Evening star., 1936-09-24
Roosevelt-Landon Talks
Governor Asks True
Liberalism, in Forum
Speech.
BY the Associated Press.

by the ASSOCIATED fTeSS
NEW YORK, September 24.-The
text of the message sent by Gov. All
M. Landon read before the Herald
Tribune Forum on Current Problems
last night follows:
Your chairman very kindly invited
me to speak to you today. personally or
by radio. To my great regret other
engagements in Iowa and Minnesota
have prevented my accepting the invi-
tation. I would like, however, to give
you my greetings and to say word in
tribute to those whose work and CO.
operation have made possible the sue
cess of the New York Herald Tribune
Forum.
In these troubled days, when estab-
lished systems of government are being
overthrown in many nations of the
world and when our own traditions are
being questioned, the women of Amer
ica are faced with great responsible
ties. These they are meeting, as they
have always met them. They must
help in making the great national de-
cisions that affect so vitality not only
their own welfare, but the welfare Of
their children.
World Curbing Liberalism.
A high degree of public understand
Ing Of the meaning Of our constitu-
tional right to freedom of religion,
freedom of education, freedom Of
speach and a free press is essential to
the continuation Of true liberalism.
Within the past few years the number
of countries in which these rights
exist have grown fewer and fewer.
This trend is directly opposed to the
progress Of true liberalism. With the
tide toward race prejudice and abso-
luteism abroad in the world, it is i'm
portant that we jealousy guard our
freedom in these respects.
A democracy cannot live in the
dark Only tyranny and absoluteism
can proceed under the shadow of the
censor. This must never be forgotten.
The delegates to your Herald Tri-
bune Forum are representative and
public-spirited group of Americans.
You have the practical experience in
family budget-making and know the
right and wrong of national budget
making. You have the generosity
and warmth Of heart to see that the
sick. the aged, the needy and the
unemployed are cared for.
Stress Extravagance.
In talking to you tonight I shall
stress briefly two points on which I
feel deeply. The first is the issue of
waste and extravaganza. When the
New Deal was originated ostensibly
! to meet an emergency, all Americans
were glad to cooperate. We were
ready to excuse mistakes due to
urgent haste and necessary expert
mentation. What we cannot excuse
today is the fact that waste and
extravaganza and the reckless expert
mentation then initiated have been
fastened upon Washington as the
habitual thriftlessness of a prodigal
Government Of ever-expanding bu-
reaucrats.
We Republicans are glad to express
our sympathy with many Of the aims
of the present administration. 1t Is
when we reach the ways and means,
the hard, practical details; the prob
lens Of day-by-day administration,
the practical results, the housekeep-
ing, il you will, that we Americans,
both Republicans and Democrats,
part company with the New Deal.
In this world there can be no escape
from the hard facts of arithmetic
and experience.
Tells Course If Elected.
AS prosperity under the pressure Of
natural economic forces gradually
returns. the revenues of the Govern
ment luckily go up. But. so still do
the expenses of the Government
That is the most damning fact about
the present administration The costs
are travelling in the wrong direction
| Unless they are reversed, we can
never balance the budget or reduce
taxes. Both these are essential to
our national stability and prosperity.
If ! am elected, I shall reverse that
trend Immediately without injury to
the legitimate functions OF Govern
ment or injustice to the needy and
unemployed.
am thinking not only of the heavy
burden Of the still-climbing direct
and hidden taxes. am thinking not
only of the perils Of the financial
stability Of the Nation-and of each
Of us-in this spendthrift policy.
am thinking quite as much of the
coming generations-of your children
and mine-who will have to pay the
bills for this generation. Is this
fair?
The other aspect of the New Deal