The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-11-29
A GOOD LABEL


nunciation Of the enemies of the new
deal as "- les" was a very timely revival of
a highly ropriate epithet. We long have
needed a new and suitable term of opprobrium
for our public enemies of high estate,
The labels usually employed, such as
Pirates" "Plutocrats," Wall Street" and the
like either have been overworked. or are too
loose in their implications to serve the purpose
with any precision. The term Tory" is
adapted admirably to the requirements of our
time.
The first extended recommendation that
the word Tory should be applied to present
day reactOnaries appeared in recent edi-
torial Common Sense.
"A word is coming back into use that has
been forgotten for long time. The word
Tory once more is being used to describe all
those who block progress. 1t is a good word
worth reviving
Like the Tories who fought against indie
pendence and democracy in 1776 the chief
reason for Toryism is of course economic,
selfish. Those who sit on top of the pile,
who own immense productive wealth, who di-
rect the lives and welfare of millions of their
suffering fellow-humans, are those who are
most likely to consider the status so divinely
ordained The banker the big business man,
the great industrialist, they will as a group be
the most vicious foes of radical change"
Not only the general implication that the
Tory is a reactiOnary makes the word very
timely The specific meaning Of the term as
originally employed is also peculiarly relevant.
The great opposing English parties of Wings
and Tories came into formal existence in 1850.
The Tories were the church and landed party.
Their rivals the Wings, called them Tories
in derision. The word had been used earlier
to describe a notorious band Of brigands in
Ireland
It will be we'll for us to bear in mind to-
day that our leading Tories are actually our
most dangerous brigands 1t may not be
formally illegal to steal railroad or bank
or a public utility corporation, but to do so
is certainly more of threat to social welfare
than the minor thefts and larcenies for which
men are raiIroaded to state penitentiaries for
long terms.
The Tories, of course. believe that they are
preventing change and are preserving the ex-
listing order intact. In reality they are SOW
ing the seeds of violent revolution and de-
stroying the possibility Of gradual and sci
entidcally planned social progress This fact
has been stated very concisely by the editor
Of Common Sense
1t is a fact not always recognized that
revolutions are made by Tories and not by
revolutionists. In times of normal rate Of
fo1v boIc t0o
tanned between Tories and liberals But in a
time when tremendous changes must be made
rapidly the radical leads the way to the new
era. and it is the resistance which the Tory
sets up to radical change that may eventually
lead to a clash
we are in one of those periods of radical
change today The Tory. the die-hard stand
patter. the arch conservative who raves about
saving the American home. is today the man
who is wreckng American homes keeping
millions on the verge of starvation, breaking
up families. BY means Of "chiseling' tactics
he is even blocking the mild and we'll in
tentioned control that the NRA would set up
If the strength Of the Tories does not
grow, if the mass of the American people can
see clearly where their interest lies, and are
not misled it is possible that we can leap this
hurdle in front of us. the necessary change
from capitalism to a planned social order,
without violence.
If the Tories resist. if they continue to
use tear-gas and machine guns on veterans.
strikers. workers and their families. farmers.
as they have been doing. if they continue to
block the path Of progress the misery and
anarchy and brutality that may ensue will be
on their own heads.
There is only one way forward for this
country. 1t means eventually a completely