Evening star., 1936-05-29

u
stand, and sometimes concede, the
correctness of my view. But we ought
not to forget, indeed. we will not be
permitted to forget, in this compaign
that to the destitute share cropper of
the South, to the jobless millions in
the North, to all who still live by help
of the Government, to the farmer
wrestling with his debts and taxes in
the shadow of threatened diminishing
market, to independent business every
where, to men and women all over the
land, in business or in the professions,
anxious to know how long they can
carry the ever-increasing burdens of
Government, City, State and National
to all these, debates over constitu-
tional government and the integrity Of
the courts may seem strangely remote
from their personal problems. No in
telligent and effective presentation Of
the problems of maintaining our free
institutions can be presented in this
campaign, or in my opinion, at any
time, unaccompanied by an effective
proposal which will relieve the. citizen
of his personal problems.
Monopolistic Practices
Bound Up in Freedom.
In the modern world social and eco
nomic problems are inextricably inter-
twined with all questions of govern
tyyta in a
world-and it has always been true
that economic and political freedom
go hand in hand, it is true now. If
We are not prepared as a party to
strike down monopoly and price-fixing.
and all monopolistic practices, to take
this action in order that men may
enjoy economic freedom, that purchas-
ing power may be restored to the
IrlaSSes-the answer to the farmer
hunting for market and labor hunt
ing for job-f we are not prepared
to deal with this issue, which means
bread and clothing and opportunity to
millions, we will get nowhere with the
discussion Of political liberty, or Of
constitutional government as a cam
paign issue. These social and economic
problems are bound up not only in the
open field Of endeavor, but also in the
hearts and minds of the people with
the questions Of government. 1t Is 80
elsewhere. It Is no different under our
own flag. g.. . ..
We have witnessed in our own
generation the effect Of social unrest
and economic distress upon govern
ment to an extent that we ought
not to be Indifferent to the effect
of these things at home. The swift
incredible change in Russia culmi-
mating in the Soviet regime; the
Fascist coup in Italy establishing
sive revolutions in Germany, a most
conservative people, leading at last
to Nazi Hitlerism full of unsolved
political riddles; these things can not
be wholly ignored when we are dis
cussing the relation of social ques-
tions to government.
am neither prophesying nor de-
Tending revolution. I am saying that
in the modern world, social and &C.
onomic problems are associated in
the popular mind with wisdom and
efficiency of any form Of government,
the republican or autocratic.
Undermining Of Democracy
Traced to Corporate Practices.
If one-quarter of per cent Of
all the corporations in the United
States, as they have and do, control
one-half Of all corporate wealth and
fix prices on many of the most es-
sential things In our daily living,
then as to the most vital things in
life, the means and standard of living,
concentration of economic power is
already established and, II continued,
concentration Of governmental power
to meet the situation will inevitably
follow. Will we long, as people, be
able to maintain q situation under
q Constitution which declares you
may not fix prices on the farm or
in the home because Of State lines,
but private corporate interests may
fix prices throughout the entire coun-
try regardless Of State lines. I men
tion these things. not to carry forward
a discussion which might be supported
by multitude of facts equally appli-
cable, but to indicate my belief that
underlying any and all questions
touching the preservation of consti-
tutional democracy are the economic
problems which are now undermining
democracy.
When the national recovery act,
now held unconstitutional, was pro-
posed. it was supported almost by the
entire Nation, by 90 per cent of the
press, by an overwhelming majority Of
Congress, by the Executive.
It Is believed now that, had this
law become permanent, it would have
wrought fundamental changes In our
form Of Government. Only five men
stood In the way of its permanent
adoption. Behind this measure at the
time-and which alone made 1t pos
sible-was business chaos, hunger and
threatened starvation. Something had
to be done. How near we were to o
most fundamental change in our
whole constitutional structurel And
why were we so near-because OF
economic and financial conditions |
that had become tntolerable? What |
brought about these conditions? II
was an economic and financial set
up that reduced one-half Of our peo- |
pie to the ragged edge Of want.
Economic Justice Sole
Protection Of Principles.
Ten years had gone by since the |
war. Our national income was over |
eighty billion. Neither drought nor
famine had visited our people. Yet,
something was basically wrong. Mo-
nopolistic greed had robbed millions |
Of q decent living or even an oppor-
tunity to make decent living. ALI
OF this reacted upon the most funda-
mental principles Of constitutional
Government and with practical ap-
proval Of the entire Nation. No gov
ernment can indefinitely Withstand
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