It gives us great pleasure to extend to our French-language brother publication, Vers Demain, heartiest congratulations on the occasion of its twentieth birthday and at the same time to pay respectful homage to the founders of this paper.
There can be no doubt in the mind of anyone who has read consistently this paper, The Union of Electors, that the principles and doctrines of Social Credit have never been so clearly ennunciated nor so vigorously expressed as they have been in the articles signed by Mr. Louis Even and Mrs. Gilberte Côté-Mercier.
And this with good reason, for Mr. Even and Mrs. Côté-Mercier are the founders, not only of Vers Demain, but of the movement which bears the title, L'Union des Électeurs, (The Union of Electors). They began their Social Credit activities some time before the appearance of Vers Demain, but the movement as such only began its tremendous march towards the peaks it has attained today with the publication of the first issue of Vers Demain, November 1, 1939. Since then Vers Demain (which translated literally into English means, "Towards Tomorrow") has continued its march towards that tomorrow which all Crediters known will bring to light a new civilization, free from scarcity and insecurity.
The great work which Mr. Even and Mrs. Côté-Mercier have accomplished could never have been wrought except through the pages of Vers Demain. It can be said without any fear of exaggeration that Vers Demain is the Union of Electors, the soul of the greatest Social Credit movement in the world. For it is through its pages that all the men and women who work for the realization of Social Credit are bound together into a tightly-knit, well-governed organization, enlightened and trained to political action. Since its foundation twenty years ago more than 400,000 families have received Vers Demain for a period of two years or more, twice a month.
Several years ago, with Vers Demain well established, Mr. Even and Mrs. Mercier turned to the task of founding an English-language Social Credit paper which would make it possible for the movement of the Union of Electors to work effectively among Canadians of the English language. The result was this paper, first entitled, Social Credit, and now bearing the name of the movement: The Union of Electors. While this journal is still in its infancy and walking with steps that are still somewhat uncertain, it cannot help but succeed since its hand is being held by its older and sturdier brother, Vers Demain. Where Vers Demain has walked, there also will walk the Union of Electors. What Vers Demain has accomplished in bringing the light of Social Credit to tens of thousands of French-speaking Canadians, so too will the Union of Electors accomplish with regard to English-speaking Canadians.
So with deep affection we tender out heartiest congratulations to Mr. Even and to Mrs. Côté-Mércier and through them to all the hard workers of the movement. These two have given themselves unstintingly to the work of helping their fellow men. They have reaped no material reward. But history will record their deeds and the hearts and tongues of men and women in generations to come will give them the full measure of praise.
Earl MASSECAR