gradually slipping away from us. We must not lose it in some form or of national socialism. If we can continue much longer to allow a bureaucratic government to destroy economic freedom, regiment our daily lives and be masters instead of servant of the people, those “certain alienable rights“ which are ours by creation will be lost. If there be any doubt in anyone’s mind as to the dangers now threatening our Republican form of government, that doubt should be removed by reading a statement made by representative Hatton W. SUMNERS, Texas Democrat, who recently announced that he would not be a candidate for election to his 18th consecutive term in the house of representatives.<br />
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Representative SUMNERS, in part, said: “by ignoring principles and the lessons of history, and excepting the theories of men and political expedience for our guidance, we have made , VASSALS of our states and dependents of our people. By concentration of governmental power and drafts upon the federal treasury, we now have a financially “busted“, great piled up mess of governmental confusion beyond human comprehension, impossible of democratic control, extravagant, wasteful, inefficient and by its nature the instrumentality of favoritism, tyranny, oppression and corruption, and the destroyer of the self – reliance and self-respect and governmental capacity of the people, qualities without which no people can remain free.“<br />
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Other great Americans by the by the score have warned us against dictatorship, conceived more than a decade ago, when certain government leaders, aided by the communists and socialists, started the regimental march by stealthily tiptoeing towards the abandonment of government of the people, by the people and for the people.<br />
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American communist or strong in steering positions in some labor organizations, farm organizations, governmental bureaus, educational organizations, colleges, schools, youth organizations, cooperatives, and many other organizations and groups like the American Labor Party and the C.I.O. In fact, there are more than 400 different communist organizations and other organizations with communist entrenched leader hip that are working as pressure groups and helping to enact much of the deficit spending, government controlled and bureau-creating programs as recommended by President Truman in his message to Congress on September 6, 1945. Many of the prominent leaders of the federal counsel of the churches of Christ in America, speaking as representatives of federal counsel which has a membership in excess of 25 million protestant church members in 150,000 local congregations in all parts of our country, are denouncing the private free enterprise system and advocate in an economic system similar to that advocated by Victor G. Reuther, a brother of Walter Reuther - newly elected president of the C.I.O. – United Automobile Workers. Mr. REUTHER recently said: “..... A new American progressive party must propose a pattern of social ownership that will serve to break the controls of monopoly capitalism. And the forms of social ownership it does propose to institute must, in the fashion of the cooperatives and the T.V.A., be absolutely democratic in character.“<br />
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Mr. Louis Budenzs, for years an official of the communist party, and editor of its mouthpiece, “The Daily Worker“, and who embraced religion when he gave up communism has stated that the Communist Party in the United States is a direct arm of the Soviet government. Mr. Budenzs should know. Communism which assumes responsibility for the individual, is a <br />
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Bill Smith Letter No. 15, "Help! Help Keep America American"

In October 1943, L.E. Faulkner, the vice-president of Mississippi Central Railroad, started writing the Bill Smith Letters. With the motto "Put first things first. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," the letters were written with the intention of representing the feelings of the average American. His letters promoted capitalism, the fight against communism, and citizens' rights. Faulkner was vigilant in his mission of identifying communist activity in the states, whether it was relating to local education or statewide civil rights efforts.

Faulkner published 18 letters penned by the fictional Bill Smith. These letters were distributed to businesses around the United States for circulation among the white, male employees. After two years of production, over 250,000 Bill Smith Letters had been circulated across the country.

The Bill Smiths<br />
The Average Citizens Groiup<br />
Hattiesburg, MIssissippi<br />
November 15, 1946 <br />
Letter No. 18<br />
Loyal Americans must stand up and be counted<br />
To fellow members of the Bill Smith Family: <br />
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The above outlined quotation contains the word spoken by Jay. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, at the annual convention of the American Legion on September 30, 1946.<br />
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After highly praising the American legion for its great force for good and the fact that it is living testimony to the Spirit of America Mr. Hoover stated today there is a greater need than ever before for the American Legion and it stabilizing force your help is needed now more than during the war years if the battle for a safe and secure America is to be one.<br />
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Mr. Hoover was referring to communism as our nations number one growing Minnis. He stated that communism has penetrated some of our churches schools colleges and fraternal orders not with the approval of the rank and file but in spite of them.<br />
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Mr. Hoover stated that the communist and their so-called progressive and liberal allies have maneuver themselves into positions were a few communist control the destiny of hundreds who are either willing to be led or have been duped into obeying the dictates of others. Continuing, Mr. Hoover said in some unions the rank-and-file find themselves between a communist pincher‘s manipulated by a few leaders who have hoodwinked and browbeaten them into a state of submission communist labor leaders have sparred for time in there labor deliberations to refer matters of policy to communist party headquarters for clearance. In closing his address director Hoover urged all freedom loving Americans to be steadfast for America work and live for America and to eternally be on guard to defend our Constitution and our way of life.<br />
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No one can deny that the fact that Mr. J Edgar Hoover is one of those who understands communist and their motives and program. His play for all freedom loving Americans to stand up and be counted among those who will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to keep America American should receive the prayer full intelligent and courageous response of all the oil Americans.<br />
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Much of the present day attack upon the profit motive the individual competitive enterprise system and the American way of life under constitutional government is by people who are advocating a Marxian philosophy in the name of Christianity. Many prominent church leaders some of whom presume to speak for 27 million protestant church members are against the capitalistic system and for economic system that is socialistic and collectivistic. There is a little difference between communism and collectivism. Planned and managed economy is a road to the left towards national Socialism and collectivism.<br />
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On October 16, 1946 church leaders of the protestant Catholic and Jewish faith issued a statement spoken of as a declaration on economic justice. These church leaders are in favor of an organized and democratic partnership for the general welfare rather than a competitive struggle for individual and group advantage. These church leaders state that organize cooperation of the functional economic groups among themselves and with the government must be substituted for the rule of the competition. One of the<br />
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Loyal Americans Must Stand Up and Be Counted, Bill Smith Letter 18, November 15, 1946

Typed document in black ink on onion skin paper. the memo reads. <br />
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Hattiesburg, Mississippi<br />
May 15, 1944<br />
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Mr. EHLERS 19 copies<br />
Mr. ringgold 22 copies<br />
Mr. Fields six copies<br />
Mr. Burns 55 copies<br />
mr. Morris 28 copies<br />
Mr. Green 73 copies<br />
Mr. Fox 4 copies<br />
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I am sending you under separate cover several copies of Bill Smith’s letters number four.<br />
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Will you please place a copy of this pamphlet in the hands of the white employees in your respective departments.<br />
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Mr. Green will please furnish copies to the engineers and firemen.<br />
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Stamped in red ink reads copy signed L. E. Faulkner

Memo to a company receiving copies of a Bill Smith Letter about distributing the letters to only white employees, May 15, 1944

Invoice on Mississippi Central railroad company letterhead. Form 64 5 AM four Dash 43 catching Natchez Mississippi central railroad company Natchez route Hattiesburg Mississippi April 20, 1940 for our W Fox purchasing agent order number 51574 requisition number RWF Ladimir printing company Hattiesburg Mississippi please ship the following to Mississippi central railroad company RW Fox, purchasing agent Hattiesburg Mississippi<br />
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Mail invoices in triplicate and original bill of lading or express receipt direct to purchase agent quoting above order number address all communications concerning this order to the purchasing agent.<br />
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Mark on your bill and each package the order number and number of person to whom shipped right is reserve to cancel this order if not shipped promptly no charge for package or drayage will be allowed express charges will not be paid by this company unless shipment is ordered by express all timbers and lumber brought subject to our inspection either at point of delivery to this line or at destination as may be arranged rejected material is subject to immediate disposition of shipper at regular freight rates if disposition is not properly furnished no further care will be given such material<br />
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Quantity 20,000 description Bill Smith letters in titled Bill Smith and free enterprise to be printed in folder form 17“ x 11“ and folder two 8 1/2“ x 11“ letter number four for records<br />
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Kylie acknowledge receipt and advise when shipment will be made yours truly copy signed r W Fox purchasing agent

Invoice for printing 20,000 copies of Bill Smith Letter 4 on Mississippi Central letterhead, April 20, 1944