The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-14
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DR.. HARRY ELMER BARNES

TINE other day received a somewhat STAR
Il ting folder which asked in flaming letters
the question: shall permit crime and
radicalism TO ruin our country?" Its sponsors
put themselves down as the Association Better
Citizenship Inc" In the folder We find such
fortnight statements as the following:
Crime, radcalism inhdelism unemployment
problems are destroying our vision"
we aim to make better citizens of all kinds
of citizens We deal with crime, radicalism and
unemployment scientifically"
Never before, as lar as records go that we
have seen, has there been an attempt to gain
the cooperation of the citizens Of the congested
districts in the fight against crime and radical
ISM"
I'VE conduct a weekly open forum in Red
Square (Union Square) for educational purposes
both Tor ourselves and the Reds. We are having
a bully good time. Rough and tough, but highly
enjoyable"
Now it is obviously desirable to organize asso-
Citations to combat crime. 1t IS also certainly
permissible for any one who feels like it to
organize groups for the peaceful suppression OF
radcalism.
At the same time if one has any regard for
truth, elementary logic or the transparent facts
Of American social history it is certainly not fair
to link up in one movement a drive both
crime and radicalism and to imply that the
radicals are primarily responsible for crime in
the United States.
TINE reverse of this comes nearer to the truth.
l. For the greater part of the really significant
criminaty in this country today irresponsible
capitalism and rugged jndividualism have been
primarily responsible, both directly and indi-
rectly.
The something for nothing" ideals of the
era Of finance capitalism have borne fruit in an
appalling development Of organized crime and
racketeering, obvious by-products of the sys-
tenn.
Crime represents anti-social action clearly
beyond the pale of the law and directly punish
able by the force of the state. Racketeering
embraces a wide variety of practices on the Dor
der line between crime and shady business prac-
tees. 1t rests primarily upon fear, and con-
siSts of diversified forms of eXtortion of money
without any corresponding service rendered.
Both contemporary crime and racketeerlng have
derived this inspiration and technique mainly
from certain business and financial practices Of
the last generation.
The basis for our crime orgy has been laid by
the developments of the last thirty years. 1t is
a law of social psychology, formulated by Gabriel
Tarde and others years ago, that the socially
inferior tend to ape the socially superior The
upper classes capitulated pretty thoroughly to
the prevailing something -for-n nothing" psychol-
ogy of the past era. Freehooting in railroads,
banks, utilities, receivershipS and the like be-
came shockingly frequent.
1T was inevitable that. sooner or later, process
l. of imitation would set in among the crimi-
nally inclined of the lower classes-eSpeciaAy the
foreign element.
Many of the practices of finance capitalism
have approached the border line of crininality.
This fact was recognized by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt in his message to Congress on Jan.
3, 1884.
." We have been shocked by many notori-
Gus examples of injuries done our citizens by
persons or groups who have been living off their
neighbors by the use of methods either unethical
or criminal.
I'm the first category-a field which does not
involve violation of the letter of our laws
practices have been brought to light which have
shocked those who believed that we were in the
past generation raising the ethical standards Of
business.
In the other category, crimes of organized
banditry, cold-blooded shooting, lynching and
kidnapping have threatened our security