Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-10-30
Social and Political Security.

Social and Political Security.
The panic stricken attitude of some of
the Democratic chieftains in the face of
the sudden upheaval of criticism against
the social security law, particularly its
taxing provisions, indicates that social
security and political security are not
necessarily one and the same thing. Re-
garded by the Democrats at the outset
asa nice little campaign asset, the social
security law has come under such vicious
attack, especially in the industrial areas,
that a feeling closely akin to real alarm
seems to have pervaded administration
ranks. But while this last-minute battle
over social security may cause some cas-
ualties in the ranks of the politicians,
It is not apt to hurt the principle of
social security itself. If it succeeds in
creating enough real interest in the law
to make it better understood by the peo-
pie, the chances are that as Nation we
shall be able eventually to work out
sounder scheme for the assistance of
those anxious to avoid some of the risks
OF economic insecurity.
In the closing week of the campaign
the Importance achieved by the social
security issue is an interesting and most
amazing development. The law has been
on the statute books since August IA,
1885. It's enactment was preceded by
months of discussion, lengthy hearings,
extensive debate in Congress. Three
times as many Republicans voted for as
against it, Both parties Endorsed it's OBJ
jectives-if not the law itself-in their
platforms.
Yet, a few days before the people 60
to the polls, it has Unexpectedly become
the burning issue. That Republican
criticism of the law has been effective
was demonstrated earlier by the unpre-
cedented action of Gov Winant, in re-
signing the job he was chosen to do and
taking to the hastings in defense of the
law. The Grass political trickery of the
pay envelope warnings against the tax
which begins in January has been
matched by the very stupid arrest of
an employer who put notice in his
pay envelopes and the Social Security
Board itself has been seized by an acute
attack of campaign filters and has be-
gun yelling for the police. All of this.
however, unless it is forgotten as soon
as the polls close next Tuesday, will
benefit rather than hurt the principle
of social security by making people take
an interest in one Of the most far
reaching laws ever passed by an Ameri-
can Congress.
The curious fact about the pay en-
velopes business Is that the warning, or
the notices distributed to employees, con-
tains factual information, the accuracy
of which it is difficult to attack. There
doubtless have been cases of misrepre-
sentation. But no greater misrepre-
sentation has occurred in describing the
employe tax through pay envelope slips
than has occurred in partisan parading
of the social security law as an accom-
plished method of ending the common
nightmare of social insecurity. 1t does
not end social insecurity and no legisla-
ton ever will.
If it is underhanded, or dangerous, or
deceptive, to have placed notices in en-
ployes' envelopes regarding the old-age
security tax, why has the Government
not circulated the exact facts in advance
in January? The Bureau of Internal
Revenue has not yet issued its regula-
tons on the tax collections. That will
come after the election. But both the
Bureau of Internal Revenue and the
Social Security Board itself could have
avoided Misunderstanding by having ex-
pedited information in the form of off,
cial circulars and regulations notifying
the 25,O00,000 people affected by the
one per cent income tax of methods
to be followed in paying the tax, to-
gether with description of its benefits.
All that, of course, will come after the
election. Capitalized for political pur-
poses by the Republicans now is the sad
news that another tax is in the offing.
Capitalized for political purposes by the
Democrats now is the serene picture Of
Q paradise on earth made possible by
the social security act. The Republican
picture is not as pretty, but is the more
realistic of the two.