The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-29
FRIDAY. SEPT. %. 1889.
THE REAL ALTERNATIVE


THE distinguished jurist, George w. Wick
srsham. has been celebrating his seventy
eItn birthday and has made this the occasion
for certain decisive observations on the state
Of the nation. According to the account in
the New York Times, he looked upon the
present as the turning point in history,
weighed present tendencies in the political,
economic and social fields and issued a warn
ing of grave dangers ahead If these tendencies
are not checked"
Specifically, Mr.. Wickersham feels that we
are running a serious risk Of drifting into
sJate Socialism-"the activities of the govern
ment are devoted to affecting class relations,
the conditions under which men may labor,
telling men who shall work for them and for
how much, and even how much profit, If any,
they may earn" He most thoroughly and
utterly condemned the organization of a
virtual national boycott against those who do
not come in under some one or another of
the codes and agreements under the NRA."
Mr.. Wickersham also was alarmed by the
entry Of the government into business. as for
Example at Muscle Shoals. He held that COM
DtLlLlpn w III kOFtIilulclib ID uCotA XIV "
the capacity of the individual to support him
self"
It seems to be the attitude of those who
Share Mr.. Wickersham's views that We easily
and readily can take our choice between the
much-feared state Socialism" of Mr.. Roose-
welt and a return to the New Jerusalem days
of the Coolidge administration, so dear to the
memory of miIlionaires.
There appears to be no recognition what
ever that the weaknesses and excuses of the
Coolidge-Mellon regime led to the Hoover de-
preston and would, had it not been for Mr..
Roosevelt's appearance on the scene, have
dropped us into complete economic collapse
and brought us to the eve of Fascism.
It seems extremely difficult for the con-
s~ervative mind to understand that the age of
Coolidge and Mellon belongs to the past as
definitely as does the carboniferous era of
geological record. The rugged individualiSm
and economic anarchy Of that period neither
can be recovered nor endured. Nobody who
knows it for what it really was would wish to
bring it back if he could.
The alternative before us is not the choice
between Mr.. Roosevelt's state Socialism-better
state capitalism-and the millionaireis para
disc of the Mellon regime, but one between the
new deal and a complete collapse of capital
ism and democracy.
If the new deal fails to restore prosperity
the jig will be up Nith the capitalistic system
of economies and the democratic form of gov
eminent. The bottom will drop out Of the
present economic order once and for all
An attempt probably will be made to
salvage 1t through reactionary Fascism but
Mr.. Wickersham in his birthday observations
expresses his horror of Fascism. Fascism will
be bound to fail in its American version, be-
cause an unavoidable system can not be sup
ported for long even by bayonets, machine
guns and poison gas.
American conservatives fail to realize that
Mussolini has sponsored an economic program
in many ways more radical than that of Mr..
Roosevelt. American FaScism, under Republic
an auspices, would be nothing else than regi-
mented Mellonism. and it would be a friendly
optimist who would concede that it might OPP
crate for five years.
Once the Fascist squirt goes under, economic
disintegration will lie at hand. The posi-
bilities then will be Communism or %reversion
to more-or-Iess universal vagrancy on a very
low standard of living. Communism will be
the more probable result.
Mr.. Wickersham does not need to worry
about the political or economic future so far
as he is personally concerned. But his grand
son well may end up in a lumber camp in
Alaska saving wood under the direction of the
American Soviet.
When our conservative publicists begin to
consider the real alternative to the new deal.
they are likely to be able to keep their blood
pressure under control when contemplating
the latter.