The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-10-22
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
UNDEBATED ISSUES

President RoOSevelt's failure to discuss what are
really the basic issues of this campaign is dlsap-
nointing. Mr.. Roosevelt, taking office, com
mtted himself to pragmatic approach to the very
serious problems which confronted the American
people. He said that he would try this and that
seeking the best advice he could, and wha, worked
ne would retain and what proved failure ne would
reject Now, at the end of his administration one
might reasonably hope that the head of the govern
ment standing for reelection, would tell the Amer
lean people which of his policies he considers TO
have stood the test of application, and which he
believes should be abandoned modified, and If
modified how
But, instead ne stands on the record. The rec
ord, however, contains some notable successes and
some CHASTITY failures and it contains, also, some
attempts which are now accepted by both parties
as being sound in objective, but which are much
criticized they legally framed and practical
~ administered
The cleareSt demonstration Of the governments
attempts to deal with an improved thesis was the
NRA, conceived plan for the organization oil
self-cOvernment of industry under basic codes. By
the time businessmen and trade union leaders had
all assembled in Washington, each group trying to
devise a code which would cover every possible
emergency and be rugged for every possible advan-
tage, the whole thing reached an absurdity, and
when it was thrown out by the supreme court
there very general sigh of relief This part
of the program the president passes over in airy
silence. But the silence is not acceptable. Did the
president learn anything from this experience
except in the field of politics? What does he think
today? 1t is my belief that if the president is re-
elected il will be because most people believe that
he has abandoned permanently this part of his pro-
gran. But there is nothing in anything he has
thus far said to justify that belief.
The third part of his program aims at the re-
Mobilization of the victims of the depression and
abandons the laissez faire social policy which has
been traditional in this country. Under 1t comes
the relief administration, the youth administration
and the social security provisions for old-age pen
sions and unemployment insurance. Here there Is
unanimity between both parties as to the prlnci-
pies But there is the greatest possible divergence
as to method The administrators only answer to
attacks method is that the Republicans don't
mean their promises; that they are crowd of
social rcactionarieS who intend 10 scrap all social
security and all federal relief if they come into
power and that since the principle is all right the
practice will adjust itself To this columnSt that
kind of answer is unfair to the American people,
and contemplate. The question of method can be
quite as important as the question of principle, The
question of whether relief shall be centralized fed
orally of whether made-work program is wise of
whether it is the business of the federal govern
ment to see that every unemployed actor and
writer shall be provided with work projects, are
questions which millions of American citizens are
asking But the president and his spokesman are
lodging every important question in this part of
the government program and combining themselves
merely to expressions of warm humanitaraniSm.
That is not enough,-Dorothy Thompson.