Evening star., 1937-01-21
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The Inaugural Address.

address is particularly interesting state
paper Not because the President laid
down in 1t any new policies. Rather did
he reiterate the promises he has made
many times to better the condition Of
the people of the country, and partic-
ularly the poorer people. 1t is interesting
because it sets forth with clarity his
philosophy of government as well as the
objectives which he has in mind. The
President seems to be firmly convinced
that the American people have arrived at
a stage when they must look more and
more to Government for aid in the pur-
suit of prosperity and happiness. Some
of his critics maintain that the more
Government steps into the affairs OF the
citizens, the less liberty the citizens can
expect to have, or, in fact, have.
Without using phrase that was given
wide circulation during recent years
redistribution of wealth-the President is
apparently bent upon bringing about a
more even division. Just how he intends
to achieve this result he did not set
forth. That may come later in pro-
posals for legislation to better the condi-
tions and the pay of labor; in proposals
for a wide and more controlled use OF
the natural resources of the country; in
measures to curb monopoly.
The picture painted by the Presi-
dent of the condition of items of millions"
of American citizens was strong one.
They are denied, he contended, by the
present distribution of wealth, the
greater part of what the very lowest
standards of today call the necessities OF
life" He declared that millions of
families are trying to live today ION
incomes so meager that the pail of family
disaster hangs over them day by day."
Millions of the people, he said, are living
under conditions which were labeled
indecent" by "so-called polite society"
half century ago. Millions are denied
education, recreation and opportunity.
he insisted. Because millions are unable
to buy the products of the factory and
the farm, other millions are unable to
find occupation and livelihood. And
finally, the President said, II see one
third of Nation ill-housed, ill-clad,
ill-nourished." If the President is cor
rect in this last statement, it means
that more than forty million people in
this country are living under conditions
that society should not countenance.
The moral issues we're stressed par
ticularly by the President. 1t is immoral
to place self-interest above the interest
of the public. In the opinion of the
Chief Executive this is a truth that is
recognized today by the vast majority
of the people. And furthermore, it is his
conviction that the great mass of the
people have recognized that the power
of the Government must increase.
NEARLY all of U.s." he said, recognize
that as intricacies of human relationships
increase, so power to govern them also
: must increase-power to stop evil; power
to do good. The essential democracy Of
our Nation and the safety of our people
depend not upon the absence of power
but upon lodging it with those whom the
people can change or continue at stated
intervals through an honest and free
system of elections"
The President issued a warning that
there must be no halt in the progress
toward a better Government, with greater
power to stop evil and to do good. He
apparently foresees in the increasing
prosperity of the country an inclination
to be lulled into sense of security; an
inclination to say what we have is good
enough.
The "era of good feeling" of which
much has been written and spoken in
recent days, can only exist really among
men of good feeling, the President con-
tended. His hope for such an era lies
in a new understanding; new under
standing which no longer looks with
admiration upon worldly success as the
ultimate good; new understanding
that no longer permits tolerance of abuse
of power by the selfish interests and
individuals that betray the decencies of
life for profit to themselves.