Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-01-18
MAN OF THE HOUR

refreshing to have q man in the presi-
Dental chair who understands the
people so well, speaks out and. per-
forms with courage.
His message to the Senate the other
day urging ratification of the treaty
with Canada on the St. Lawrence deep
waterway is a good example. During
the campaign of 1882 the argument
was used by opponents that being
from New York state. Roosevelt
would not favor the Great Lakes-St.
certainly Quelched that argument and
in big way. There is nothing pro-
vincial about the president, he views
his great duties from a national and
humanitarian standpoint.
The landlocked Northwest could not
get better champion for this impor-
tant project than the president.
"On the affirmative side" he told
the Senate, II subscribe to the def
mite belief that the completion of the
seaway will greatly serve the eco
nomic and transportation needs of a
vast area of the United States and
should. therefore, be considered solely
from the national point of view"
No. it is not men like Alfred e.
Smith and F.. r. Roosevelt, both for
mer governors of New York state. who
have deferred construction of the deep
waterway, but it is other interests
which may be taken up in later ar
ticle. Smith and Roosevelt, to their
credit. have fought on the side of the
people in this great undertaking.
President Roosevelt's message to
the Seventy-third Congress, likewise
was a paper bearing the imprint of
statesman. 1t was intelligently re-
viewed in The Progressive of Madison.
Wis. and is passed on herewith for
the benefit of Askov American readers:
THE ROOSEVELT MESSAGE
(The Progressive)
Millions of Americans, who remem-
Der with dismay the dull, uninspiring
congressional messages that came out
of the Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover
administrations, were thrilled at the
words of President Roosevelt in his
message to the regular session of the
73rd Congress. Like the presidents
previous utterances, the message the
other day again shows that Franklin
Delano Roosevelt has the courage to
break away from the powerful, in
trenched few and advocate the things
which he sincerely believes are in
the interests Of all the people.
What a contrast to the outwOrn,
out-moded rugged individualism"
philosophy of the past decade was the
Roosevelt message! What hope and
inspiration it held for those who in
the days of Old Guard rule fought for
the principles it SO ably espouses!
The president frankly recognizes
that recovery to be real must mean
progress and not a restoration of con-
ditions as they were. He says;
"Now that we are definitely I'm
the process Of recovery, lines have
been rightly drawn between those
to whom this recovery means a re-
turn to old methOds-and the num-
Der OF these people Is smalI-and
those for whom recovery means
reform OF many old methods, a per-
manent readJustment Of many or
our ways of thinking and there
fore of many Of our social and eco
nOmic arrangements.-
These words must be bad news in
deed for those reactiOnaries who
would like to go back to the old cut
throat policies where the strong could
exploit the weak and selfish ends
justify the means.
Continuing this vein of thought, Mr..
Roosevelt says:
1--WE have demanded Of many citi-
Zens that they surrender certain
licenses to do a. they pleased I'm
their business relationships; but we
have asked this i'm exchange for the
protection which the state can give
against exploitation by their fellow
men or by combinations of their
fellow men,"
Such an attitude, of course, will not
please those powerful influences which
want to be free to take their toll in
economic relatiOnshipS,-the expo
nents Of the keep government out OF
business, but it means that the con-
sumner and the everyday American
business man will have better
chance at fair deal.
81 continue I'm my conviction that
inGiustr rial progress and prosper ~
can only be attained by bringing
the purchasing power Of that DOr-
ton Of our population which I'm one
form or another II dependent upon
agriculture up to u level which will
restore proper balance between
every section OF the country and
every form Of work." declares the
President.
While. the task of aiding the great
farming population of the country is
colossal in it's magnitude, the Roose-
Welt administration has at least dem
onstrated it is not afraid to embark
on ventures which the opposition con-
demns as radical" But radical or
not, the Presidents address is con-
vincing evidence that the present ad-
ministratiOn realizes the farmers
plight, and will not content itself,
as did past administrations. with
platitudes and empty promises on