The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-19
Dangers Of BelIhop Government

One of the dogmas of democracy has been that
the people would take great pains in selecting their
rulers. Hence democracy would insure the presence
OF able in public places
This hardly has worked out in practice. Every
conspcuously able have had in the presi-
dency since the coming of universal suffrage-Lin-
coin, Cleveland Roosevelt, Taft and Wson-has been
the product of a huke, assassination, or an abb
normal political setup.
Just how one would account for Taft in this man
ner might be obscure at first, but Taft never would
have reached the presidency except for Roosevelt and
Roosevelt was elevated by McKinley's assassination.
Roosevets nomination for the vce-presidency in 1900
was opposed bitterly by the Republican machine
There can be little doubt that the equality of our
nublic officers has declined in direct proportion to
the growing difficulty of the problems with which
thew have to DEAL One might have desire to in
dulpe in the conventional unthnking eulogy of the
"fathers" vet 1t would be risky to suggest that the
calber of our officials today matches that of those
from 1889 to 1928.
We were saved for generations by develop
rnents which made 1t less necessary that we should
have extremely capable men in public office. Begin
ming with the savocracy before the Civil war, the
great economic interests took over the actual task
of controlling American society. Industry and finance
were the main circus and government the sdeshow
The chief thing required of public official was
docity-the willingness to take and execute orders
without delay or complaint Government became the
"bellhop" service Of the interests
Men of great personal ability, real dignity, wide
learning and independence Of character were not
wanted in public life They invariably would not take
orders with servity and execute them with fidelity
This explains in part why the firm of j. P Morgan
engaged John w. Davis the firm attorney to
handle its difficult legal but was enthusiastical-
~ behind Calvin Coolidge for the presidency in 1924
and why the Republican party never has had en-
thusiasm for its chief intellectual ornament-and
great administrator-Ni Murray Butler
The democratic illusion helped to operate the
"behop" system successfully for years The interests
ran the country while the people were kept conented
by means Of the fiction that they really were con-
trolling matters through their elected representatives
But the depression has changed all this The in
terests no longer their own plants. Business
and finance have become the sideshow and govern
ment the circus.
OF course, this has not all come about since 1929
It began with the first interstate act, two
generations back The government slowly has been
penetrating business and finance, especially since
the federal reserve act But the great invasion of
business by government has come with the general
economic collapse since 1929.
The government has been put into large scale
banking by federal banks federal farm loan
banks, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation
1t has gone into farming with vengeance through
the federal board and federal loans to farmers
If some of the great railroads whose debts have
been shifted to Uncle Sam by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation fail to get out of the red, the
government may have to operate railroads.
1t will have to step into the soft coal mining in
dustry If this is to be saved from collapse 1t is get
ting into the engineering and construction business
on large scale
1t is not necessary to argue about what the gov
eminent ought to do. 1t will suffice to show what
it already doing If it fails in its new and gigantic
responsibilities western society under capitalism is
done for.
World civilization hangs in the balance the
outcome of the efforts of the men in political
Office 1t is no time for the dodos who could be
tolerated when government merely was ex-
pensve luxury utilized mainly for kidding the people.
1t is high time for to ditch the "bellhop"
tions and practices and put some men into public
ONCE who measure up at least knee high to their
problems and responsibilities.