Evening star., 1934-04-17
BARKLEY DEFENDS
RECOVERY COURSE
Radio Forum Speaker Holds
Other Presidents Have
Set Precedent.

Defending departures from accept
ed order that have marked the first
year Of the Roosevelt administration,
Senator Barkley, Democrat, Of Ken
lucky, in an address last night, de-
clared that ANY form of government
that even claims to be efficient or re-
sponsive to public need must be an
elastic government"
The Kentuckian spoke in the Ma
tional Radio Forum, sponsored by The
Star, and carried over a coast-to-coast
network of the National Broadcast
ing Co.
Answers Attacks.
Inferentially, Senator Barkleys ad-
dress was an answer to attacks on the
administration centering around the
Writ episode.
Other Presidents, and other Con-
crosses, he said. have embarked on
ventures as radically new in their way
as those the past few months have
witnessed.
In view of all these things and in
view of the stable quality of our peo-
pie it is nothing short of the sillieSt
folly for men and women to conjure
up in their frightened minds the
spectre of unconstitutional revolu-
ton or other bugabooS," he said.
Text of Address.
Senator Barkley's address follows:
During recent weeks We have, by
every form of publicity from back
yard gossip to the front pages of the
newspapers, been regaled with obses-
sions, predictions, consternationS, re-
verberations, alliterations, assevera-
tions and hallucinations and revela-
tions concerning some sort of 'revolu-
ton that seems to be in hiding lust
around the corner Whether this is
the same corner that sheltered Sc
eluSiVely the prosperity which was
suppose to be located there for several
years, am not in a position to state;
though I have hunch that some of
those who were instrumental in the
attempt to make a shrine out of the
corner that shielded prosperity have
had hand in erecting the corner
which is now shielding the revolution
which is about to descend upon us.
Il have no desire to quibble over
words l am not a quibbler over
words. I dislike the habit of quib-
bling over anything. But we may
perhaps diSSipate our fears and con-
sole our souls with the reflection that
there is nothing satanic about the
word revolution There is a great
national organization now in annual
session in this city eligibility for
membership in which requires an un-
broken line leading back to a revolu-
tion and some soldier who fought in
that revolution.
Washington a Revolutionary.
Washington, with all his aristo-
cratic bearing and conservative re-
actions to public questions, was a
revolutionary. He was the leader of
the revolution which made us a
nation, and he was probably the one
indispensable man of that great his
toric accomplishment
Jefferson was revolutionary. So
was Madison, the father of the Con-
stitution. So was Monroe, who gave
his name to an immortal American
policy. Even Alexander Hamilton was
revolutionary in the sense that he be-
lieved in and advocated a change in
the existing order, and fought bravely
and with distinction by the side of
Washington to make that revolution
effective.
Andrew Jackson was somewhat of
a revolutionist. both personally and
politically. He revolutionized the
methods of appointment to public
service. He revolutionized the bank
ing system of the United States. He
revolutioniZed some Of the conceptions
OF his national character entertained
by his enemies when he declared
under dramatic circumstances that
the Union must be preserved against
sed1tion or secession anywhere.
Lincoln's Economic Changes.
abraham Lincoln was a revolu-
tionary. He revolutionized the eco
nomic system in half the States of the
Union, and as President of the United
States he directed four years war
to decide whether the Nation could
stand undivided in adjusting itself to
that economic and political revolution
for which he was largely responsible.
In many other respects Lincoln
showed his belief in changes which he
telt were necessary in growing and
expanding national life.
Theodore Roosevelt was a revolu-
zionist. He advocated what was termed
the square DEAL which was only an
other name for a new deal because
at that time any sort of square deal
was a new deal compared with the old
deal to which the people were accus-
toned.
He advocated the recall of judicial
decisions by popular election. This
was certainly revolutionary proposal.
Nothing that has been suggested,
brought forward, thought about or
dreamed of in the past year of the
new deal exceed the recall of judicial
decisions in its revolutionary qualities.
Compared with the conceptions of
the powers of the National Govern
ment entertained by some of those who
framed it, the construction of the
Panama Canal was certainly a revolu-
tionary innovation.
The Louisiana Purchase.
"Thomas Jefferson was perhaps the
outstanding strict conStructionist of
his day. He feared the enlargement of
the Federal powers. But when he be-
came President he wanted to purchase
Louisiana. He searched the Constitu-
ton for specific authority and found
1t not But he wanted it. Finally he
concluded that he could do it under
the 'treaty-making power conferred
upon the President, and in the exercise
Of this power he made a treaty with
Napoleon and purchased that vast
territory. But 1t was revolutionary
procedure. At the time it was charged
that If he had not broken the Consti-
tuition he had at least bent it woefully.
But we have Louisiana and all the
States carved out of it.
"At another time while he was
President he found a surplus in the
National Treasury. This is always a
tempting situation. Jefferson found it
so. He did not believe that Congress
had the power to expend this surplus