Evening star., 1936-06-27
Member Of the AsSociated Presa.
The Platform.

cratic platform. II do not care much
about what the platform Is" he said.
Roosevelt is the platform"
That is a lucid and rather penetrating
statement, the truth of which becomes
even more apparent after a study of the
platform on which the President will
take his stand tonight. Roosevelt, the
dominant figure of his administration
and all it represents; the dominant
figure in the Nations choice Of depres-
sion-born policies, overshadows explicit
differences in party planks which might
form the substance, in other times, Of
inter-party issues.
The Democratic platform itself Is q
model of ingenious phraseology, admit
ting no weaknesses, promising all hope
sailing between the Scylla Of the Right
and the Charybdis of the Left with the
greatest of ease taking advantage Of pre-
vailing winds and avoiding treacherous
cross-currents. But in every plank and
every nail it reflects the handiwork of a
President and an administration who
have started out on a certain course and
intend to stick to it,
Examination of the individual planks
comprising the Republican and the
Democratic platforms may reveal no
great difference. There are few Even
more interesting differences are shown
in comparison of the 1892 Democratic
platform and the policies just enunciated
at Philadelphia. The significant, the
revealing view of the Democratic plat
of the planks, one by one, but by a
longer range view of the completed
article and what it represents.
i- What does it represent? No politically
inept slips on possibly obvious issues re-
garding curIea.csy7, the Constitution, the
budget, fiscal policies or the Supreme
Court. These have been taken care of
by master builders, closely following the
carefully prepared blueprints OF an
architect who knows his job. Youth,
labor, business, agriculture-all have
been returned to the road to freedom
and prosperity" with the guarantee that
they will be kept on that road. The
letter and the spirit Of the Constitution
are to be preserved. balanced budget
is to be achieved, q sound currency,
stabilized to prevent harmful "fiuctua-
tions in value" is to be maintained
Peace on earth, good will to men and
the policy Of the good neighbor."
But the platform as a whole repre-
sents formal and complete dedication Of
the new Democratic party TO the end
that the Federal Government shall shape
America to the particularized ideas of
those who happen TO be directing its
policies. For protection of the Amer
ican home against kidnapers and bandits
and "malefactors of great wealth." we
turn to the Federal Government. For
safeguarding the thrift of our citizens"
we turn to the Federal Government.
For security against the hazards Of un-
employment, old age, incapacitation by
crippling or blindness, we turn to the
Federal Government. To secure to the
consumer" fair value, we turn to the
Federal Government To make elec-
tricity available at low rates. we turn to
the Federal Government. To maintain
our people in adequate housing at q
price they can pay, we turn TO the Fed
eral Government. For the welfare Of
the farmer, provision of new oppor-
NNsy- L-g-
disposal of his crops, we turn to
the Federal Government. To in
crease the workers pay, decrease his
working hours, put an end to the
sweated labor of his wife and children"
we turn to the Federal Government To
take the American business man out Of
the red We turn to the Federal Gov
eminent. To keep the youth of the land
in school, we turn to the Federal Gov
ernment. To stamp out the "concentra-
tion Of economic power" we turn to the
Federal Government. To stamp out the
Concentration Of economic power" we
turn TO the Federal Government. To
succor those in distress from food or
drought, we turn TO the Federal Govern
ment. To take care of those whom busi-
ness does not employ, we turn TO the
Federal Government, with an underlined
amount Of cooperation from those an
tique instruments, the State and local
government"
And at the same time, we are deter
mined to reduce the expense OF govern
ment"-a government that by the terms
Of the platform must necessarily become
a Gargantuan bureaucracy, responsible
for the abatement Of all evil and the
policing of its citizens, their homes, their
business, their fortunes and their future.
The platform makes effective rhetorical
use Of famous phrase from the Dec
laraticn Of independence, in a man
ner suggesting that the time has arrived
for some amendment Of an historic
document that in its original form set
forth, with others, these facts:
We hold these truths TO be self-evident
that all men are created equal, that they