Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-21
Gratitude In Politics.

vi l.
Gratitude too often is erased from the
lexicon of politics. Senator Hastings OF
Delaware took occasion yesterday in the
Senate to recall to certain Democratic
leaders, who are today bitter in their
denunciation, what they owed in the
past to some of the members OF the
American Liberty League. He recalled,
for example, that members OF the Du
Point family in the past contributed
large sums to the Democratic campaign
chest that these sums were contributed
not only in the campaign of 1928, but
also in the campaign of 1882. He mem
toned the fact that John j. Raskob,
at one time chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, took hundreds OF
thousands of dollars out OF his own
pocket to help finance the Democratic
national campaign in 1928 and that he
continued his support of the Democratic
organization thereafter, when the Demo-
cratic party was fiat on its back.
These Democrats are now members
of the American Liberty League, which
is committed to the support of the Con-
stitution of the United States and to
the liberties guaranteed the American
people under that great document. And
yet it is charged by the New Deal Demo-
Gratis that the men whose money was SO
gladly accepted by the Democratic Ma
tional Committee in the past are actu-
ated only by the baseSt of motives. II
the followers of the New Deal are to be
believed, these men are merely repre-
sentative of "intrenched greed"
Senator Hastings compared the plat
form of the American Liberty League
with the platform OF the Democratic party
adopted in 1882, the platform on which
President Roosevelt was elected. The
Delaware Senator found them almost
identic in the principles laid down; prin-
ciples which declared for the preservation
of American institutions, for economy
in Government, for sound fiscal policy
and the maintenance of a sound and
stable currency, for the restoration of
unemployment and for no unnecessary
competition by Government with legiti-
mate industry. AS Senator Hastings
pointed out, the platform of the Amer
lean Liberty League is so nearly in line
with the 1882 Democratic platform that 1t
must be concluded that the league is
being controlled by those who believe in
the Democratic platform.
| The trouble arose when these Demo-
cratic members of the American Liberty
League refused as Senator Hastings said,
Ito follow the New Deal into the moraSS
of socialism and when it deliberately
violated every Democratic principle for
which all good Democrats stood when Mr..
Roosevelt was nominated in 1882" The
New Dealers have characterized the
American Liberty League as 1.-The mis-
called American Liberty League, an or
ganiZation of multi millionaires." There
was no complaint when Irenee Du Point
sent check for $1,000 to Chairman
James A. Farley of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee month after the
Inauguration of President Roosevelt.
The complaint came later, when the
Democratic chairman declared the Du
Points "ungrateful" to the Roosevelt adj
ministration, and added they want the
people of the United States to be just
as ungrateful as they are The people
of the United States will determine for
themselves whether they believe that
they should be grateful to the New
Dealers.
Senator Hastings called the roll of
prominent Democrats whe now are men,
bers OF American Liberty League COM
mitteeS He listed among them Alfred
E. Smith, who was the Democratic stand
ard bearer in 1928, and John w. Davis.
who was the party nominee for President
in 1924. He mentioned also the same
Irenee Dh Pont and John j. Raskob.
who were generous in their contributions
to the Democratic cause. He called the
roll, too, of other prominent Democrats
who have broken with the New Deal,
among them former Senator Reed OF
Missouri, the late Gov. Richie OF Mary
land, former Gov. Ely of Massachusetts,
Lewis w. Douglas, the first director OF
the budget in the Roosevelt administra-
ton; Col Henry Breckenridge, Judge
William r. Pattangall of Maine. James
r. Warburg and others.
The speech of the Delaware Senator
was partisan and Republican. He spoke
as critic of the Roosevelt administra-
ton. The facts that he marshaled, how
ever, are sufficient to indicate that the
Democratic party, united in 1892, is no
longer united. The attacks launched
upon the anti-Roosevelt Democrats by
the New Dealers are scarcely calculated
to win these Democrats back into the
fold.