Evening star., 1932-04-19
Roosevelt's Reply.

ATON. ~. INOOoChClb VI ANSN
York, speaking to the Democrats and
Progressives in st. Paul last night, re-
piled to the charge that he was "dema-
gogic" when he recently attacked the
administrations reconstruction program
His reply was conciliatory in a meas
ure, although the New York Governor.
who hopes to be President of the United
States, continued to defend his earlier
position that the little man" must be
better cared for. Gov. Roosevelt de-
clared that his plea was not for class
control. but for true concert Of in
terests.''
IF you live in house that has been
shaken by an earthquake of national
proportions and the foundations have
cracked and the roof leaks, it is right to
mend the roof, but at the same time
your house will not be safe until you
have repaired the foundation as we'll"
said Gov. Roosevelt II want the house
to stand through all the years to come
as well as to keep the rain out Of the
top story"
So the New York Governor again de-
clares himself champion of the
little man, if the theory Is accepted
that the little man is the foundation
OF the house" His reply to his
critics, among them Alfred E. Smith,
will be interpreted far and wide not
only as an effort to disclaim dena-
goguery. but to emphasize his stand for
the poor man and the man of mod
crate means and as an effort to show
that his opponents are the protagonists
Of the rich
Gov. Roosevelt wisely, from a politi-
cal point of view, made no savage at
tack on Mr.. Smith. 1t could have
gained him no more than he already
has. Smiths Jefferson day dinner
speech in Washington, assailing Roose-
welt as a demagogue, had been widely
interpreted as aligning Roosevelt with
the poor man and Smith with the rich,
whether justly or unjustly. Roosevelt's
only reference to Mr.. Smith by name
was in connection with the electric
power problem, The reference was en-
tirely complimentary The Governor
benefits in the public opinion by his
restraint.
To bolster his own position in sup
port Of the common man Gov. Roose-
welt quoted from Jefferson, Lincoln,
Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, that
dynamic distant cousin who as Presi-
dent had great hold on the affections
Of the people. The purpose of Gov.
Roosevelt was, obviously, to show the
country that he is no more dema-
gogic than these great American leaders
Of their day.
Gov. Roosevelt picked as the place for
his own Jefferson day" speech terri
tory in which he has been successful
in obtaining delegates TO the Demo-
cratic National Convention and in
which he hopes to be able to win the
electoral votes of the States II nominal
ed for President. 1t was friendly ter
ritory and the dispatches speak of the
warm and cordial welcome given the
New Yorker. After he had completed
his statement about the need of caring
for the little man as we'll as the big
in the present emergency Gov. Roose-
welt turned his attention to two sub
jects in which the progressive and agri-
cultural States of the Middle West and
Northwest have evinced great interest,
the electric power question and the
tariff. He assailed the Republican
Smoot Hawley tariff act as an unfair
burden on the American farmer, and
he declared for Government control OF
tie power industry, with the Govern
ment ready to step into the transmits
sion field private industry Is not will
ing to conduct its business on a fair
and reasonable basis.
Readers of Gov. Roosevelts speech
however, will seek in vain for a con-
structive idea as to how the little man"
is to be benefited in this period of re-
construction and through q program
of reconstruction, outside Of reduced
tariffs and Government control Of elec-
tic power. He expresses his great SYM
pathy with the little man. But what
he would do for him in distinction to
the constructive program advanced by
President Hoover, Gov. Roosevelt did
not mention. He has taken a swat at
the Reconstruction Finance Corporation,
but he has offered no substitute or no
amendment to the plan. Gov. Roosevelt
may find in the coming campaign,
should he be the choice OF his party for
President, that the American people
desire more concrete proposals for their
benefit They are not at this time
N h,y 1sY,te In ks