The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-07

GO AHEADl
TWO and a half years ago, when Franklin
Il Roosevelt was inaugurated. al Of Us. in
GLIDING business big and little were yelling
frantically for help. The yells were directed
at the new President. The cry was for quick
action-quick.
Action came. And. as the perilous days of
March, 1888 wore on into less perilous days
and weeks. We as a nation came to the con-
clusion that. though things were still awfully
bad. all hope was not lost. Eventually there
arrived a time when business emerged from
the cyclone cellar And then there arose a
voice. lon and feeble at first. then louder and
louder. demanding that business be let alone.
But the plan Of the man TO whom help"
had been shouted contained certain ideas about
q permanent rather than merely temporary
recovery. And that meant reform of those
practices which had brought all of US, includ-
ing business. into the predicament that had
made the SOS necessary. And so it came to
pass that the voice demanding to be let alone
grew noisier and more shrin.
The course Of reform was effected IN the
Congress which has just closed. Now, officially
and with great vigor there is given to business
the signal to 90 ahead. The breathing spell
is here-very decidedly So" the President
writes in an exchange Of letters with Roy w.
Howard.
II would seem, therefore. that the source
from which the next move should come is very
clear. It appears to be a proposition of put
up or shut up"
And even though many, running on the
momentum Of their complaint declare that
even if it's good they don't ike it. Wall Street.
that baromr n Of business. responds-a Wall
Street. be noted, washed and scrubbed and
disnfected by the man who, when his help
was summoned. made a special stipulation
about the money changers and the temple.
Anyway the slogan from here on should
be: Business. you asked for it; you have it;
now let's see what you can co with it."
ON that fateful day of March 4, 1888, Presi-
~ dent Roosevelt said: This great nation
will endure as it has endured, will revive and
prosper. We do not distrust the future Of es-
senIal democracy"
out Of the action that was called for, and
secured. a strange and sometimes almost hys-
-erical opposition has developed-an opposition
to whom only the old order is sacred and
change is vile. Its theme has been that all
efforts toward reform have been efforts toward
revolution Some have said the sinister design
is Fascist. Others that it is Communistic. Still
others have chosen to talk fearfully of the
collectivistic and others of the totalitarian
state. And all this despite what the President
had said at his inaugural. and repeated many
times since, about a nation that would endure
as it has endured-a democracy.
Because of the growth of that propaganda
it is particularly fitting that the President
should summarize as he has the detectives of
his program 10 date and in the future so that
the great mass of the people may judge
whether revolution turks therein. He writes:
1T was necessary to seek a wise balance ir
American economic life. to restore orr banking
system TO public confidence. 20 protect in
vestors in the security market. to give labor
freedom to organize and protection from ex-
ploitation. to safeguard and develop our
national resources. to set up protection against
the vicissitudes incident to old age and I'M
employment. to relieve restitution and suffer-
ing, and to relieve investors and consumers
from the burdens OF unnecessary corporate
machinery"
The calm statement of that creed should
do much to improve the sleep OF those who
have been seeing things at night. And as it
acts as a sedative it viii contribute greatly to
the confidence which his whole letter inspires.