The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-05-16
A RECORD HANDS DOWN


T7RANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT was very
Il modest and matter-of-fact in recounting
the achievements of the first two months OF
his administration, but he has far surpassed
anything accomplished by a previous chief
executive in so short time.
The only Presidents who even would be
thought of as contenders are George Wash
ington and Woodrow Wilson. Yet, with no
belittlement whatever of their record it must
be said that for hairraising decisiveness and
sweeping accomplishments Roosevelt leaves
them outstripped
Washington and Hamilton put through an
amazing program in record time, considering
the difficulties which the new government
had to meet. They organized the federal adj
ministration, passed a tariff bill, restored
federal credit, funded the domestic and for
eign debt, passed an excise tax bill and estab-
hshed the First United States bank.
But nearly two years elapsed between the
Inauguration of Washington on April 30, 1889,
and the passage of the bank bill in February
1871.
Wilson'S record has been regarded as even
more spectacular. In Harpers Weekly of
Aug. %. 1914, President Eliot of Harvard de-
clared it to be unprecedented. Professor Max
Farrand, in his Development of the United
States" offers an estimate representative Of
fair minded historians:
1t was primarily as leader of the Demo-
cratic party that Wilson acted in his first
administration as President of the United
States which probably will remain with an
unequaled record of legislative achievement
and for this the greatest credit must be given
to President Wilson himself.
Merely to mention a substantial reduction
in tariff rates. revision of the banking and
currency system, the strengthening of the In
currency system, the strengthening of the in
of the antitrust acts and creating federal
trade commission would be sufficient to indi-
cate his accomplishment
1t was a year and six months. however, be-
tween Wilson'S Inauguration and the passage
of the Clayton BILL which represented the con-
cuSion of the first big squirt Of his admnistra-
ton The Underwood Simmons tariff bill was
signed on Oct 5. 1918 The federal reserve
act received Wilson'S signature on Dec %,
1918 The act creating the federal trade
commission became law on Sept. 26, 1914.
The Clayton act, Supplementing and altering
the Sherman act, was signed on Oct. Is 1914
Compared even with any of Theodore
Roosevelts accomplishments. this was express
train speed. Yet over against Franklin D.
Roosevet's feats to date. Wilson'S achieve
ments seem slow freight.
The very fact that one could not, if he
wished, fully summarize RooSevelt's admins
trative acts during two short months within
the space allotted to this column is in itself
eloouently indicative of their unprecedented
scope and velocity.
Banking, currency, imitation, securities,
farm relief railroads public utilities, public
works. wage levels, foreign trade relations war
debts. economic planning and the like, all
have been grappled with resolutely If the
Roosevelt program is not as yet in all respects
a realized legislative fact, its general outlines
are clearly apparent and it can be wrecked
only by congressional sabotage.
This brings me to the last point wish to
make. In the congressional campaign of 1914,
woodrow Wilson warmly urged reelection of
members who had served in 1894. He said:
"The American people have been served by
this congress as they never have been served
before"
We may hope that President Roosevelt can
saw the same in August, 1884. The present
congress has the opportunity to establish
record of public service which will make that