Evening star., 1937-08-19

Roosevelt turns ;s& 44a
to the art of in I ask
vective, believing DoTid lawrence
that the best de-
tense is a hammering ofense.
What Lord Macaulay wrote has in it
many true words about the dangers Of
mob rule. Much of the Britishers
prophecy has already come true,
especially his picture Of the "rantings
of the dema2O2ue" Likewise today the
Macaulay prediction OF legislatures
dominated by groups OF unemployed
and organized malCOntcntS is not far
different from what is happening as
demands on the Federal Treasury
came from groups who pay no taxes
and produce no real wealth but who
feel they have the right to confscate
the savings of others.
Mr.. Roosevelt, himself, is unwilling
TO meet these demands as a statesman
-preclsely as Lord Macaulay predicted
would be the case some day-but
prefers to pour ont borrowed money
or to exploit the unemployed and
their families so as 10 get enough
Votes 10 carry each election and keep
himSelf and his hcucnmen in power
The Presidents argument that his
opponents do not trust majority rule
NnitS the important point that they
E0 not trust artificial ma ajorlties Gre
ed through FarIeyism and misuse
RI public funds.
MacaulIy Quoted by Foes. Too.
Many times has tie Macaulay
prophecy been reprinted in recent
years as warning against the dis
tntegrat.on OF democratic government
L. the United States. and the words
RI the British historian have often
been quoted because they seem to
parallel the New Deal cycle in Ameri-
ran history. In this connection, the
facaulay letter was fully quoted by
his correspondent in these columns
last November.
The President brings forth the
FTacaulay prophecy now solely to make
m attack on the imaginary position
IF present-dav opponents. Naively.
fcr instance. he puts these words into
he mouth of his opposition of today:
I'VE believe with Macaulay that the
american from of government will
ead to disaster and, therefore, we
ERek change in the American form
1f government as laid down by the
Bounding fathers"
Only few weeks ago Mr.. Roose-
Felt was denouncing his opposition
or wishing to make no change in
Re American form of government.
whereas he and his associates in
s'ed that the American form of
government was a flexible thing and
should be changed to meet changing
t97du0ns,
But the President waves all this
aside with his customary disregard
IF his own contradictions. 1t is his
avorite form Of warfare. In fact,
ne is one Of the best combatants of
he school Of thought which believes
he people Go not remember from
pay to Gay or, as Harry Hopkins once
Expressed it, that they are too damn
Fumb' to understand, anyhow.
Democracy DiStrusted.
1t has been thought by many of
Is that Mr.. Roosevelt had very little
Faith in the American form of gov-
f1nment as it has existed, and that
pc thought that majority rule had
ust about Worn itself out. As a
|1atter Of fact, his administration has
lot allowed ma iority rule to function,
because the New Deal has used the
powers Of government to perpetuate
tself in office, building up political
machines through coercion of voters
the polls by means of threats of
fiisoontinuing relief or benefits. The
asst campaign and election saw scan
1alous evidences in many States where
political machines were used to in
1uence votes. Nor has there been
much majority rule for the people
Congress brazenly made sub
Fervlent to executive favor and patron
.ge
The main contention of those who
oppose Mr.. Roosevelt today, however,
S that the ma iority party is intolerant
Pf any views except its own. Time
was when Mr.. Roosevelt defended
Ftaunchly the rights of the minority.
lie made many speeches about minori-
les and insisted before he came to
he White House that it was very
important that minorities should not
be oppressed.
Today, however, he is refusing to
AXE the rights of minorities into ac-
cunt In recent weeks the ma ioritv
power in Congress has smothered and
Fquelched Investigations of wrong
doing, as well as public hearings on
questions on which the American
people have right to be heard.
Mr.. Roosevelt says: But we can
bot go along with the tory insstence
hat salvation lies in the vcsting of
bower in the hands of a select class,
nd that if America does not come to
hat system America must perish"
He Sets Up Straw Men.
But there are many true liberals
who really believe that the vesting
Pf power in any class at all is dam
kerous, even If that class claims to
benefit and conduct government on a
basis which sees nothing wrong in
having the chairman Of the Demo-,
fratic National Committee sit in the
Fabinet or recognizes no improperly
n allowing ambassadorships and min
sterships and other high Offices prac-
ideally to be bought through cam
faign contributions or condones a
|hake- down of corporations in viola
jon of Federal statutes.
In the hands of any one class
whether it be the economic royalist"
lass or the labor racketeer class or
the political racketeer class--Ameri-
fan democracy is likely to be in dan
Eer. But the greatest danger of them
ii is suppressing the truth and at
enlpts to divert public attention from
he real illnesses of government. To-
fay the expenses of Government are
higher than last year, the deficits