The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-03-26

played for suckers and whether, as
is contended by some, they always can
be fooled by those who know how to
do it and are to some extent fooled
thenlselves-that is, believe in their
own stuff.
If, for example, they accept at face
value the two most recent promulga-
tons from Mr.. Roosevelt, there ap-
parently is no limit to their sappish-
ness and anything can be put over on
them. 1t will be interesting to see.
The first and most patiently hollow of
these White House pronouncements is
the relief message, in which $780,
100000 is asked for relief instead of
the $4,8OO,OOO,0OO last year. The idea
is that this will appear very economi-
cal, indeed, will show that progress
has been made. The reverse is true.
Not only is there no appreciate
elimination of the number on relief,
but practically none in the amount
available. The appearance is due en-
itirely to bookkeeping jugglery. For
instance, the CCC, which last year was
given one-eighth of the relief money,
this year is put down for $257 ZOO, 900
in the ordinary budget. Also there is
an unexpended balance of about ST.
100,00O,O00, money which was allot-
ted, but simply could not be spent
Also $880,000,000 of the sum asked
last year was to cover expenditures of
the preceding year. So take it all in
all the relief fund for next year will
amount to $3,857,OOO,OO0, which is
not far from $4,000, 10000 and makes
the pretense of economy far fetched.
However, there are other features
of the message just as interesting as
the misleading figures. One is the
repetition of the President that it is
the fault of the Supreme Court and
not his that the Gloss of revenue" from
the processing taxes of the AAA has
been sustained. In other words, the
court is to be blamed for knocking out
an unconstitutional tax, not he for
compelling Congress to enact an I'M
constitutional law. The other feature
is the reiteration of the statement
that it is up to private industry to
absorb unemployed and solve the re-
lief problem. For three successive
years he has said exactly that, each
time predicting that within the year
the New Deal policies would produce
business recovery that would make
it possible.
Each time the declaration has been
followed by kicking business in the
face, keeping it in a state of appre-
hension and encouraging efforts to
undermine confidence. The whole rec
ord of first encouraging business, then
kicking it, and then patting it, makes
one think of the Apache dancer who
throws the girl on the floor, tramples
all over her, then, picking her up while
she wildly losses her arms around his
neck, fiercly whirls around and around,
then throws her down again. Actually
the relief message is a confession that
in three years no dent has been made
in our biggest national problem-un-
employment and relief. Recovery has
not brought reemployment-and for
this industry is blamed, just as the
Supreme Court is blamed for Gloss of
revenue" because it upheld the Con-
stitution: It seems not to occur that
perhaps the New Deal policies should
be blamed for both.
The second Roosevelt pronounce
mlent is so clarly political that it
seems impossible anyone should take
it seriously. AS he left for his vaca-
ton, commission was announced that
is to make Survey" of the Govern
ment with view to recommending re-
organization and coordination. This,
it is explained, is in line with the
Roosevelt pledge to reduce the size
and cost of the Government. That
pledge was made four years ago. Since
that time, Mr.. Roosevelt has tremen-
dously expanded the Government both
in size and cost. He has added 100000
jobholders to the pay roll, has created
commissions, bureaus and agencies un-
til the confusion is appalling and CO.
ordination joke.
He has added vastly to the weight
and power of the Federal bureaucracy
until its shadow hangs heavy and
menancingly over the land. And, hav-
ing done all this despite his promise,
here on the threshold of his campaign
1