Evening star., 1938-06-25

IN conditions which will replace
great part Of the Government spend
ing which the failure Of cooperation
made necessary this year.
From March 4, 1888, down, not a
single week has passed without q
cry from the opposition Ito do some
thing. to say something, to restore
confidence" There Is q very articulate
group Of people in this country, with
plenty Of ability to procure publicity
for their views. who have consistently
refused to cooperate with the mass
Of the people. whether things were
going well or going badly, on the
ground that they required more con-
cessions to their point of view be-
fore they would admit having what
they called Confidence"
These people demanded restoration
Of confidence" when the banks were
closed-and again when the banks
were reopened
They demanded restoration Of con-
fidence" when hungry people were
thronging the streets-and again
when the hungry people were fed and
put to work.
They demanded restoration Of con-
hdence" when droughts hit the coun-
try-and again. now, when our fields
are laden with bounteous yields and
excessive crops.
They demanded restoration of con-
f1dence" last year when the auto
mobile industry was running three
shifts and turning out more cars than
the country could buy-and again
this year when the industry is try
Ing to get rid OF an automobile sur
plus and has shut down its factories
as result.
Says Mass Of Americans
Have Confidence.
1t Is my belief that many of these
people who have been crying aloud
for confidence" are beginning today
to realize that that hand has been
overplayed, and that they are now
willing to talk cooperation instead.
1t Is my belief that the mass of the
American people do have confidence
In themselves-have confidence in
their ability, with the aid Of Govern
ment. to solve their own problems.
1t Is because you are not satisfied.
and am not satisfied, with the prog
ress we have made in finally solving
our business and agricultural and So
cial problems that I believe the great
majority OF you want your own Gov-
ernment to keep on trying to solve
them. In simple frankness and in
simple honesty. I need all the help
can get-and see signs Of getting
more help in the future from many
who have fought against progress with
tooth and nail.
And now following out this line of
thought, I want to say a few words
about the coming political primaries.
Fifty years ago party nominations
were generally made in conventions
q system typified in the public imag-
ination by little group in a smoke
filled room who made out the party
states.
The direct primary was invented to
make the nominating process a more
democratic one-to give the party
voters themselves chance to pick
their party candidates.
What am going to say to you to-
night does not relate to the primaries
Of any particular political party, but
to matters of principle in all parties
Democratic. Republican. Farmer
Labor, Progressive, Socialist or any
other. Let that be clearly understood.
Hopes All Will Participate
In Primary Elections.
It is my hope that everybody afili-
ated with any party will vote in the
primaries, and that every such voter
will consider the fundamental princi-
Piles for which his party Is on record
That makes for q healthy choice be-
tween the candidates of the opposing
parties on election day in November.
An election cannot give q country
firm sense Of direction If it has two
or more national parties which merely
have different names, but are as alike
in their principles and aims as peas
in the same pod.
In the coming primaries in all
parties there will be many clashes be-
tween two schools of thought, gen.
orally classified as liberal and con-
servative. Roughly speaking. the
liberal school of thought recognizes
that the new conditions throughout
the world call for new remedies.
Those Of us in America who hold
to this school Of thought insist that
these new remedies can be adopted
and successfully maintained in this
country under our present form Of
| government If we use government as
An instrument Of cooperation to
| provide these remedies. We believe
that we can solve our problems
through continuing effort, through
democratic processes instead Of Fas-
cism or Communism. We are OPP
posed to the kind Of moratorium on
reform which, in effect, Is Seaction
itself
Be it clearly understood, however,
that when use the word liberal"
I mean the believer in progressive
principles Of democratic, representa-
tive government and not the wild
man who, in effect, leans in the direc-
ton of Communism, for that is just
as dangerous as Fascism.
The opposing or conservative school
Of thought, as general proposition,
does not recognize the need for gov
ernment itself to step in and take
action to meet these new problems.
It believes that individual initiative
and private philanthropy will solve
them-that We ought to repeal many
Of the things we have done and 60
back, for instance, to the old gold
standard, or stop all this business Of
old-age pensions and unemployment
insurance, or repeal the Securities and
Exchange Act, or let monopolies thrive
unchecked-return, In effect, to the