The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-21


 ministration act the learned judge was entitled to a check from the government. But although a republican and an appointee to the supreme bench of a republi- can president, the late William Howard Taft, Justice Van Devan- ter refused to accept payment for curtailing his crops. The reason given was that as a member of the Court which voted to invalidate the A.A.A., he did not think he should accept the check. The re- fusal does credit to his sense of the fitness of things. It was his reasoned judicial conviction that the A.A.A. was unconstitutional. In view of that fact he felt it to be only right that he should not accept payment from a depart ment of the government which he and his associates in the major ity opinion, decided had no valid existence. It is to be regretted that Justice Van Devanter's good example came too late to be fol- lowed by young Allan Hoover whose income was augmented to the tune of some four odd thou sand dollars by observing the rules of the A.A.A. In fairness to young MT. Hoover it may be said that perhaps he does not agree with the denunciations against the act which emanate from the vocal chords of his dis tinguished parent, former Pres ident Herbert Hoover.
 
 Get the Money
 Justice Van Devanter's action in refusing to take government money for blowing under his wheat or aborting his hogs, or whatever 1t Is he goes in for in his leisure moments, is altogeth- CT unique among members of his party. Vociferating republican politicians have gone along on the theory that there is nothing wrong in profiting from the activities of the democratic administration even though the activities them selves are wrong. We have heard from republican spokesmen and read in republican newspapers that the program of President Roosevelt IS wasteful, illegal un- patriotic, dishonest both in crea- tion and operation. The use of public money for relief and for public works, they insist is i'm posing a burden of taxation which is impoverishing the present gen. eration and will inundate gen. erations yet to come. With an exception here and there every thing the president has done is alleged to be some kind of grand or petty larceny against the com- mon purse. Despite all their screeches of illegality there is no instance I know of where repub- lican governors of states or re- publican officials in cities, towns or villages have refused to accept government money on the grounds that the award was illegal or be- cause acceptance would constitute tacit approval of wastefulness. They have been, on the contrary, shining examples of that hypoc- risy which reprobates crime but which has no scruples against cashing in on its comm ission.
 All Alike
 Having heard it 50 often I am well aware of the defense which comes from republican quarters when attention is directed to the difference between their public preachments and their private practices. There is nothing new in it. It is the same as that offered for ages by those who traffick in stolen goods, by the gentry which Trolls" helpless drunks, by the swindlers of the ignorant, by the operators of con- fidence games, by the princes of pimpdom, by the princesses of prostitution, and by the whole confraternity of scoundrelism gen. erally. It is, rudely put, "If we don't take this guys dough some body else will" Republican offi- cials have accepted and used fed- eral money which they assert has been unconstitutionally appro- priated and which is part of national policy of wastefulness. .,nnIaeo.aao, and x.1n Va,AnI xAnIitiaaI