Evening star., 1936-01-04
Preparation for Future Held
Big Task of Business In 1886
1887 and 1888 to Be Critical Years With
Economies Required and Cut in
Unemployed Essential.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

This Is the season Of prophecy, Of
wishful thinking, of realistic analysis.
What kind Of business year will 1885
brings Better the questions should
be: Wha. kind of year ought 1885
be made? What can we do to make
, a year Of substantial progress not
withstanding the fact that it will be
a year Of political polemics?
The Presidents message to Con-
gress, from which a cue as to the
future might be sought. was extraor-
dinary in that it did not contain q
single recommendation for legislation
or even modification of statutes
proved by experience now to need
changes and revisionary amend
mentS.
Apart from general discussion Of
foreign policy and neutrality, the
President confined himself to an i'm
plicit attack on critics. He assumed
that they would wish to repeal all the
measures his administration has
adopted when. as a matter of fact.
most of his opponents will concede
the worthiness of the general OBJ
jectives Of the New Deal, but will
question the methods and laws
adopted to attain those objectives.
Indeed, the President challenges
those who differ with him to be posi-
tive and cot negative" It's the same
plea for constructive criticism that
has been heard for nearly three years,
answered 100 times in recommends
tions now pigeonholed in Government
offices, and repeated now as the 1886
political campaign begins. This
writer ventures herein to make some
specific and positive suggestions as to
how public policy can aid recovery.
The coming year will differ from
the last year in at least one important
respect. We know now something
of our bearings. We have chart
to steer by. We know that recovery
must be achieved within the Consti-
tuition and we know, moreover. that
it can be.
On January 2, 1885, this CORE
spondent wrote:
"If in this season Of looking ahead
and looking back, one were asked to
say what single event in the coming
IL months most profoundly would in
fiuence the recovery process in Amer
lea, the answer that this writer would
give would be: The decisions of the
Supreme Court of the United States
Dual System at Issue.
"The fundamental issue is whether
the Federal Government shall become
all-powerful, whether it shall super
sede the rights and sovereignty of the
States. thus putting an end to the
dual system We have had from the
beginning Of the Republic, or whether
the New Deal shall be held strictly
within the original limits of our con-
stitutionsl system"
In sense the foregoing is still true
today. For there will be significant
decisions in the year 1886 by the Su-
preme Court. But the famous Schec-
ter case decision on May ~ last hold
ing the N. r. A. invalid by unanimous
opinion of nine justices of all shades
of economic and social philosophy was
the milestone. 1t turned America
from a bewildered cropping to an ag-
gressive march on the recovery goal.
But it did more. It told us the
limits within which our national
policies must be formulated. 1t did
not prevent the future amendment in
an orderly way of the Constitution
itself. On the contrary it affirmed
that the Constitution cannot be
changed bg usurpation, but only by
amendment.
Can Outline Future Policy.
Knowing now the principles of the
historic N. r. A. opinion, we can more
confidently outline future policy.
1t will be conceded, at the outset
that most people are not partisans.
They would as soon see prosperity re-
stored under Democratic as a Re.
publican administration. They have
little prejudice against personalities
as such. They are at heart without
political selfishness. For this reason
one can project policies in the hope
that the common sense elements ir
the American Nation will examine
proposals on their merits and with q
sincere desire to see progress and q
reconciliation of conflicting purposes
rather than perennial pickering II
public affairs.
There are certain things that ought
to be done. Whether the politicians
In public office will do them is moi
material. For they can be compelled
by an enlightened public opinion tc
accept sound programs of govern.
mental policy.
The basis Of American prosperity
Is balanced interchange of goods
and services, whether in the home
market or in the supplementary mar.
kets abroad.
Trade Barriers Within U. S.
Interchange is but another wore
for exchange" Barriers to exchange
In domestic United States are MOI
as readily recognizable as tariffs anc
quotas and monetary tinkering in thu
interchange of goods between coun.
tries. But obstacles to the free inter.
change of goods inside the United
States are none the less real. They
are governmental.
To promote the free exchange O.
sgoods there must be a minimum o
interference by agencies of Govern.
ment. What shall the line of demarca.
tion be? It is simple problem i
the politicians would only care Il
recognize it. Fraud, dishonesty. ex.
ploitation by monopoly. are clearly
discernible abuses In any economic
system and should by Federal anc
State law be punished and eradicated
But Government instruction to cor
rect economic. inequalities, to play ont
region against another, to pit one
class against another. to seek favol
from one group of voters at the ex.
pense Of the other-all in the namt
Of social reforms to retard ane
hold back an increased exchange oi
goods.
Federal Rarriers Erected.