The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-04-21
A Matter Of Choice
Washington, April 16.

What this new Roosevelt program
really amounts to is an effort to give
the people again the same sickening,
syrupy dose ladled out to them be-
fore. There is no real difference in the
medicine and there will be no real
difference in the effect, except that II
we take it, our last condition will be
worse than our first.
&*#
To believe anything else is to ig-
more experience and close the mind to
facts. After dizzy period of appar-
ent progress, the net result of the
first dose has been a dangerous dislo-
cation of the Federal finances; the
imposition of unprecedented burdens
in the shape of direct and indirect
taxes; the handicapping of business,
with such partisan restrictive agencies
as the National Labor Relations
Board; condition of vast confusion
in the Government and more unem-
ployment than when the big spending
began. The one true yardstick by
which this Administration should al
WAYS be measured is the size and cost
of the relief load. By that yardstick
its failure is tragic.
#**
In the face of all this, the President
proposes a renewal of large-scale Fed
eral spending, another pump-priming
period, during which Federal funds
are to pour forth in various unthough-
out ways and all notion Of regainlng
control over Treasury expenditures to
be completely abandoned. At the same
time, while protesting his desire to
help business, he opposes the tax re-
visions which it is overwhelmingly
agreed would help most, and demands
"reforms" in the shape of Wage-and-
hour bill and other regulatory leg
islation, showing no change in his per
sonal hostility and rendering meaning
less the conciliatory tone of his fire
side chat"
##*
From the mild infationists" and
from the radicals who have been push
ing him in this direction, and from
whom the plan came, there is enthu-
siasm for the new program-but from
no other source. On the contrary,
Democratic and independent news
papers, commentators and recognized
authorities generally are almost unan-
imous in deploring the shallow and I'M
mature economics with which the
scheme is buttressed and pointing out
the pregnant fact that Mr.. Roosevelt
has already proved the spending pol
icy does not work; that there isn't a
chance of its working now; that while
increased relief expenditures are una
voidable, the way to restore private
initiative is not to turn on again the
Federal spigots but to stop the leaks
and move toward solvency.
A**
1t is impossible to avoid repeating
that no one has more strongly indi-
Gated his present policy than Mr.
Roosevelt himself. There are a dozen
speeches, made when he was seeking
the Presidency, in which he denounced
exactly what he is now proposing. In
the light of these things, his request
for cooperation is an insult to the
intelligence, and his effort to make it
appear that those not boobish enough
to swallow his unsound and unwh0le-
some proposal are failing in their duty
as citizens is absurd. 1t is on a par
with the unctuous plea against bit
terness and hate, coming from man
who has done more to stir up class
feeling and promote hate than any
other President we have had-anC
whose name calling Of his critics anc
opponents has been unprecedented.
The fact that this spending pro
gram is launched just ahead of po
litical campaign in which he has {
vital stake, and that more money fol
relief and public works in their dis
tricts is an almost irresistible temp
tation to members of Congress, who
in few months, must come up for re
nomination and reelection-thes,
facts, coupled with his own recorded
views, lead some to question Mr.. Roose
velt's sincerity. 1t is true, there is ;
strong political flavor about the who'll
messy idea, but it isn't necessary tt
question his sincerity. However, i
does seem to come down to this: If h
is sincere, then he certainly isn't wise
if he is wise, he can't be sincere. It.
a matter of choice.
Egg Hunt Held