Evening star., 1935-06-16
The Mind of the King

The grass roots" conference of
Midwest Republicans did not make the
issue of the 1895 campaign. 1t merely
seized upon an issue which President
Roosevelt offered the Republicans, the
issue of increased Federal control and
concentration of power in Washington.
From this time forward the President
and the Democrats generally-with
the exception of the ardent New Deal
ers-may back away from this issue.
1t is an issue that has its prickly side
for them.
The President and the Democrats
may try to take the coming national
campaign back to the days of 1882,
when the country was sick and sore
and the Democratic goose hung high.
In those days. however, the Democrats
had q platform that was about as
much like the New Deal as day is like
night. The President then was cam
paigning for lot Of things that have
been cast into the discard by the New
Deal. To return to the days of 1892
in the campaign Of 1885 is likely to
be a tough task.
The grass roots conference, al
though 1t made no issues, called atten-
ton in plain language to shortcomings
of both the President and his admins
tration. 1t is on this record-and not
the record Of the Hoover administra-
tion-that the Roosevelt Democrats
will have to go to bat next year. The
conference served to center the spot
light on failures and inconsistencies
of the Democrats. But more impor-
tant, from the Republican point of
view, the conference was able to lay
emphasis on the fact that the demand
for centralized power in Washington
for powers far beyond those given in
the Constitution-comes not from the
brain trust, out from the President
himself, as disclosed in the President IS
talk with the press after the Supreme
Courts N. r. A. decision.
The Republicans in their grass roots
conference attacked the President be-
cause he had abandoned the cam
paign pledges made by himself and
his party for greater economy in
Government expenditures. Generally,
it Is more popular to spend than to
save. In the campaign next year
the administration will be engaged
in a huge program of spending. It
has been handed by Congress a sum
of $4,S80. 100000. 1t is this huge
fund which staggers even the grass
roots Republicans. They regard 1t
as the chief stumbling block to the
plans of the Republicans for the de-
feat of Democratic candidates. How.
they wonder, is it possible to defeat
nearly five billion dollars at the polls?
The cynical answer is that it is as
impossible as it was at one time said
to be impossible to put a million
dollars in jail"
How far can the President and
the new dealers back away from the
demand to concentrate great powers
in the hands of the Executive In
washington-powers which are essen
tial to national planning without
alternating the affections of the more
ardent of the new dealers? Even
before the Blue Eagle was plucked of
its feathers by the Supreme Court
Gen. Hugh s. johnson was complain
ing because the President did not
speak more clearly about his plans
for the future. Today. the general
suggested, mo man knoweth the mind
of the King"
The New Deal, or much Of 1t. the
President has declared, seems tmpos-;
sible in the light of the Supreme
Courts N. r. A. decision. II that
Is the case, what is the President
going to do about it? The grass root
ers take It for granted that he will
seek a constitutional amendment. The
Democratic high command, possibly
like Gen. johnson, Is wondering what
Is in the mind Of the King"