The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-04
SATURDAY. JANUARY 4, 1895.
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH

THEY seek the restoration of their selfish power.
They offer to lead us back round the same old
corner into the old dreary street."
In exactly rs words Franklin D. Roosevelt sums
UP his case.
Swinging from attack on autocracy abroad he
describes what he conceives as the danger of a re-
vived autocracy at home-the autocracy of power
seeking minority; domination of government by
financial and industrial groups, numerically small
but politically dominant in the IL years that sue
ceeded the World War" The IL years that led us to
the precipice Of 1888
In short, those who were driven out of the temple
are trying to get back in. So:
"They steal the livery of great national con-
sttutiona ideals to serve dscredted special interests
AS guardians and trustees for great groups of in
divdual stockholders they wrongfuly Seek to carry
the property and interests intrusted to them into
the area of partisan politics. They seek-this mi
nority in business and nance-to control and often
do control and use for their purposes legitimate
and highly honored business associations; they en-
gage in vast propaganda to spread fear and dscord
among the peope-they would gang up against the
peoples liberties"
You don't have to stop and tell the story of the
one-eyed man in the poker game to indicate who
the President of these United States is talking about
And then having stated the case comes the chal-
lenge
"TF these gentlemen believe, as they say they be-
lieve, that the measures adopted by this Congress
and its predecessor and carried out by this Admin
istration, have hindered rather than promoted re-
covery, let them be consistent. Let them propose to
this Congress the complete repeal of these measures
The way is open to such proposal Let action be
positive and not negative.
Shall we say that values are restored and that
the Congress will therefore repeal the laws under
which we have been bringing them back? Shall we
say that because national income has grown With
rising prosperity, shall repeal existing taxes and
thereby put off the day of approaching a balanced
budget and starting to reduce the national debt?
Shall abandon the reasonable support and
regulation of barking? Shall restore the dollar
to its former golf content?
Shall we say to the farmer-'The prices for your
products are in part restored, go and hoe your
own row?' Shall say to the home owners and
the debtorsWe have reduced your rates of interest
we have no further concern with how you keep
your home or what you pay for your money; that
is your AFFAIR."
shall say to the several millions of unem-
poyed citizens who face the very problem of exist
ence-of getting enough to eat-We will withdraw
from giving you work, we will turn you back to the
charity of your communities and to those men of
selfish power who tell you that perhaps they will
employ you if the government leaves them strictly
alone?
"CHALL we say to the children who have worked
~ all day-'Child labor is local issue and so are
your starvation wages something to be solved left
unsoved by the jurisdictions of 4S states?
Shall we say to the laborer-'Your right to Or
ganize, your relations with your employer have
nothing to dc with the public interest; if your en-
ployer will not even meet with you to discuss your
problems and his that is none of our affair?'
Shall say to the unemployed and the aged
Social security lies not within the province of the
Federal government, you must seek relief esewhere?
"Shall we say to the men and women who live
in conditions of squalor in country and in city
The health and the happiness of you and your
children no concern of ours?'
Shall we expose population once more by the
repeal of laws to protect them against the loss of
their honest investments and against the manipu-
lations of dishonest speculators?"
In that manner are the lines of 1886 drawn, the
issues described, the opponents and the weapons
named
And, speaking of breathing spells, so far as the
"old order" is concerned thereT be little relaxed
respiration from now until November.