The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-22
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

III
I United States today are three in number:
Cd reactionary business; 90 progressive in
tellectuals and 90 dogmatic revolutionarieS. We
know well enough what the first and the third
stand for.
If we are not charmed by either Fascism
or Communism it is matter of real practical
Importance to know just where the progressives
stand on the major economic and political
problems of our day.
Perhaps the best sampling of contemporary
progressive attitudes in America is that which
has recently been conducted by Prof. Henry
Pratt Fairchild and the New Republic.
missionaries of comprehensive character
were sent out to representative intellectual
leaders in all the jor American professions.
Some 80 sent full replies. I think it would be
generally admitted that though these go do not
constitute all the progressive leaders of the
country they are certainly very fairly repre-
sentative of progressive opinion.
1t is fact worthy of passing note that not a
single college or university president was either
interested or courageous enough to fill in the
QUESTIONABLE.
Just where do these 90 intellectual leaders Of
the United States stand on our major issues?
approximately one-third favor continuance
of the present order with some considerable
patching Hp. Roughly speaking, they may be
presumed to favor something like the Roose-
welt New Deal.
THE other two-thirds express at least gen.
Il eral yearning for a new social and eco
nomic order. They stand firmly for definite
Specialization of the economic structure" But
a mai rity of these two-thirds would leave some
place for private enterprise and would prefer
to work toward new order by gradual and
constitutional methods rather than through di-
rect action and violence, Even So the fact that
progressive opinion leans very decidedly toward
a new order of things is a fact of prime i'm
portance in reckoning on the future of America.
Among all 90 there almost unanimous
support of social security legislation; the aboh-
ton OF child labor; the establishment of a Fed
eral banking system the preservation of free
speech and civil liberty, and a drastic reduction
of ornaments.
A large majority favored free trade; an ex-
tensive program Of public works; the regulation
OF wages and the maintenance of a minimum
standard of living for all classes of the popula-
ton; a thorough going renovation of our whole
monetary system; and reliance upon higher in
heritance. income and profit taxes to raise the
money which would enable the state to assume
and pay its desirable responsibilities in our age
The significance of all this is admirably
stated by Prof Fa:Tchild.
The central message of this study stands
out quite clearly. 1t is possible to get intelli-
gent, conscientious, cautious people to express
themselves positively on proposals for definite
social action, and when they do express them
selves, they display pronounced agreement.
PRACTICALLY all Of them want social Sc
l. curity provisions. either as a part of
captalistic or a socialistic economy; they all
want child labor abolished as a means of liveli-
hood; there is a vocferous demand for ex-
tenSive public ownership and operation, par
tcularly of munitions plants and unequivocal
rejection of fixed gold standard
Free speech and a reasonable standard Of
living must be socially guaranteed and the re-
sources for governmental operation must be de-
rived primarily from heavily graduated income,
inheritance and profit taxes
This study shows that there is an army of
liberal and progressive thinkers who are not
guided merely by prejudices and predictions,
and whose convictions though PROBABLY under
going some daily notifications, are nevertheless
sufficiently confirmed and fortified to enable
them to net sincerely and with respect to con-
srete proposals.