On May 21-22-23, the Social Crediters of the Union of Electors held their first grand congress of the year 1960. This gathering of Crediters from all parts of eastern Canada at Granby, Quebec, was highlighted by the tribute paid to the founder and director-general of the association of the Union of Electors, Mr. Louis Even. In effect, this congress fêted a quarter of a century of work by Mr. Even in the propagation of the principles of Social Credit and the educating of men and women all across Canada in Social Credit activity.
It was in the Fall of 1934 that Louis Even became acquainted with Social Credit through a 92-page-booklet entitled, "From Debt to Prosperity". This booklet had been written by J. Crate Larkin, an American.
At that time, Mr. Even was giving a course on economic questions to the Gardenvale Study Club at Ste. Anne de Bellevue, just outside of Montreal. He was also engaged in translating into French, under the title of "Le Moniteur", the English publication, The Instructor, published by Mr. J. J. Harpell who was at that time proprietor of the Garden City Press printing establishment.
Like a great many other people, the Gardenvale Study Club members had been seeking a solution to the economic crisis which at that time had already been racking the country for some five years. Louis Even had studied the economic theories of Gesell, McGeer and many others. He found them wanting. Then through the work of Mr. Larkin he met the great truths set forth by Major Douglas. There was never any hesitation on the part of Mr. Even. In his own words, this was "truth without any shadow". He accepted.
From that time on there existed for Mr. Even, in whom there dwelt the great soul of an apostle, only one purpose, one work in life: the propagation throughout the entire world of the great principles and truths set forth by Major Douglas, the realization of a Social Credit civilization.
Now, of course, Douglas wrote all his works in English. Louis Even, although French-Canadian, knew thoroughly the English language. He was recognized widely as an outstanding translator. He was quite capable of understanding perfectly the very distinguished prose of Major Douglas.
Like Douglas, Louis Even is also a genius. Social Credit is more than a series of monetary propositions. It is a vast, all-embracing truth. Major Douglas. remarked that a truth is not invented; it is discovered. But, like all truths which must pass through the mind of a genius, the great truth of Social Credit was given to the world by the inspired mind of Major Douglas. It is of the nature of genius to give form and utterance to great truths.
Social Credit, as, seen by Douglas and presented by him to the world, contains the totality of the philosophy, of the metaphysics necessary to realize in a practical fashion the ideal, the perfect, natural civilization. Furthermore, Douglas was able to apply the metaphysics of Social Credit to the particular needs of our time by laying down the principles and techniques for the realization of Social Credit with a precision remarkable in a man who, like Douglas, had had no direct contact with, or experience of, a vast movement of men marching towards one common goal.
Heaven must certainly have endowed him with a particular grace in order to be able to illuminate the way for man towards this incomparable civilization. A holy bishop, who is yet living, once remarked to us that there must be a special angel in charge of Social Credit. We believe it. And we believe that this angel of Social Credit must certainly have inspired and guided Douglas as only an angel knows how for a man who so avidly searches for the truth and so ardently loves his fellow-men.
Louis Even never personally met Major Douglas. But most assuredly no one in the Dominion of Canada has assimilated so completely and made so perfectly a part of himself the thought and ideas of the master. He has comprehended fully the genius of Douglas and, himself a genius, has given the thought of Douglas new form and new life without in the slightest degree having harmed, taken away from or changed the great truths set forth by the author and the originator.
On July 20, 1948, in a personal letter to Louis Even, Major Douglas wrote:
"There is no need that anyone should have to tell you that you are a leader in the only real phalanx against Satan and his policies, against Communism and its advance guards, Socialism and the international cartel."
Douglas recognized Louis Even as a leader. This testimony on the part of the great man was the source of deep pleasure to all of us connected with the movement. Douglas always knew what he was saying.
Louis Even set on foot a great movement of the people. But it is not simply a vast mass of humanity which Louis Even directs. It is individuals, human beings, educated, inspired, strengthened for action. Louis Even has formed men, as it were, "forged" men who can think and act. The personality of each one is developed, accentuated by contact with the teaching of Louis Even to a degree where bit by bit there is being formed in families from one end of the nation to the other, a corps of elite men and women which will surely form a barrier to certain political errors abroad in the world today; an elite which will set on foot and command a trend which the heedless and irresponsible of all classes will follow one day whether they like it or not. They are the advance guard of that new civilization for which the genius of Major Douglas has laid the foundation.
When Douglas wrote to Louis Even saying, "You are a leader", it was 1948. In the same letter he wrote, "You are only at the beginning of your career". Major Douglas would have no reason to regret his words were he able to see today all the men who, through the work and the guidance of Louis Even, have become, themselves, true leaders, each in his own milieu. And each of these leaders in turn has become a man who has formed other men capable of "leading". For is not the "leader, the true leader, he who, like Louis Even, is capable of forming other men to lead, to profess the same philosophy and to bear in their hearts the same great love for their fellow-men?
Louis Even is a man of great faith. He was born a Catholic, the thirteenth of a family of sixteen children. Five girls and two boys of this family entered religious orders.
His father and mother were Bretons of Brittany. They had characters of tempered steel. They were poor and hardworking and they had faith which was as durable and steadfast as granite. Their son, Louis, inherited their faith and their force of character. Social Crediters and his adversaries alike know his tenacity, for it is this great quality of his which has made possible the building of a great movement about Vers Demain.
Louis Even has pursued his ideals and his objectives with a tenacity and a power of will which nothing has ever been able to alter or shake. There have been those who at one time or another thought the time was ripe when Louis Even could be made to change his ideas or alter his course. Sooner or later they have found out that they have only been butting their heads against a stone wall. And those who have mistaken his great goodness, his charm and courtesy, his love for all his fellow-men, for softness have discovered that these qualities in Louis Even can never be construed as weakness. Louis Even has always been and is, a tower of strength.
This great strength which supports an entire movement of the people is the fruit of his unlimited faith and confidence in God. He is endowed with the faith which can move mountains...
This is the secret of the success of the movement of the Union of Electors and of Vers Demain which supports and fosters the movement.
Louis Even is a just man. He is a man who at all times has lived the truth. He has so lived the truth all his life that the logic of his reasoning and the truth which shines forth from his words, at times is a little overwhelming. Those who have known him over the years can testify that they have never known Louis Even to violate the truth.
Truth and justice - this is the road which Louis Even, all his life, has followed, humbly, in all sincerity, with a tenacity which has given pause to lesser men.
The Congress at Granby was more than one of the annual get-togethers of Crediters in order to renew their zeal and vigour to carry on the work of the movement. It was the occasion for Crediters from all parts of the land to render homage, to express their appreciation to this great man.
For twenty five years, Louis Even has traversed this land, moving from city to town to village, visiting the homes of the little ones, carrying the message of hope, and teaching men how they might build for themselves a civilization in which the individual attains and enjoys the rights the Heavenly Father intended him to have.
In the face of adversity, of criticism, of mockery, of villification, even of physical violence, Louis Even has moved indomitably along the path he chose twenty five years ago. Today his voice is listened to by the men who sit in our parliaments. He is the leader of a movement which numbers the tens of thousands. He has set on foot a force which is the only hope of society today in the face of the Red menace.
And yet, those of us who know him intimately can never cease to marvel that such courtesy, such gentleness, such compassion, such understanding could possibly cloak a will of iron and a force which has launched a movement of an entire people. And at Granby, we said, "Thank you, Louis Even!"