The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-06-27
Trouble for
Roosevelt

100000 works-relief fund. The diff
culties confronting the President are
of two kinds, each likely to prove EN-,
barrassing. At this writing it is i'm.
possible to forecast what the end will
be but the circumstances of the situa'
ton that has been brewing some weeks
seem to warrant a recital of the facts.
1t will be remembered that during
the long drawn out congressional fight
preceding passage of the S5O00,0OO,OOO
appropriation there were numerous
open accusations and many more mum
blings underneath that the fund would
be used by the administration to some
extent at least for political purposes.
Most observers thought at that time
that the accusations were simply rep
resentative of a boiling political pot.
1t was felt also that opponents of the
President were fomenting discomfort
and defections In his ranks in order
to establish a record for later political
campaigning.
Now, however, a different aspect ap-
pears. The patronage question has
bobbed up. 1t is coupled with COM
plants in many states against federal
encroachment upon states rights. SO,
1t is made to appear that Mr.. Roosevelt
is faced with a determined element
which is battling against his policies
not so much because he is a New
Dealer as because they believe federal
power has been extended to a new
boundary and this breeds fear Of fur
Their subordination and subjugation of
state authorities. The recent meeting
of the governors conference at Biloxi,
Miss, constitutes ample proof, If fur
Their evidence be needed, of the up
rising out in the states against en-
croachment on state affairs by the
Washington administration. History
records numerous instances where here
tofore the Washington government has
sought to extend the scope of its
power in one way or another, usually
in minor matters. In every instance
this move has been met by a solid
phalanx of state officials and state
leaders who have promptly put the
federal government back in its con-
stitutional place. AS far as recearch
discloses, however, the Biloxi govern
ors' conference is the first instance in
which the chief executives of states
have come out so openly with their
declarations that the federal govern
ment had gone too far. The Biloxi
pronouncements take on added sig
ntficance as well through the fact that
leaders who were the most critical Of
President Roosevelt in that meeting
were governors of additionally Demo-
cratic states.
As far as the meeting at Biloxi
itself Is concerned, it has served the
purpose of directing attention to Presi-
dent Roosevelt's policies on works re-
lief to a greater extent than anything
that has happened since passage of
the appropriation measure. 1t is true
that we have heard comparatively
little in the way of complaint over
the works relief program ennunciated
by Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t is probably equal
ly true that there has been only linn
tied criticism and little commendation
for these plans because the progress
has been SO slow. 1t has been six
months since the President told con-
gress he wanted the appropriation
fright away" and so the administration
has had that length of time in which
to work out plans for spending the
cash. The money itself has been avail
able over two months and only small
allotments have actually been expend-
ed, with the exception of the sum ap-
portioned for expansion and mainten-
ance of the Civilian Conservation
corps. Even members of the Presi-
dents works relief set-up are not en-
thusiastic about the progress. Thus
1t becomes plain that the governors
conference is likely to be the under
lying cause of continued criticism of
the works relief plans henceforth.
The other phase of the difficulties
faced by Mr.. Roosevelt links possibly
more directly with
Political the politics in the
Phase situation than does
that which I have
Just discussed. While the states
rights question and the potentialities
thorities to the will of the federal gov
eminent ties in directly with the
Presidents expressed desire for con-
stitutional revision, the second factor
carries possibilities of important pO-
ntical OBJECTIONS in the ranks of the
Democratic party.
Again, the governors conference
gives clue. State officials must main
tain their own political organizations.
Unless they do so they sink quickly
into oblivion. During the last fifteen
years the office of governor in a good
many states has been looked upon as
a stepping stone to the senate or to
the Presidency. Consequently, unless
the governor who has political ambi-
tons holds his own lines fast his
chances are gone. Since the federal
government has so much money to
spend in each one of the states it be-
comes obvious that the governors look
with longing eyes at the cash. If they
control the expenditure they WELD an
enormous power. The trouble is I'M
der Mr.. Roosevelt's policies the gov
ernors in most states are not being
allowed a voice in this expenditure.
Aubrey Williams, assistant emer-
gency relief administrator here, let
the cat out of the bag in his speech
to the governors at Biloxi. Few plain
er words could have been chosen than
were used by Mr.. Williams in impart-
ing to the goYernOrS' conference the