Milford chronicle., 1935-06-14


The most heartening thing in thu
whole Wilkes-BaFre visit was the in
tense interest and eagerness for ac
tion displayed by all the Republi
cans, both men and women, whom
met.
REPUBLICAN BUILDERS -. -,
An amazing moment OF political
calm, a dead center of party poll
tics, has followed the Supreme
Courts declaration of the unconsti-
,tutionality of the National Industrial
Recovery Act. l write in that i'm
pressive vacuum-befOre tlfe Presi-
dent has spoken.
The inpressiyeness of the moment
derives from many sources. 1t comes
/ in part from the momentaTy silence
of Mr.. Roosevelt himself. It comes
! from the abstentiOn of Republicans
/ from seeking to manufacture pOliti-
cal capital. Above all, It comes from
the sense that an instant of pOise
and thought has come to great
democracy, after a judicial decision
affecting its whole philosophy and
future.
Faith in democracy itself must be
strengthened by the country's grave
and calm reaction.
The people were apprised instant
ly of the wording and meaning of
the unanimous decision of the nine
justices of :he Supreme Court. Ra-
dio, almost unprecedently for so
lengthy a statement, interrupted all
programs at all stations to give it
time on the air" Newspaper press
es started grinding at high speed
bulletins and text in full"
Editorial opinion was in, the vast
majority, calm and favorable. There
were no revolutionary" utterances.
There were mighty few of what /
would classify as mine old gentle.
men" editorials.
Among the customary extremists,
Father Coighlin approved the de-
cision. Huey Long. up to this writ
ing has held his tongue. The TOWN
send Plan" has kept out of ii. Mayor
lie Guardia, of New York, has been
the most passiOnately vocal. But
even he advocated nothing more
than a constitutional amendment.
In other words. the reaction has
been completely within the Ameri-
can scheme of things. 1t was within
the plan of representative democrat
ic government which the decision
re-declared to the people. No Ameri-
can can fairly object to a movement
to amend the constitution in behalf
of the New Deal. Americans can.
should and have objected to trying
to change our fundamental ideals by
indirectiOn and evasion.
Business itself met the situation
cody and helpfully. It's leaders made
prompt appeal to manufacturers and
employers not to cut prices, dis
charge employees or get ride of the
sensible and American features of
the codes. Everything was said that
might make a readjustment steady,
instead of panicky. The first stock /
boom wore itself out in the /
sober second thought that this re-
turn to fundamentals might well /
AXE the inhatiOnary influence out of /
the stOck-list.
Labor was minatOry. Many of its .
leaders talked strike" but the Am
,rican Federation of Labor has re-
,ently used this threat so unreason-
lbly that it has lost force. II seems
10 NNf11
continue 20 wage its fight by con-
titutiOnal means.
49,
AS for the Republicans. they have
iotably refrained from the glOating
/ told you So" 1t may be that
heir silence, like that of the PTesi-
ent and the country. is in some de-
rec due to doubt and puzzlement
yer the steps to be taken in the |
ear future.
But | know, too that it was more
han that. There was a definite re-
raining from trying to put the
resident in a hole" or from crow I
lg over a victory for everything /
epublicans have been saying since I
iG Dl allA- LuolEIS leu NIL AAOO10-
cit the New Deals revolutionary S
olicies a year ago. After all, the |
5buke is the most complete and hui I
that has ever been admin
jtered to the leader of a great pO- l
tical party in this country. Sheer
craftsmanship, if nothing else. q
ould keep. decent opponents from |
it in" y
What the final political effect upon :,
le Republican party will be, it is :,
imply impossible TO predict. The de- :,
isiOn, by freeing Business, may l"
ring Recovery that will help Mr.. >,
oosevelt in spite of himself Or, on !, II
lie other hand. it may discredit him D D
the eyes of the people. Il
The Supreme Courts ruling In its :
and final aspect, Is to be
in importance with the,
red Scott slavery decision of 1857;
1T that decision put the shackles on
eedom, while this one takes them
+. O
Republicans, who believe in the e.
1ctrines which the National Repub-
-an Builders have been preaching a
nee it foundation. may be sure of n
le thing: The NRA decision makes, c,
Dt for bad, but for good. r