The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-31

where the banks are located. From
this viewpoint, too, it is said local COM
munities will be denied accommodations
at the bank with which they must do
business. | have heard 1t argued at
length that branch of bank in a
distant city will have its hard and fast
rules, and either the local citizens
meet those requirements or fail to
get loan. If that be true, of course.
1t means destruction of one of the
basic rules of credit, namely, the char
acter and record Of the borrower.
At any rate, these are the points set
up on each side of the question. Un-
doubtedly, there Is merit to each ar
gument. Moreover, experience seems
to have demonstrated that varying
conditions make the two propositions
work differently in different communi-
ties. Yet, whatever may be the view
one holds, it cannot be denied that the
emergency banking act is an enor-
/ nous stride in the direction Of uni
fed banking system. If it produces
stronger banks everywhere, 1t surely
will have been a blessing even though
it leaves sore spots and heartaches in
many communities for the time being
as result of the harshness OF its
terms.
President Roosevelt's bold action re-
specting the banking situation resulted
in many persons
Move Required overlooking what l
Courage am inclined to re-
gard as a move that
required more courage when consid-
cred from the political standpoint. He
was able to gain quick and decisive
and almost unanimous action on the
banking legislation because of the
perilous situation. He had no such
united support when he asked congress
to give him dictatorial powers to cut
government expenses. Especially is
this true concerning the right he
sought to trim down the payments be-
ing made to former soldiers, sailors
and marines whose compensation was
being given in cases of physical disa-
bility that did not result from actual
service in the fighting lines.
No one knows, nor can anyone tell
how much money is being paid for dis
ability not connected with the service.
1t is known, however, that the total
payments to veterans exceeds $780,
100000, vast sum even for our rich
country.
There seems to be no equivocation
about the willingness to pay cOmpen-
sation to veterans who received in
juries in the fighting lines. That is
undoubtedly their due. 1t Is the least
a government can do. But where the
compensation is being paid for things
that have happened since the war,
there surely is room for doubt. That
is the type of payment which the Pres
ident says he is going to eliminate.
AS to the courage displayed by the
President in this instance, attention
must be called to the fact that the
soldier lobby" as it is called here, is
the strongest organization operating
around the Capitol since the palmy
DAYS of the Anti-Saloon league drive
for the Eighteenth amendment. 1t Is
not too much to say that there are a
very great many representatives and
senators who hop the rope on orders
of the soldier lobby" without asking
WHY'S or wherefores. Their obedience
to the command means their political
life.
The Democratic leaders in congress
sought to make the way as easy as
possible for them by using the party
caucus system. When the party eau
Gus voted to go one way, an individ-
ual could go back home and say to his
constituents that the party did it; he
felt bound by his party and, therefore,
it was not his individual action. But
the soldier lobby" surely will lop on
some heads two years from now. It
will be up to Mr.. Roosevelt then to tell
the people that either those expenses
had to be cut down or the borrowing
power of the nation was gone, knocked
higher than kite.
Now that congress has put through
the legislation permitting the manu-
facture and sale Of
Drys Keep Up beer with an alco-
Fight on Beer holic content, some
thing near what
beer had before the days Of prohibit
ton, much speculation has arisen as
70 how the matter will be viewed by
the Supreme Court of the United
States. The question surely will get to
the Supreme court in rather short or
der. Prohibitionists are not going to
be licked without that final test.
In view of these circumstances, it
NAV be interesting to recall an argu-
ment made privately by former Sem
ator John ]. Blaine of Wisconsin,
when he sought to get action on beer
bill in the last session of congress be-
fore his term expired. Senator Blaine
took the position that 1t would be I'M
constitutional for congress to pass
beer legislation that would authorize"
the manufacture and sale Of beer
where 1t contained an alcoholic con-
tent in excess of one-half of per cent.
But he contended that If congress en-
acted legislation declaring there was
no penalty to be used where the alco-
holic content was below a stated fig
ure, there was nothing which the Su-
preme court could hold to be uncon-
| stitutional.
In other words. the way he proposed
to make beer legitimate was by a neg
alive action. Since the Eighteenth
amendment said congress had power
to pass enforcement statutes, congress
had acted In accordance with the