Evening star., 1938-12-13
Senator Murray Sees
Cooperation Instead
OF Reform Laws
Forum Speaker Forecasts
Perfeeting Amendments
For Progress

aVi IOSsSSS
Senator James E. Murray OF Mon
tana spoke last night on "Economi
Progress and Legislation" in tn
National Radio Forum, arranged b,
The Star and broadcast over
Nationwide network of the Nationa
Broadcasting Co. The text of hi
address follows:
Now that our elections are owe
and the tumult and the shoutin,
have subsided, our national legisla
tors are beginning to reassemble II
Washington for the forthcoming ses.
sion Of Congress. Although no ont
at this time can positively forecas
absolute peace on the entire legis.
latlve front, think 1t is safe to say
that better spirit of cooperation
among the various conflicting in.
terests Of the country will dis.
tlnguish the period that lies aheao
OF us.
There is some contention of q
swing to the right in the country
and that much of the program OF
economic reform and social read
Justment of the New Deal will be
under fire this winter. I do not
think there is any merit in this
Some necessary amendments to the
vast program of legislation which
has been enacted during the past
five years will, of course, be in order
The same is true of any legislation
After it has been tried out, amend
mentS are made to correct imper-
fections, but I feel sure that in gem
eral the people of the Nation are
satisfied with the broad results
accomplished by President Roosevelt
and his administration for the eco
nomic betterment and social welfare
OF the country.
Never before in our history have
we been forced to concentrate our
thoughts and our efforts on economic
and social problems to such degree
as we have since 1888. At times
much bitterness has developed. The
debate has, on occasion, been marked
with the most intense feeling on
both sides of our perplexing prob
lens. But with it all, it must be
conceded that we have been making
constant progress in overcoming the
dangerous conditions which have
beset our people anu threatened our
future as democratic Nation.
Extreme Controversy Expected.
Under a democratic form of gov
ernment 1t must be expected that
political controversy will sometimes
go to extremes. That is one of the
1mperfectlonS of the democratic sys-
tenn. Under dictatorship it does
not occur. In America it is the price
we must pay for democracy.
The dominant political parties in
this country seem to carry on a
constant, vigorous and never-ending
debate. 1t is the lifeblood of social
and economic readjustment. HUI
manity never has been and never
will be static thing. Social, polit-
ical and economic conditions are
always in state of flux requiring
constant adjustments and readjust-
mentS. Through the press, the radio
and from the public rostrum con-
tending statesmen, politicians, edi-
tors and orators pour out an almost
endless stream of argument and
contention on the various economic
and social questions agitating our
country. 1t is in this way that the
people are enabled to get at the
merits OF our national issues. It
sometimes seems a tedious and dis
couraging process.
several great nations of the world
have, in fact, abandoned the demo-
cratic system and have set up die
tatorships under which they are
seeking to solve their own peculiar
social and economic problems, but
the whole world today stands aghast
as 1t contemplates the oppression,
the misery and the suffering which
Is daily occurring in those regions
OF the earth where democracy has
been rejected and where the cruel
and relentless command of the die
tator is the only law that is known.
History shows that civilization has
experienced number of distinct
changes of the economic order or
mode of life during the centuries.
Only $50 years ago the feudal system
still prevailed in parts of Europe.
Our present system of free, capital
tstic enterprise has evolved slowly
and painfully. 1t has always been
questioned in some quarters, but it
Is thought generally by students of
economics and government to offer
the most effective basis for the de-
velopment of our civilization and
Che Improvement of our social and
cultural conditions. Under this sys-
tenn we have made tremendous prog
ress in rescuing mankind from the
slavery, drudgery, degradation and
human suffering which throughout
the ages has been the usual expert
knce of the average individual. Yet,
Notwithstanding the acknowledged
progress which has been made, it
must be conceded that our industrial
system has developed some serious
defects.
In this country, while we have
witnessed an enormous improvement