The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-11
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DR.. HARRY ELMER BARNES

PROGRESSIVE and radical criticism of the
L New Deal has now taken rather definite
and coherent form.
1t is asserted that the New Deal has failed
to achieve its main detectives 1t has not brought
recovery. even of a temporary character, nor has
it brought reconstruction of American eco
monte society based upon longtime economic
planning. 1t is alleged that its program has been
quite inadequate and, all too often, contra
dictory.
The progresSives contend that not only has
the New Deal been disappointing to date, but
that the President has no chance of recovering
lost ground and moving ahead to accomplish
what he originally promised the American
people.
The almost pathetic confidence which the
majority of Americans placed in the President at
the time Of his Inauguration has certainly waned
if it has not been dissipated Millions are con-
fused, disappointed and disillusoned. Partisan
ship, which for time after March, 1888
held in allegiance through either patriotism or
fear has reappeared with unusual virulence.
Congress has asserted its independence and
the President can not even control the full DEM
ocratic vote in either House There is little
chance that the Democratic majority will be as
large or more docile after the election of 1886
The Supreme Court has set itself solidly in the
path of anything like a New Deal in our eco
nomic life. The increasing public Indebtedness
will make it ever more difficult for the Presi-
dent to 60 on spending as freely as he has in the
past in order to promote recovery maintain
his own popularity.
TT is the progressive thesis that Mr. Roosevelt
had a magnifcent-even unparaleled-op-
portunity in the spring of 1888 He could have
nationalized the banks, put end to the saw
age opposition of finance capitalism to square
deal for the forgotten man. and paved the way
for almost any degree of further progress in the
rpp nj
The President could have put end, not
only to electric utility holding companies, but to
holding companies in every line of financial and
industrial activity, thus wipi1g out at a single
stroke the most powerful and inSidious force and
technique undermining American capitalism. He
could have put a precautionary law through
Congress empowering him to appoint as many
new justices to the Supreme Court as he deemed
desirable, in this way making it impossible for
the Supreme Court to hamstring him.
1t is the contention of the progreSsives and
radicals that Mr.. Roosevelt was extremely stupid
not to realize this unique opportunity and to
seize upon it from the outset.
There is certainly great deal of truth in
the above criticism. The New Deal has GER
tainly failed to live UP to Mr.. RoOsevelt's prom
iSeS or to the legitimate expectations of his lib
eral followers 1t is also quite obvious that he
had great chance and "muffed' it.
But it does not follow that savage personal
t.
fable or sportsmanlike. Mr.. Roosevelt did not
come to the presidency with the perspective of
an advanced progressive, to say nothing of
radical or revolutionary. He believed, with hum
dredS of thousands of other American liberals
that big business had learned its lesson, from
the collapse of the Coolidge prosperity. the flu
tilltleS OF the Hoover procedure and the bitter
experiences Of the depression.
TT is easy and logical for radical to contend
l. that Mr.. Roosevelt should realize that the
temporary contrition, penitence and yearnings
of American capitalism in 1888 were nothing
more than another case of the devil wishing to
be a monk when desperately ILL.,
But Mr.. Roosevelt had plenty of reasons for
believing that the majority of American business
leaders would cooperate with him The Swope
plan had forecast the National Industrial Re-
covery Act. The United States Chamber of Com
merce had warmly advocated wide scale eco
nomic planning. Many of the most important
business leaders of the country had recon-
mended sorIe form of social insurance. Even the
Republicans had frankly admitted that some
thing hesoic needed to be done to relieve the
desperate plight of the American farmers.
Mr.. Roosevelt would have been far greater
genius than even his most adulatory admirers
have ever contended to have been able to have
foreSeen the stupidity. avarice and short sighted
ness of large section of American finance and
business since March. 1888.
The incredible failure of American financial
and business leaders to muster even some SEM
blance of enlightened selfishness has proved in
credible even to Communists, who are profession
ally committed to the thesis OF capitalistic
stupidity.