The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-08


THEY can not now escape their
Il own mistakes and responsible
ties by trying to make themselves
and others believe that the fault
lies with congress. or with any other
governmental agency.
am not asking that they share
my burden as a senator. I am ask
ing that the criticism Of congress
be constructive and not destructive,
so that the people may maintain its
confidence in this important branch
Of the government.
During the prosperous years. the
nations business leaders permitted.
without complaint. the various
minority groups to compel congress
TO write legislation involving huge
annual appropriations.
No word OF protest came to con-
eress; no word Of protest came to
congressman supporting such legis-
latlon and no word of commentator
TO those who opposed it.
THE truth is that business lead
j. ers paid little or no attention
10 what congress was doing unless
1t happened to affect the particular
industry in which they we're en-
gagged.
But when prosperity disappears
and the pail of the economic de-
preston settles over the land, then
these same people who have been
content to let their representatives
fight their own battles and reach
their own conclusions. suddenly turn
upon them with a bitterness that
heretofore has not been excelled in
the political history of the nation.
A little constructive criticism in
times Of prosperity would be a much
greater service to the nation than
drastic and unfair criticism in times
Of depression.
Those OF us interested in the Re-
publican campaign must appreciate
at the beginning that the Demo-
Gratis Will undertake to make the
people Of the country believe that
the Republican administration is
wholly responsible for these condi-
tons.
IT VII be necessary for us 10 con-
l. vince the majority Of the peo-
pic of this country that the world
wide depression is not due to gov
ernmental action or the lack of il.
1t will be necessary for us to
convince them that the distress in
this nation is not due to any affirm
alive action on the part of the Re-
publican administration, but that
on the other hand the plans recon-
mended and adopted by a Repub-
lican President have resulted in
steadying the ship of state which
otherwise long ago would have hit
the destructive rocks in its path.
We shall answer the criticism that
the Republican party lacks leader
ship by pointing out the construc-
tive things that have been done.
We shall admit frankly that these
measures have not accomplished as
much as We had hoped, nor as much
as the country had been led to ex-
pect, but when the campaign has
been finished and the people made
TO know the truth. my judgment is
that they will reach a safe and SEN
Sible conclusion.
WE must remember always that
w our present condition fur
nishes palatable food for the Com
munist and the demagog. Those
accustomed to preaching these doc
trines will find large audiences
everywhere with minds so open
that they will feed eagerly upon
the complaints that are uttered.
My judgment is that the So
called forgotten man" will be the
chief issue Of Governor Roosevelt
and the Democratic party. This
has been true of the Democratic
party in the past and there is
everything TO indicate it will be true
in 1892.
The Republican party will be
charged with increasing the burden
upon the taxpayers by the revenue