Evening star., 1935-05-20
On to Washington!

The veterans started the procession
OF marches" on Washington in 1882.
The farmers, demanding the reten-
ton of the A. A A. program and the
passage of the Wallace amendments
to strengthen the Three AS" recently
moved out of Washington after hold
ing a mass meeting here. Now the
business men and industrialists, 1,500
strong, are due here Wednesday to
hold q meeting in favor of the ad-
ministration's plan for two-year ex-
tension of the N. R. A There are also
threats from the hinterland that if
the President vetoes the Patman
"greenback" soldiers bonus bill, new
bonus army will descend upon the Ma
tional Capital, even more numerous
than that which came here three
years ago.
The marches made on Washington
by these various groups are designed
for one purpose alone, to advance the
interests Of the individuals of these
groups as they see them. The theory
of the march of large group is to
give ocular proof of the support be-
hind legislative demands and demands
for money. Mass psychology! When
the farmers came to Washington last
week they were addressed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. This march was right
down the administration alley. The
farmers had come to Washington to
urge the necessity of continuing the
administration program. They had
all received Government checks for
not growing this, that, or the other
thing. They wished to continue re-
ceiving these checks. They were op-
posed to knocking down the process
ing tax on cotton, or wheat, or to-
bacco, although the processing tax is
raising hob with the cotton textile
mills and shooting the prices of cot
ton goods to a point where substitutes
for cotton and cheap importations
are beating down the demand upon
American mills.
Charges were made in the Senate
and elsewhere that the farmers who
marched on Washington had come
here at the instance of the Govern
ment's A. A. A. agents, and even
that Government money had been
used to finance, in part, the march
on Washington. These charges were
Indignantly denied. The determine
tion TO move In body to Washington,
the farmers said, had "just growed,"
like Topsy. The industrialists and
business men who are supporting the
N. r. A. continuance are coming here
TO help the President in his fight with
the Senate over that governmental
agency. If the President addressed
the farmers who came here for
similar purpose, there seems no good
reason why he should not address the
business men. Here is an opportunity
10 distinguish between business men,
10 separate the good from the bad.
Not long ago the United States Cham
Der Of Commerce met in convention
IN Washington. 1t adopted resolutions
denouncing several Of the administra-
tons pet plans. There was no presi-
dential address.
Senator King of Utah, an opponent
of the N R. A. as it stands, insists
that N. r. A. code authorities have
stimulated the march on Washington.
II they did, it would not be unnatural.
There would be none of these marches
on the National Capital had there not
been greater and greater centraliza-
ton of Government here. All eyes
turn to Washington as the sunfiower
turns to the sun. The tendency is
more and more away from State gov
ernment State independence, fostered
rs 1t is by grants Of more and more
billions of dollars by the Federal Gov
eminent.