The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-05-17

ington is the explo-
bt0St at sion of bomb by
NeuD Deal business. 1t Is sig
nificant and impor-
tant that the business voice, as repre-
| sented by the Chamber of Commerce
Of the United States, has spoken In
such emphatic terms about the New
Deal. 1t is further a matter of sig
nificance that the business voice eriti-
as specifically, because it is the first
time in the period since President
| Roosevelt took charge that anything
like unity in business thought has been
presented.
The reaction was instantaneous.
First, Secretary Roper of the Depart
ment of Commerce mustered q men,
bers of his business advisory commit
tee for a counter attack. 1t was al
most drowned out by the chambers
roar. Such was not the case however,
with the Presidents reply. He waited
until the convention had ended to let
loose a charge that the business in
terests we're selfish. 1t made all the
front pages.
This brings us to the crux of the
condition precipitated by the outburst
of the Chamber of Commerce conven-
ton. 1t is seldom. and l believe the
record shows this statement to be abb
soiutely true, that annual conventions
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States have been taken serious
ly by the newspapers. The business
men have been looked upon as posses
sors and promoters of rather anti
quated ideas. Their interests have
been and are of a selfish character.
That is quite obvious and quite nat
Ural. But at this time, the voice of
business speaks more than just bust
ness views. 1t speaks politically.
Hence. when business spoke this time
the newspapers of the country paid
heed. The result was an unprecedent-
ed amount of publicity was obtained
by the chamber through the medium of
its convention this year.
Whether this represents a change in
the thought of the country, surely no
one individual of any group is able
to say definitely. 1t must be recog-
nized however, that for many months
highly vocal minority of politicians
has been accusing the administration
of throttling criticism. Although this
group fought vigorously and charged
the administration with having the
greatest propaganda machine ever to
exist, it obtained little publicity for
those views. Most newspapers dis
missed them by publication of three or
four paragraphs. buried on the inside
pages of the metropolitan dailies. So,
necessarily, significance attaches to the
fact that when the business voice was
raised in apparent unity the newspa-
pers accorded columns of space to it. II
can be construed in no other way than
as meaning there Is a larger opposi-
ton to some phases of the New Deal
at least than most of US had expected.
For quite while such groups as the
American Liberty league have pounded
away at certain
Opposition phases of the New
Unified Deal. To the Wash
ington observers It
appeared that these groups were get
ting nowhere and getting there fast.
OF sudden, however, the voice op-
posed to the New Deal seems to have
found itself. Certainly at the moment
and for the first time, there is an ap-
Proclamation of unity to New Deal
opposition and that fact is reflected in
rather important way. 1 refer to
the courage exhibited in congress
where there is more and more evil
dence of a decision on the part Of the
legislators to assert their independence
in contradistinction to previous silent
obedience to the White House.
l believe it is too early to attempt
prediction. whether the Chamber of
Commerce leadership will last. If l
were to make an individual guess
would say that leadership of this type
will crumble. That guess is predicated
upon the record of the past because
HSIctOlOIc has DCCu ttuC tHdt
business always suffered OBJECTIONS
and presently there was bushwhacking
in it's own camp. Regardless of
whether that condition develops again,
the explosive character of the speeches
in the chambers convention have
added a momentum to Roosevelt oppo-
sition which it has lacked heretofore.
1t is just possible. therefore, that even
if business leadership fails In its efforts
to curb radical tendencies among the
administration group, well knit oppo-
sition may now be developing.
Pursuing this assumption further,
one hears suggestions around Washing
ton to the effect that genuine and
basic issue for the 1896 campaign may
be in the making. 1t would seem that
Mr.. Roosevelt will be forced into the
position again of appealing to the
forgotten man of his 1892 campaign
who has since been forgotten. The
conservative thought of the country
meanwhile will marshal behind the
home owners, the possessors of property
and capital and the workers whose in
come must be taxed heavily in subse-
quent years to pay for the program
of spending our way out of the de-
preston.
| Some support is seen for this theory
of probable issues in 1886 in the recen.
statement of Postmaster General Far.
ley who spoke politically as chairman
of the Democratic national committee
In almost so many words, Mr.. Farley
declared that the business interests
had not been favorable to Mr.. Roose-
welt; that they were not now favor
able to him and that there was no