The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-25
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES =

THERE is much being expressed among the
more progressive supporters of the new deal
concerning what they regard as definite swing
of the President to the right within the last
couple of MONTHS
Representative of this alarm is an editorial in
the New Republic conceived in a friendly spirit
which the New Republic brings forward in sup
port of its contention that the President is NOV
ing to the right?
Failing at the God-given moment to end
finance capitalism by taking over the banking
system the President has seemingly dropped all
interest in any really fundamental banking legis-
laton, Since finance capitalism was the domi-
mating evil in the old system, banking legislation
is the acid test of the insight and adequacy of
the new deal
The President has not supported any forth
right and intelligent revision of our taxation sys-
tenn along the line of taxation in proportion to
capacity to pay. This, in spite of enormous in
creases in public expenditures
Mr., Roosevelt appears to have been frightened
by banking, railroad and utility interests into
abandoning without a fight the st. Lawrence
waterway project which at one time he had sup
ported with vlgor and enthusiasm.
The propaganda of reactionaries has appar-
emily induced him to get out from under his
intelligent and courageous proposal to uproot
corruption and subsidies in connection with the
air mail service.
IN spite of the most convincing evidence
brought forth in public hearings at Washing
ton with respect to the gouging of consumers by
price fixing, the President has taken no effec-
tive steps to impose a type CT control over or
ganized American industry and trade which
might protect the consumers about whom he
said SO much in the early days of his admin
istration
The President has undermined much of the
progress he has made with respect to securing
the indispensable right of labor to carry on
collective bargaining through his short-sighted
compromise with the automobile industry.
This gave the automobile manufacturers the
right to regard company unions as possessing
the same status as genuine labor unions. This
may mean the destruction of organized labor
in the automobile industry and the precedent
is bound to spread elsewhere.
After demanding a law with teeth in it to
curb organized gambling in Wall Street, the
President has not combated the emasculation
of the securities act of the bill to control the
Stock Exchange. In the end predatory finance
will apparently escape almost unchastened.
The pure food and drugs bill has been so
weakened as to become largely ineffective and
it has dropped out of sight altogether for the
time being.
Equally depressing is the record with respect
to those items in the deal designed to in
crease mass purchasing power and directly to
stimulate recovery. The CWA is now in a state
of dissolution; the public works projects are in
no way adequate to the need and the much
touted housing problem has been allowed to fall
by the Wayside.
From strictly historical and factual point
Of view this record speaks for itself but the con-
tentiOn that it means a deliberate and conscious
shift to the right Mr. RooseveIts part is
open to question. 1t may only be a strategic
in
at the present time.
T~HE most fundamental criticism which may
be launched against President Roosevelt
is that he did not capture the main fortifca-
ton of entrenched privilege and speculative
piracy when the enemy was dispersed and de-
moralized some fourteen months ago. Had he
taken over the banking system in March, 1888
he could have ended finance capitalism and the
new deal would have had easy going for a
decade or so.
But there is nothing to be gained by crying
over spilled milk This is water over the dam
and we have to deal with the situation as it
exists today
The pirates, usurers of high estate, Bourbon
industrialists, partisan rascals and other public
enemies are feeling their oats once again. They
are organized, articulate, arrogant and agrees
Sive. They are closing IN on the PRESIDENT ana
hope to worst him. The day when he might
have scattered them by frontal attack is past
From now on it is trench Warfare-digging in
and saving the gains thus far made.
Behind these trenches new strategy may
be evolved by means of which the President can
outmaneuver the menacing hosts of predatory
finance. AdroltneSS rather than Dull force Is
now in order
Even the more radical members of congress
can not be trusted to back the President in full
today Men like Senator Elmer Thomas are
determined to have their own program slammed
through congress at any cost even II 1t dis
rlpts the forces of liberalism and plays into the
hands of the reactionaries.
Therefore, until we have unmistakabe evil
dence to the contrary, let us assume that the
President knows what he is doing and wish him
we'll in any strategic move to outwit the maSsed
conspirators against the well-being OF the
United States.