Evening star., 1936-01-04


peal resulted in the writing Of q
new chapter In the history Of pop
ular government You, the mem
bers of the Legislative branch, and
], the Executive. contended for and
established q new relationship be-
tween government and people.
What were the terms Of that
new relationship? They were an
appeal from the clamor Of many
private and selfish interests. yes.
even an appeal from the clamor
of partisan interest, to the ideal
of the public interest. Government
became the representative and the
trustee of the public interest. Our
aim was to build upon essentially
democratic institutions, seeking all
the while the adjustment of bur-
dens, the help of the needy. the
protection of the weak. the liber-
alton of the exploited and the gen.
uine protection of the peoples
property.
1t goes without saying that to
create such an economic constitu-
tional order more than a single
legislative enactment was called
for. We had to build, you in the
Congress, and I, as the Executive,
upon a broad base. Now, after "a
months of work. we contemplate
q fairly rounded whole. We have
returned the control of the Federal
Government to the City of Wash.
ington.
Earned Hatred Of
Intrenched Greed"
To be sure, in so doing. We have
invited battle. We have earned
the hatred Of intrenched greed.
The very nature of the problem
that we faced made it necessary to
drive some people from power and
strictly to regulate others. made
that plain when I took the oath
Of Office in March. 1888. spoke
of the practices of the unscrupulous
money changers who stood indicted
in the court Of public opinion. I
spoke of the rulers Of the exchanges
of mankinds goods. who failed
through their own stubbornness and
their own incompetence I said
that they had admitted their fail
ure and had abdicated.
Abdicated? Yes, in 1888, but
now with the passing of danger
they forget their damaging admis-
sions and withdraw their abdica-
ton.
They seek the restoration of their
selfish power. They offer to lead
us back round the same old corner
into the same old dreary street.
Yet there are still determined
groups that are intent upon that
very thing. Vigorously held up
to popular examination their true
character reveals itself They steal
the livery of great national consti-
tutional ideals to serve discredited
special interests. As guardians and
trustees for great groups Of indi-
vidual stockholders they wrongfully
seek to carry the property and the
interests intrusted to them into
the arena of partisan politics. They
seek-this minority in business and
finance-to control and often do
control and use for their own pur.
poses legitimate and highly hon
ored business associations; they
engage in vast propaganda to
spread fear and discord among the
people - they would gang up"
against the peoples liberties.
The principle that they would
instill into government If they
succeed in seizing power is well
shown by the principles which
many of them have instilled
into their own affairs: autocracy
toward labor, toward stockholders
and toward consumers. Autocrats
in smaller things, they seek autoc-
racy in bigger things. "By their
fruits We shall know them"
Suggests "Interests"
Propose Repeal.
If these gentlemen believe, as
they say they believe, that the
measures adopted by this Congress
and its predecessor. and carried out
by this administration. have hin
dered 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. The way Is open in the
Congress of the United States for
an expression by yeas and nays.
Shall we say that values are re-
stored 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, we shall repeal
existing taxes and thereby put of
the day of approaching balanced
budget and Of starting 10 reduce the
national debt? Shall we abandon
the reasonable support and regula-
ton Of banking? Shall We restore
the dollar to its former gold con-
tent? Shall we say to the farmer
"the prices Of your products ore In
part restored, now 60 and hoe your
own row." Shall we say to the
home owners and the debtors