Evening star., 1934-04-22

laughter. but it also has con-
flrmed great many people in
Il their view that somehow or
other the administration con-
talns an irresistible conspiracy for
making Washington into a refined
residential suburb of Moscow. In
other words, it has confirmed them in
believing that this administration is
simply and consistently an admins
tration of the extreme left"
At the same time there is an in
cessant demand in conservative quar-
terS to the effect that the Republican
party shall assert itself as a party of
the Constitution. of the whole Consti-
tuition. and of nothing but the Con-
stitution. In other words. the Repub-
lican party shall become party SIM
ply and consistently of the extreme
fright"
Then We would have the situation
so dear to the hearts of the theoreti-
cal logicians of politics. We would
have left" party of clean-cut prin-
ciples and right" party of clean
cut principles, and the voter would
make basic fundamental philoSophi-
cal choice between two sets of clean
cut principles, and We would all know
where we were.
A Natural Desire.
It Is natural desire, in a way. The
human mind, in its abstract aspect
is always trying to come out on some
lofty, bare plateau and get complete
view of the whole forest beneath. Un-
fortunately the struggles of practical
politics-and especially of American
practical politics-are not conducted
for the purpose of getting views. They
are conducted for the purpose of get
ting offices. They are conducted in
the depths of the forest itself, from
behind all handy trees. no matter
whether they are oaks or Spruces and
no matter whether they stand to the
right or to the left of the main posi-
tions
And the consequence is that no
major American political party has
ever been anything but combination.
in varying proportions. of right" and
left" ideas and forces together.
Let us observe, for instance. the
present Democratic party. At the very
moment when the Republican Repre-
sentative, Mr.. Harold McGugin of
Kansas, serving on the Writ Investi-
eating Committee. is fearful that all
the industries and all the lands of
the United States will presently be
subjected to a ruthless BolShevik
brain-trust tyranny, I find young
brain-trusters who say to me dole
fully, THE Roosevelt revolution is
over" and who make no concealment
Of their intention to return presently
to the private practice of the law,
preferably in New York City and pref
erably as advisers to some colossal
financial or industrial corporation.
unhesitatingly prophesy that most
of the ablest of Mr.. RooSevelt's hoy
Communists" will end their lives as
cautious and cagey old gentlemen sue
cessfully and lucratively charting the
courses Of immense aggregations of
private wealth. I know of at least five
instances in which such aggregations
are already striving to enlist the serv-
ices of such "revolutionists" 1 some
times, indeed, even suspect that Rex
TugWell himself, our intimidating and
terrorizing Assistant Secretary of Ag-
riculture. will conclude his career as,
possibly, director general of the Fed
eral Budget-Balancing Association.
Talked Like Douglas.
Not long ago went to Mr.. Tugwell
to see if I could get an interview
from him supporting a new congress
sional left-wing bill for bigger and
better public works. This bill would
have required an expansion of public
credit of not more than perhaps $780,
000,000000. What was my surprise to
get from Mr. Tugwell a considerable
lecture on the desirability of main
tanning the solvency of the Federal
Treasury! He talked remarkably like
Lew Douglas. Mr.. Tugwell may be a
revolutionist. but he is certainly not
perfect one. He has his right" mo-
mentS.
So has the whole Roosevelt admin
lstratlon. In fact, our really liberal
publications. like the New York New
Republic, are now saying that the
Roosevelt administration in total, sex
hloltS a decided trend back to old
style capitalism" 1t would be fairer
to say that it exhibits trend toward
every point of the compass.
Mr.. Roosevelt is turning left" be-
cause he demands a stock exchange
control bill with teeth in it; and he
is turning right because he con-
cedes that the securities control law
should have some teeth taken out of
1t He is turning right" because he
fails to insist upon the re-enactment
OF the severe licensing" clause of the
national industrial recovery law. and
ne Is turning left" because he hints
at further monetary experiments.
And SO on.
The In-Betweens.
And it all means what? It means
that Mr.. Roosevelt, like the wise man
he is, can be seen trying to maintain
for himself at all times a majority
In the country. And there are not
enough strict "rightists" in the coun-
try to make majority. And there
are not enough strict "leftists" in the
country to make a majority. And.
thereupon, in order to get a majority,
you must play also to that vast mass
OF in-between people who are neither
absolute "rightists" nor absolute left
lists" but just simply regular Amer
leans who derive from the American
Revolution a contradictory passion
both for immutable principles and
for boundless adventures.
This double cha acter of the true
American was eternally stated when
Rudyard Kipling said about him:
'Enslaved, illogical, elate,
He greets the embarrassed gods, nor
fears
To shake the iron hand of fate
And match with destiny for beers"
Anybody who will ponder the his
toric truth that lies behind those lines
will perceive that it is all nonsense
10 talk about totally left" party or
. totally right" party in the United
States in major politics. The normal
American voter is neither right" nor
tEIeft He iS hOth He iS "enSlayed''