The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-13
'More Business in Government

When John J. Raskob declares that "Gover-
nor Smith is a strong advocate of less govern
ment in business and more business in govern
ment,' he speaks with the unquestionable au-
thority of the man who has inherited the man
tie of Ebert H. Gary and who is recognized as
one of the leading spokesman of big business.
If anything further were needed to prove Ras-
kob as an authority on the Tammany governor,
there is the added fact that the latter-day
Smith is the full-blown flower of Raskob's plant
ing and nurture. Smith boasts of the fact and
the records confirm him.
The declaration of Raskob is not an idle one.
The Morgan industralist and banker has no
time for trifling. Less government in business
more business in government. In this slogan,
Raskob, newly named chairman of the demo-
cratic national committee, has summarized not
only the full program of Al Smith but of the
whole democratic party. And, of course, of
the republican party as we'll
Less government in business. To millions of
deuded, hene exploited, wage slaves and pow
erty-strcken farmers, this phrase, as it is in
tended will still mean less interference with
prosperity" less tampering with efficiency"
less red tape For the most part they will
read and nod sort of passive assent. To the
small minority comprising the ruling class in
the country, the phrase is intended to carry
the full measure of assurance already indicated
by Raskob that Smith will do the right thing;
that the tariff will not be molested that moth
ing will be done to interfere with the super
justification process now going on; that the
government" in word, will take orders
More business in government. This is even
more important For the powers that be to
doubt even for moment that business would
not be free to enter government at will would
he c4V RI hn IF
date. But how, more business in government
More than Andrew Mellon in the treasury
More than Dwight w. Morrow in Mexico? More
than Wall Street already become the capital of
the United States?
The explanation of Raskob's paradoxical re-
mark is not as difficult as may appear on first
sight AS was recently pointed out, the con-
troll over government by big business through
the democratic party and particularly through
Al Smith, has been indirect rather than imme-
date as with the republican party. Big bust
ness has worked in Al Smiths state and jim
ME Walkers city through the public service
commissions, through legislative bodies, thru
other appointees of the democracy" rather
than directly as in the case of Mellon, Morrow,
Daugherty, Fall and the others of the repub-
lican regime.
Al Smith has at various times hedged bit
about carrying out ORDERS notably two years
ago when the Morgan-controlled General Elec-
trio Company desired to put over its state
power steal. At the time they had to be con-
tent with a postponement and temporary
compromise worked out between them and AL
Smith by that great 'rInqusitor," Samuel I'm
termeyer. At another time in his relations
with Jerry Dahl of the B-M,T, Smith has even
"doube-crossed" the great ones, fact hap
PLY now atoned for again through the instru-
mentality of the omnipresent Untermeyer.
So what Raskob means is, that from now
on business VIII not have to enter through
the side door 70 control the democratic party
and the "untainted" Al Smith. Their relations