Evening star., 1935-03-19
R|CHbERG LASHES
PUBLIC |NFLAMERS.
Declares Vital Question Is
Whether Emotion or
Reason Govern.
Continued From First Page.)

NCOIlCuIuSu TIOlIl 1 II oG oSSJ
Of the man who is sufficiently igno-
rant, or vicious, or blindly emotional
to promise some simple cure for a
highly complicated disease"
Emotion VS.. Reason.
He warned against the "wise-cracks
of the superficial politician" and the
"smooth oratory of any empty mind"
THE critical issue of 1885," Rich
berg said, lies in this question: Is
public opinion to be formed, and the
leadership of business and politics to
be guided, more and more by unrea-
soning emotion, or shall we see a re-
pival of the rule of reason?
"Are the shouters, the exhorters and
the wise-crackers going to dominate
public thinking, or. before long, will
q bored and noise weary people turn
off the radios, turn away from the
believing. in the press and on the
platform, of obstructionists and de-
stroyers and listen to progressive
minded leaders in business and poll
tics who. on the basis of long expert
ence and practical knowledge, are
known to be sincerely working for the
greatest good of greatest NUMBER"
Defends N. r. A.
Richberg continued his warning
against "demagogic appeal to preju-
dice or class interest"
Concluding, he delivered a defense
of the National Recovery Administra-
ton and scored the critics who have
become louder as court decisions have
set back the administration. The re-
versals, he said, do not involve the
principles of N R. A., but instead the
methods used in carrying out the law.
There is no question of the power"
Richberg asserted. There is only
the question of how and where that
power should be most wisely exercised
THAT question cannot be an
swered soundly by emotional exhorta-
tions to protect the liberty of men to
make money out of the sweat and Sor-
row of underpaid. overworked men
and women. 1t cannot be answered
soundly by the clamor of monopolists
to be free from governmental inter-
ference. or by the wailing of sweat
shop operators for the same liberty
The text of Richberg's address fol-
lows:
In this hour when the radio broad
casting channels and the newspapers
are pouring into the ears and ewes
OF the American people, so much of
the shouting, raging and coarse
vituperation of passionate politics, I
am most grateful for the opportunity
given by the National Radio Forum
to discuss earnestly, but without per-
sonal rancor. the greatest present
menace to the peace and prosperity
OF this Nation.
The United States is not threatened
by the hostile designs of any other
Nation. With ample capacity of self
detense and no aggressive intentions
against other peoples, we should
neither fear nor expect to arouse such
hostility.
The United States does not lack the
means of self-support. We have am
pie resources for the maintenance of
all our people in greater comfort and
secrlty than any people have ever
enjoyed. We can exchange many of
our products with those of other ma
tlons to mutual advantage, but our
aolnty 70 serve our major needs is
not dependent upon international
trade.
The dangers confronting the Amer
lean people today, the obstacles still
retardng our recovery. arise within
our borders. We are faced with the
absolute necessity of ending certain
evils and weaknesses in our methods
OF making money and of governing
oul selves. The vast aior:tv know
that this job must be done. but thew
do not know how to do it. They must
trust to leadership in business and in
politics.
Three Kinds of Leaders.
There are three classes of leaders
VINO ofter their programs for public
support, who may be roughly classi-
fed as: The Old Guard. the Progress
slves and the Destroyers.
Ihe Old Guard believe we should
go back to that system of unrestrained
seH-seeklng, under which few peo-
PIE could accumulate unjuStified
wealth and control the lives of null
tltude, without acknowledging or full
Milling their responsibility to the gen.
eral welfare. The Old Guard pros
pered under that system, and they
simply do not understand that such
system. under which millions of peo-
pie have been and are still denied en-
ployment and are destitute in the
midst OF plenty, can no longer be toll
Grated.
The Destroyer, de5pairing of anv
Improvement in system deeply rooted
IN special privilege and controlled bv
legally entrenched money power wish
TO destroy it utterly They have suf-
Tered under the system. They have
no stake in its preservation. and thew
are ready to smash it by any means.
Inc Progressives, seeking to i'm
prove the system, arouse the bitter
opposltlon OF both the Old Guard. who
1ear any change, and the Destroyers
who want everything changed
II America had only a simple
cnoice between these three programs
tnere would be little cause to fear the
1uture. The Old Guard, with all its
economic power, can only swing a
Jew million voters to its support. The
Destroyers, stirring the passions of
tne unemployed. the discouraged and
Jealous cannot unite even all the vic.
titnS OF social injustice in a revolu-
tionary campaign that would ruin the
AVes OF at least thirds of our
populatlon who are now enjoying a
1alfiy decent standard of living. The
Overwhelming majority of our citi-
sens would support a unified, progress
sive leadership of those who call them
selves Democrats or Republicans, but
who, under any political banner, are
loyal to American institutions and
have faith in the principles and
processes Of self-government.
But the grave danger of the present
time lies in the failure of the Pro-
.H~~ lbA a@.So~l