The times-news., 1937-07-30
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
ROOSEVELT AND HIS RADICAL ADVISERS

But best Of all for Mr.. Roosevelt-and for the
country-would it be if the collapse Of his legisla
tive program, of which the key was his courtpacK-
ing bill, should so shake his confidence IN the sec
ondgrade intellectuals and thirdrate welfare work
ers by whom he is surrounded, and whose adVice
he has been taking, that he would drop the whoie
lot of them out the White House window. In other
words get rid of the new Brain Trust, when Is
considerably worse, from whatever angle 1t Is
viewed, than the old one. Right from the start,
Mr.. Roosevelt has had about him as his, most lntl'
mate and influential advisers little group OF aca-
demic and inexperienced but exceedingly OPINION
ated young men who had never been elected to any
office and whose names were hardly known at all.
Nor are they now
Some of them were young professors; some
young lawyers, and some just social workers Since
the first term they have changed somewhat in per-
sonnel but they still there, and the present set
is considerably radical and inexperienced than
the first The best evidence of this is the character
of the bills which they have had the president spon-
sor this year and the strategy of the court hght
which they evolved. Most of them hold relatively
unimportant official positions but receive substan-
tia salaries, and they really have been running the
government of the United States through the presi
dent. 1t is they who have gotten him into the pres
ent mess and who are directly to blame for the in
credible confusion, incompetency and waste with
which the whole administration is saturated-and
for the collectivist experiments that have been
launched with presidential backing ,
They have great power without any responsible
ity and they have been having a very wonderful
time. They go into the side doors of the White
House and move around the halls of congress, ad-
vising and speaking with an air of authority. No
one would pay any attention to them but for their
known closeness to the president.
One of the first slogans promulgated by these
young men and adopted by the president was the
phrase of "drive the money changers from the tenn
pie" 1t did not mean anything, but it struck the
key upon which they have played ever since. One
such phrase after the other has been supplied Mr..
Roosevelt until his whole administration has taken
on cheap and demagogic flavor and his political
power is based largely upon his ability to array
class against class. Wrapping themselves in robes
of indignant integrity the presidents young friends
have proceeded to install themselves within the
''temple" as priests with great powers. Their sala
ries come from the taxpayers in amounts they
never dreamed of before; their influence is far
beyond any service they can render. They mouth
"holy' words to deceive the people-back of the
veil of the temple. They medde with government
officials, threaten congressman and senator's, call
for "party purges" and insist upon White House
discipline" for dSSenters. They stir up envy, ha
tired and malice among the people and keep the
president in dangerous frame of mind. Money
changers" are bad enough-they do not belong IN
the temple But their power to do harm is limited
There is, however, 40 limit to the power for hsrm
of "false priests in the temple If his court plan
debacle should result in letting Mr.. Roosevelt see
these fellows clearly, recognize their spurious ma
ture essential shoddiness and the great disservice
they have rendered him, it would be grand thing,
indeed. His best friends could wish him no better
luck-Frank Kent in Charlotte Observer.