The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-05-02
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
Rv FRANK r KENT
Copyright by the Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
special permission.
No Winner In This Fight
By FRANK R. KENT,

icals." Some dreadful demagogues
have been developed whose voices fill
the popular ear and alarm many
thoughtful people. A great wave of
agitation seems to have arisen.
49,
Partly this is due to the long de-
preston, and partly, many think, it is
due to the Roosevelt Administration,
which for two years has had the rad
ical support, gone in the radical direc-
tion-and still is going that way. This
statement is meb with the familiar
argument that he saved the country
from something like revolution by
adopting policies calculated to soothe
the savage extremists and calm the
unrest of the dangerous elements. He
induced them to go along with him at
critical time by sympathetic atti'
tude. Otherwise, it is argued, they
would have upset the national apple
cart. This is advanced by his sup
porters as a justification for policies
they no longer defend and which have
not worked out.
Aside from the intimation that ex-
pediency rather than conviction in
spired Mr.. Roosevelt, it does not seem
sound excuse, because, in the judg-
ment of most calm men, the revolution
danger was not real one. 1t existed
in the minds of the overly apprehen-
sive, but not among those who know
how deep are the roots of our eco
nomic system and how strongly con-
servative the people, when not in
state of fright. However, the fact re-
mains that this sympathetic attitude
commanded enthusiastic radical sup
port up to the time they began to re-
gard him as a spurious radical, just as
the conservatives regard him as
spurious conservative. Yet, the rad
icals unquestionably have had-and
still have-more reason to believe The
President one of them, than the con-
servatives. He makes gestures 20
ward the Right, but his steps are al
most invariably toward the Left.
He talks winningly of the necessity
of restoring business confidence and
| nrooropo o1,,o;do+ad on tho civ SIDd axr
night, is, of course, radical program
and scares private industry rather
| badly. All the conservative elements,
all the budget balances, all the busi-
ness organizations, all those who dis
trust pump printing" methods, who
disbelieve in trying to deal with a
deficit by digging the hole deeper, who
dissent from the theory that nation
can spend its way back to prosperity
all these were strongly in favor o.
continuing on straight relief basis,
debating the rolls, cutting the cost to
a minimum. 1t was the radicals who
urged the more expensive way, the
La Follettes who wanted ten billion
instead of five. 1t is the conservative
view that even if the theory were
sound the job is too big and too COM
plicated to be successfully done except
by supermen. The absence of super
men in Washington is complete.
The point is that the compelling
forces in Mr.. Roosevelt's Administra-
ton and the strongest influences
among his friends are eagerly expert
mental The philosophy back of the
New Deal was evolved by them and is
not very different from the gospel
preached by Huey Long and Father
Coughlin. That will offend some of
his friends but it is the truth. Long
and Coughlin are wilder, more
blantant and offensive, less restrained,
personally hostil now to Mr.. Roose-
welt, and make no conservative ges-
lures. But there is not vast differ
ence. The appeal is to the same dis
contented classes. 1t is possible to
quote Mr.. Roosevelt's own words to
prove that. 1t is just as convincingly
shown by those upon whom he leans
most heavily.
The other day Mr.. Harry Hopkins
was quoted in number of papers as
having said in effect to a group of
FRA officials eff you don't know by
this time that this is fight between
those who have nothing and those who
have something, you don't belong in
the FRA" There has been no denial |
Of this and it is presumed Mr.. Hop
kins was correctly quoted. If he was,
it is difficult to see, except in detail, |
wherein he differs from Huey Long,
Father Coughlin, or any other of the |
wilder radicals. 1t isn't worth while |
to make conservative gestures, or
have the Ropers, Morgenthaus and
Farleys talk about business improve
ments with such stuff as that saturat |
ing the Administration. 1t has bee
the basic thesis of every demagogu.
in history to take aIUav from thOSf