The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-30
1t
Seems
to
Me
BY Haywood Broun :

as a school book should advance so
preposterous an assertion. Tne
history of America, normally
enough, has been a tale Of clash
and conflict Of opinion.
II there is any health in us, it
lies in the power to grow ana
change and meet new requirements.
The Civil war itself was striking
and bloody illustration OF the fact
that not all good Americans saw
eye to eye as to the essential Jun
damental structure of the republic.
It probably is true that on many
occasions national elections have
been fought over comparatively
trivial issues.
One distinct credit mark must be
awarded to President Roosevelt be-
cause he has undertaken policies
which actually do set a very con-
siderable gap between him and his
opponents. This may lead to some
real differentiation between the
Republicans and the Democrats,
but such a change can not come
unless there is a vast realignment
of the forces.
At the present moment Senator
Norris. ostensibly a Republican, is
far closer to Roosevelt policies than
Senator Glass, a lifelong Democrat.
The fact that the Republican and
Democratic parties grew too close
together never meant that we were
all of one mind, but simply indi-
Gated lack of opportunity for the
expression of dissenting opinion.
TO be sure, minority parties
Il some of them radical-haRe
+ existed, but as yet they have done
little more than scratch the surface.
In a free sense of the word there
are more Socialists than party
members or voters for the Socialist
ticket. At any rate, there are many
millions who desire some funda-
mental changes in our economic
setup.
These people have been much
too ready in the past to find COM
fort in some phrase flung out by
Republican or a Democratic orator.
Radicalism by itself is by no
means a new or an alien growth in
America. Some of the most famous
American intellectualS have gone
far off the reservation in their
theories. Thomas Jefferson, whose
name is used in vain so frequently,
was decidedly in the van OF po-
litical thought in his own day.
Of course, anybody has right
to guess Just which cause Jefter-
son would espouse in the year 1888.
/ don't pretend to know. have
no authority to speak for the dis
tinguished gentleman, but Will
hazard the conjecture that he
would be anything but Jefferson
ian Democrat.
It should not be forgotten that
one of the most successful and
popular advocates of economic
revolution was an American. Ed
ward Bellamy, the son of New
England clergyman, stemmed
directly out of the Puritan traol-
ton.
He was Just as American as
James M. Beck or Herbert Hoover,
and his book, Looking Backward
sold more than million copies.
It's influence is not dead now.
Rellamy clubs exist all over the
country. and I would not be at all
curnrised to find his teachings in
corporated in some national party
within the next generation.
THERE was no cutlery IN BEL
lamy's day that he was trying
to overturn the fine old native tralC
of self-renance. People read MS
hook and found it good or other
wise but they we're content 10
argue on the merits OF the case
which he presented.
For that matter. Eugene V. Deos
was a typical Hoosier His great
nal was James Whitcomb Riley
certainly one of the most home
spun poets of the nation.
The Puritan community Is not
necessarily committed to the
philosophy of Calvin Coolidge. out
of New England has come vast
variety of thought. In fact, whlle
we are talking about paternahSm
and the cooperative common
wealth as opposed to rugged IN
dividualism it is we'll to remem-
her that the lads who landed on
plymouth Rock constituted them
selves a sort of commune.
II is true that they could tolerate
the idea of indentured servants,
hut in the beginning most OF the
things which they held most dear
we're under a common ownership.
THE church did not belong to few
rich capitalists. nor did schools.
Defense against the Indians ne
cessitated close cooperation. Any
hody who insisted on being wholly
rugged in his individualism was
likely to be found in the woods
with an arrow through his neck.
I would deny to no one the right
TO object to the theories of Nor
man Thomas or the policies OF
Franklin D. Roosevelt. but I grow
impatient when the only argument
is the assertion that these things
are alien-that they never have
been in America before and never
should be.
From my point of view the Con-
stitution is a document gracely in
need of revision. but I will pay it
a higher compliment than some
of those who hold that every COM
ma is a sacred symbol. I believe in
and honor the founders of this
country because they indicated in
so many clauses their own concep-
ton that this country should grow
ed that as it grew it would have
change.
tssmEL suL 40 sssI 'iqsElGdool
Bullet pierces Thumb
A rife which he was cleaning