The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-03-12

| OOOH OF ldL6 Inc SlSulllCdIlCG VI LISS6
condolences" by which suits against
citizens alleging conspiracy, fraud OF
failure to pay taxes invariably hap
pen to be instituted against conspicu-
Gus opponents of the Administration
or those who have incurred it's dis
pleasure as critics, may sink into the
public constituencies.
They seem altogether too many and
too we'll timed to be free from intent.
At any rate, they have succeeded in
creating a fear of the Government
which never existed in this country.
1t is the sort of thing common enough
under European dictators but here
tofore unknown here. That men who
openly differ with the Administration
should feel in danger of governmental
reprisals, and that others who believe
the reelection of Mr.. Roosevelt men
ace to the nation should hesitate to
say so and, in fact, cover up by sur
face support, lest they be the object of
attack, is a state of affairs as I'M
American as it is outrageous.
49,
The latest Coincidence" is the re-
ported effort to collect gift taxes on
some 100000 given away by Senator
Couzens, Of Michigan. Some time ago
Senator Couzens was looked upon
with considerable favor by the New
Dealers, but not now. For the past few
months Mr.. Couzens, who is one men,
Der of the Senate who always says
exactly what is in his mind, has been
telling a good many people just what
kind of a general mess he thinks the
New Deal is.
1t is said that he so expressed HIM
self in some very high quarters, in
deed. Also, he publicly charged that
Walter ]. Cummings, treasurer of the
Democratic Committee, was receiving
salaries totalling 100000 a year from
RFC borrowers, which, if it does not
border on the scandalous, at least is
ridiculous in an Administration pub
licly devoted to the ''underprivileged."
That news of the effort to soak Sen
ator Couzens should follow so quickly
upon the heels of his assault on Mr..
Cummings, and other acts of "recal-
citrancy" may, of course, be "coin-
cidence. But these condolences" are
happening so often that they get right
hard to believe in.
*#*
Whether the suit against Mr.. Couz-
ems will be pressed is doubtful. Mr..
Couzens is a candidate for reelection
this year. But he happens also to be
one of the most miserable men in
public life, as those who recall the
famous Couzens-Mellon, feud well
know. If the Administration continues
the effort, it will get no plaintive plea
to be let alone from Senator Couzens.
What it will get will be a pretty stiff
fight. 1t, of course, has immense ad-
vantage in such fight; but that
makes no difference to Mr.. Couzens.
He hasn't had a good, healthy fight
for long time and he sorely misses it.
The point is that, while this effort
will not scare the miserable Couzens,
it helps spread fear and inculcate the
belief that the tax branch Of the Gov
eminent can be used as an instrument
to punish. Another instrument about
which this idea exists is the Black
Lobby Committee, whose shopping
seizure of private kilograms prepare
| tory to reopening it's investigations
has caused an outburst of Indignation
in all sections. The feeling is general
that Senator Black, who heads this
committee, is afflicted with "persecu-
tor complex" that he is more con-
cerned with trying to make political
capital for the Administration thar
anything else, that his attacks were di-
rected exclusively against individual:
and organizations hostile to the New
Deal, that those friendly are left en-
tirely alone.
The fact that the Federal Commu-
nications Commission made it possible
for Senator Black to use his "secret
police" to seize kilograms of hundreds
of private individuals for his Paul Pry
purposes seems conclusive evidence
that the Administration is back Of
him. The plain truth is that behind all
this love your neighbor and humani-
tartan slush with which the New Deal
propaganda reeks; back of these pro.
fessions of high ideals and noble pur-
pose, and back of the SNUG self-right-
eousness which characterizes it's prin-
cipal spokesman, there is in this Ad-
ministration vindictive streak, &
ruthless and ve54geful spirit, which en-
able it to use governmental agencies
to punish, just as it is using the weight
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