The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-06
Did Young Roosevelt Blunder at Albany?

ties ought not to tread because it will
lead to a contest in mud-slinging that
would expose the real basis or city
machine politics-both democrat and
republican,-upon which many a ma
tional political reputation rests.
For instance if the Times and the
World were not eminently respectable
newspapers, above calling a spade by
its proper name, they could smear the
stick he used against Al Smith by
Roosevelt heir with the same dirty
stick he used against AL Smith by
the simple expedient of reminding
their readers OF the fact that Roose-
velt's brother-in-law, Nicholas Long
worth, republican speaker of the
house of representatives, got his start
in life as the owner of a string of low
dives in the red light district of Gin
cinnati, Ohio, where he was for
years known as "red light" Nick, be-
fore he married the Princess Alice.
The only cause for the republican old
guard considering the speech in
judicious is the fact that the speaker
himself inhabits a glass house that
could not resist well-directed stones
of highly moral bourgeois indigna-
ton, but they have forgotten the
Longworth record. The red light"
section of Roosevelt's speech was not
intended for New York consumption,
but was designed to appeal to the
millions of rural masses who are still
swayed by such political argu-
mentS.
1t also comes with rather poor
grace for spokesman of the repub-
lican party to speak of graft, con-
sidering the notorious record of the
Vale Philadelphia machine that has
now been taken into the official
family of Andrew w. Mellon, Charles
Evans Hughes, Herbert Hoover, Cal
vim Coolidge and the rest OF the
bright and shining lights of that
| party. The republican ku-klux sewer
explosion in Indiana certainly is not
inferior to the rottenest of Tammany
administrations, while the oil scandals
and veterans bureau swindles still
rank as classic examples of modern
high-power corruption.
In order to aid the campaign
against Smith a so-called committee
that has for its purpose the purify
ing" of Albany has been created in
the state capitol and frenzied drives
are being waged against the pitiful
deniZens of the red light district who
are victims of the economic system
that compels them to sell themselves
in order to exist. In all the annals
of capitalist political demogogy there
is nothing more hypocritical than
these periodic drives against so-called
vice. Roosevelt and all the others
who condemn one political machine
for encouraging organized vice are
always ready, willing and anxious to
win its support for their own camp.
COPHISTRY is the chief stock-in-
trade of old party orators, and the
author of the speech delivered by
Roosevelt is an adept at it's use. An
analysis of the effort reveals its shall
lowness, though it certainly was
cleverly concocted for the purpose it
is to serve. The burden of the speech
was that the expenses of the state
administration under the democratic
7 I m m any outfit had increased
tremendously while the expenses of
the national administration, under
Coolidge economy" had decreased
over the same period of time. BY
facts and figures Roosevelt proved
reduction in federal expenditures of
more than so per cent, while the ex-
penses of the state increased by forty
per cent. The speaker also cited fig
ures to prove that while national taxes
were reduced state taxes increased.
These are effective arguments for
use among the middle class elements
and the taxpayers of the provinces.
Of course, Roosevelt neglected to
explain that the reduction in federal
expenditures was due to the partial
liquidation of the huge apparatus
created during the war and that
there was still tremendous waste and
graft connected with every phase of
the Harding Coolidge Mellon admins
tration, Of which the valiant Theo-
dore was once bright shining orna-
ment.
/ 1t was indeed an amazing exhibition
for Roosevelt to stand before an au-
dience with straight face while re-