The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-10-14

DETROIT, Mich, Oct. II
g H.N.SJ.-FollotUin0 is part OF
the tert of GoDernor Alfred M.
Ldndon's address in Detroit last
night:
Tonight I am going to discuss
the threat of the present Admin
iStration to our American form OF
government. I am going to dis
cuss it in terms of the rights and
opportunities secured to us as citl.
zens by the Constitution Of the
United States.
Make no mistake about it: This
threat to our form of government
is a major issue in this cam
paign. It is time to bring it out
into the open.
Liberties Falling"
We live in a world in which hu
man liberties are falling. In ma
ton after nation ideas of dem
ocracy have been swept away.
In every case, the process Of
destruction follows the same pat
tern. First, the Executive sets
himself up as a popular leader,
and in the name Of national
emergency, asks that additional
authority be given to him.
Then, the legislature gradually
yields more and more power to the
Executive, until the legislature be-
comes a mere instrument of the
Executive.
Finally, the courts of law are
undermined, and the judiciary
ceases to be a protection for the
people.
"RightS Gone"
When this final stage is reached
when the independence Of the
courts is destroyed-the rights and
liberties are gone. The people are
then at the mercy Of the EXecu-
tive. The Executive Is all powerful.
We have seen the results Of this
process abroad. The first steps
have already been taken here.
Think back over the last three and
one-haH years and see what has
happened.
In the name of emergency the
President asked for and received
the right to change the amount OF
gold in the dollar.
In the name of emergency, the
President has accepted authority
to issue $3,o0O,0OO,O00 of green
backs.
"Secret Fund"
In the name of emergency. the
President asked for and received
the power to set up a so-called
sterilization fund of $4,000, 900 900.
He can use this fund secretly to
buy or sell gold, silver and foreign
exchange at any price he sees tit.
And he can use it to control the
price of United States Government
bonds.
The President, in the name OF
emergency, has acquired almost
complete control over the money
and credit system of the nation.
Think what that means. One
man, without notice, can alter the
value of the dollar-can threaten
the savings and the purchasing
power of the wages of every man
and woman in this country.
Also, in the name Of emergency,
the President asked for and re-
ceived authority to determine how
much agriculture and industry
could nroduce and sell, at what
wages and for how many hours
labor could work.
During a period of less than
three and one-half years, one
President has been given the
power to spend, almost without
restrictions, eight times as much
as the discretionary spending
power given to 80 Presidents over
a period of 143 years.
. It is time the American
people were taken into the con-
fidence of the Administration and
informed of its plans. Does the
Administration plan to reenact
the NRA? Does it intend to return
20 the control of food products
by Washington? If it does one
it must do the other. If we have
an MIRA we must have an AAA. If
we have an AAA we must have
an MIRA. No nation can continue
half regimented and half free.
Which course does this Admins
tration propose to follow? There
is only one man who can answer
this question, and that man is
the candidate for reelection to
the Presidency.
National economic planning
the term used by this Administra-
ton to describe its policy-violates
the basic ideals Of the American
system. It starts on the assump-
ton that the people are not
capable of looking after their own
affairs. 1t says that Americas
greatness was just an accident.
This is not true. 1t is a libel on
our people. From the day our