The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-04

might seriously challenge the rule
Of Roosevelt.
But there is no such figure in
sight, and consequently no such
threat.
Recovering some of the same
ground I studied in my survey
five months ago (when I wrote
without apology that my belief
was that Mr.. Roosevelt was in
the bag and would carry from SO
to 40 states), find that in the
Middle West there is a consider
able turning of the white collared
Little HAYES" from F. D. R.
There is a growing desire for
change.
A Chicago business man, who
five months ago was less positive
in his opinions, put it this way to
me:
"Over America there are mil
lions of more or less independent
middle-class citizens. They voted
for Wilson in 1916 and for Roose-
welt in 1882. This group is now
turning from Roosevelt. They
know they will have to pay the
bills for his orgy of spendinr by
higher and higher taxes. They
are against the whole relief pro-
gram. This feeling started almost
a year ago but it has gained it's
real momentum during the past
80 days"
nOWN in the rich corn belt of
- middle Illinois talked with
a normally Republican farmer
whom I had interviewed in early
June.
He was then a little skeptical
about the AAA. He felt that the
drought had been the true cause
OF increased prices. Now he said
to me:
Most farmers are slowly get
ting around to the belief that we
must have some sort of crop con-
troll. Maybe the 3A's is not per-
feet, but it does keep us from
Wrecking ourselves by unre-
strained overproduction.
II guess we've got to give Roose- Q
welt and Wallace credit for what
they've done. reckon I'll vote for
him-and so will most of the
farmers around here"
In Indiana on the beautiful
Wabash River visited an elevator
man I had spent summer aft
ernoon with five months ago.
He had said then: 81 don't see
a chance of beating Roosevelt
unless something unforeseen comes
up. That something must be
pretty big"
This October day he had changed
his tune. He said: Most of the
Republicans who voted for Roose-
welt in '32-and he was elected by
the Republicans-are returning to
the old fold. People who own
property of any kind are begin
ming to be alarmed over the waste
of government money.
"And they're beginning to re-
alize that the whole New Deal is
tragic flop that not only cost
billions and billions, but has Gre
ated a class who under relief have
learned how to live without work.
ing.
Fully 80 per cent of the Re-
publicans who backslid in 1882
will vote against Roosevelt next
year."
DUT this present survey has to
- do with the industrial East
that is, east of the Mississippi.
In this ever-seething indus
trial cauldron = the American
melting pot of foreign and native
born peoples-I found workers
willing, even eager, to pour forth
their hopes. their fears, their
belief and their disbelief in the
present social and political set
up.
Let me pick at random from
the pages of my notebooks.
In Gary, in the heart of the
steel country. the new president
of the Indiana Federation of
Labor said to me:
People don't seem to realize
that it's almost over-I mean
that the depression is almost
ended. Why even our building
trades, that have been idle for
five years, are getting to work.
"Of course the Supreme Court
decision knocking out the NRA
raised Cain with many of our
new unions but the working man
doesn't blame Roosevelt for that.