Evening star., 1936-06-23

the depths Of loss and again began 70
make money, they exerted their
pressure, furnished the funds, and
engaged in a crusade of vituperation
and detraction IN an effort to destroy
the faith of the people in the Presi-
dent.
He had brought them out of their
desperate state when they were help
less to do it themselves. But he was
insisting that fortune for the few and
poverty for the many did not spell
prosperity, and they, feeling them
selves threatened with the deprivation
of the unearned and uneconomic
favors and privileges they had en-
joyed so long. inaugurated the move
ment for a return to the old system
of everything for them and nothing
for the plain people.
Decries Dictator Claims.
Then it was that the minority party
orators and the newspapers controlled
BY the big interests began telling our
people that Franklin D. Roosevelt
sought to be a dictator Then it was
that the laws Congress had enacted.
and for which many of the Senators
and Representatives of their own
party had voted. were denounced as
being intended to make our country
a socialistic and communistic state.
Then it was that they proclaimed
that the measures undertaken and
functioning successfully to bring back
a restoration of business, decrease
unemployment and to take care of
the jobless until such time as return
ing prosperity would reabsorb them
into normal industry, were all the
product of dreamers and visionaries.
Anybody unfamiliar with American
politics would have gathered from
these outcries that our hard-working,
systematic, public-serving President
was sitting in the White House with
a war helmet on his head, booted and
spurred, and ready to lead bayonet
charge on Congress If they hesitated
in carrying out his despotic orders.
Thanks State Organizations.
Under these conditions, we natur-
ally had to get busy. I will not
attempt to outline for you the activi-
ties of the organizations in the various
sections of the country, but do want
to tell you that, without exception,
the State Democratic authorities CO.
operated effectively and enthusias-
IN fhov,Iy
publicly for their loyalty. which in no
small degree is responsible for the
state of confidence in which we meet
today.
You are all familiar, I believe, with
the work performed at national head
quarters in Washington, and I feel au-
thorized to express in your name our
thanks to my colleagues at head
quarters for the faithfulness with
which they have discharged their task.
Perhaps I ought to mention in this
connection another agency that has
contributed much to the jubiliant feel
ing we have in regard to the outcome
of the election in November.
Do need to say that I refer spe-
cifically to the Republican Conven-
ton in Cleveland? BY their platform
they would have assured our victory,
believe, even had our national organ
ization remained dormant during the
whole pre-convention period.
Insincere Platform Charged.
Confronted by the impossible task
Of reconciling the standpat views of
the powers behind the minority party,
with their anguished necessity of max
ing pretense of liberalism. they
turned loose the most extraordinary
platform on record in this country.
Our friends. the enemy, had an
opportunity to be sincere. If they
had any regard for consistency they
would have renamed Herbert Hoover,
who represents the classical attitude
of their party, and then we would have
had a direct and frank contest before
the American people of the New Deal
and the Old Deal.
They passed him up despite his
impassioned stampeding speech, which
naturally failed. For you cannot
stampede an elephant securely chained
to the picket posts Of evasion and
straddling.
They could have named Senator
Borah, but he was earmarked with
the stigma Of liberalism. So they
had to find a candidate whom they
could present as conservative enough
TO meet the specifications Of the Du
Pont Liberty Leasuers IN the East,