The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-17

l
 JOUE1T SPOUSE
 We have nothing to hide and noth. Ing to apologize for, and we should keep that record clean.
 Democrats still On Job
 Though we cannot have an au- thoritative democratic program until our convention shall have ratified its platform, this does not mean by any stretch of the imng- ination that either the democratic house majority or the senate min ofity purpose letting things drift | for another two months. They are lin m effort to prepare bills to balance the budget, first by effect- ing economies in the federal appro- priations and second, by creating n tax bill which will produce suffi- cient revenue definitely to restore the treasurys solvency. It is not m ensy task or n simple process, Democratic congressman, with the varying economic problems of their particular constituencies, not un- naturally are striving in behalf Of their own commonwealths. In the cong gressionai controversies there Is being threshed out tho reconcilia- ton of these divergent views. | There are, of course, similar diff. ferences among the republicans as to tho revenue.raising processes and the particular points where federal expenditures must be cut. In neither case can thls justly be taken as evidence of basic inhar- mony or dIsorganization. The ma Jority of the congressmcn are men of experience In government with the same idens of patriotism as in- fuence most of us. have no doubt in the world that In the end they will produce measure hay. ing for its purpose the good Of tho nation, at whatever personal sacri. flee.
 Even if we admit that congress has been dllutory, we must remem. Der 1t is q thorny and difficult path that any congressman must follow when hc is obliged to raise taxes It might be recalled that in n mat. ter so comparatively simple ns tho enactment of e tariff law it took q year and q half to put through tho Smoot- Hawley bill, although at tho time of its pnssnge tho presidency and both houses of congress were republican and, theoretically at least, therefore much easier to bringinto accord than the present governmental sot.up, with n repub- lichn president, n democratic house of representatives and A senate wherein the two parties are nurner- republican side q third of tho m mcmbership is bitterly anti.admin. istrntion. And to add to these dif- faculties, 1t must be taken into nc. count that tho president is a can. didate for reelection, as is a third of the senate and the entire mem. bership of tho house. Democrats Ignored Politics Actually congrcss has been able for the most part to oBchew part. sanship in the enactment Of tho main features of tho palliatlvos for our financial pafalysis. It has. for example. passed the finance recon- struction law and the Glass.Stcn- gall bill, which provide for an cx- tension of credits and the casing of the. security markets. These two measures 1t is truo have, In an ef- fort to make some political capital. been attributed by administration Hpo okesmen to tho wisdom or PreSi. dent Hoover, although both were of democratic origin. There has been likewise m effort of no more exalted intent to mnke t appear that the democrats have been ob' Btructive. That, of course, is, q silly thought Our democratic con. gregsman have opposed no measure because of It's White House origin. They have accepted the presidents re rcccmrnendations whenever and wherever th0ge promised to Do or value to public welfare. Where, however, these measures bore the imprint of partisan purpose or otherwise were patiently objection. able the democrats have modified them or substituted others for them. Indeed it iB doubtful if nt any time in our history q hostile party has c0operated Bo generously In m administrators policies.
 It might not be untimely 10 call attention to tho contrast between the legislative action in 1032 and that of twelve or thirteen years ago. Then as now q presidcntinI election was impending Impera. tive action was required on the post.war problems, Yet the then congressional republican majority, 70 fnr from cooperating with
 Woodrow Wilson, put every obsta- cle in hls path that partisan malice could conceive. They would not even iegIslatc q tax reduction from
 the necessarily towering rates of the war period, but held the .levies nt tho high point lest the demo-
 crats should have the credit Of re- lieyIng the people of some of their
 burdens.
 C. Q. p. Hopes for DcsccDsI0n The republicans are plnning their last hope for November on q
 bitter struggle in the democratic convention. That hopo will fall. There will be lively rivalry uns doubtcdly for the presidential nofn' ination but when the Chicago con- yention has completed It's work lt
 will find all factions lined up solid' iy behind the nominee whoever he may be- and If our effort Is not diminished because of the lure Of oVer.conGdence, f we do not per- init factionalism to disrupt our united front that nominee will be president of the United States next March.