The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-07
NEW DEALERS
ENLIST CLERGY;
LAW SUPPORT
Influential Groups Target in
Struggle to Sound Public
Sentiment.

81 Soripps-Horqrd Newspaper alliance
WASHINGTON, July The
struggle to line up public sentiment
for and against the New Deal CEN
tered today about members of two
professions-lawyers and clergymen.
These two groups are more evenly
divided in their views on the Roose-
welt administration than any others,
final returns in the Literary Digest
poll disclosed. Both are influential.
While business men, educators and
physicians all piled up large MAORI
ties for the Roosevelt program in
the straw voting, lawyers Endorsed
it by the close vote Of 6,454 to
1924. Clergymen favored it by
1888 to 1886.
Senator Borah made the first play
for legaliStic support when he de-
nOunced the Roosevelt policies as
unconstitutional in his Fourth OF
July address.
Takes Up Challenge
Donald r. Richberg, general coun-
sci of NRA and director of the new
industrial emergency committee, at
once took up the challenge in his
speech to members of the Texas Bar
Association.
There have been scattered in
stances where courts have interfered
to restrain a particular administra-
tive act" he said. There have been
few adverse decisions of minor
Importance. But far greater weight
must be attached to the long list
of major and minor cases in which
states and federal courts have up
held the administration of the re-
coyery act and have steadfastly
maintained the fundamental valid
ity of the law and the measures de-
viSed to effectuate It's declared
policy"
Federal courts in sixteen state
and the District of Columbia have
sustained the act during the past
year, Richberg said Similar iudg-
ments have been rendered in the
courts Of nineteen states.
Impressive Program
He continued. Most impressive
of all, to realistic students of the
law, must have been the popular
acceptance of the industrial recov-
cry program as a natural and neces-
sary method Of dealing with an eco
nomic emergency through political
action conforming to the require
ments of a constitutional democ-
racy"
A call to churchmen to support
the New Deal was sounded. at about
the same time, from the University
OF Virginia, where the institute Of
public affairs is in progress. Tt
came, not from a member of the
administration, but from DR.. STAN
ley High, Congregational minister
and editor
The fundamental objective of
what we call the New Deal is religi-
Gus, he said This is the first
time in modern history when a gov
eminent in any nation has set out
to give practical application to the
principles of the Sermon on the
Mount. And the tragedy is that the
church is so generally silent or criti-
cal.
Church Needs New Deal
II do not believe the New Deal
can succeed unless it wins the back
ing of organized religion it is
just as true that the church needs
the New Deal
1--WE are. believe, within striking
distance Of a reorganization of our
economic life, a reorganization
which will make the security of the
many, rather than the special in
terests of the few, a primary lien
upon the earnings Of industry That
is an undertaking in line with the
fundamental principles of the proph-
cts of the Old Testament and Of
Jesus in the New.
IF the church allows that effort
to fail it will wait long time before
another such opportunity to fulfill
its own ideals presents itself. And
for being party to that failure, the
church will help to usher itself out
of the company of organizations
which the modern world believes to
be essential to its progress.