Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-02-03

Washington.-!The month of Janu-
airy, 1888, has come and it is now
Getting Wind. Dozens of
NoUhere big business men
= have been called
to the White House for conferences
with the President on means of solv-
ing the depression problem. And
dozens have gone away from the
White House after those conferences
without any announcement from the
head of the government as to what
is to be done. Much conversation
and much noise-totaling much
conversation and much noise. That
was January at the White House.
A new session of congress started
with the opening of January. The
house and the senate appear actu-
ally to have no definite program;
certainly, no program for a con-
structive course that will lead the
country out of the terrific business
decline. Instead, the senate has
been debating and debating bill
to punish any community where a
lynching takes place and the house
has been indulging in its annual
sport of passing appropriation bills,
voting money without knowing too
much about the items for which it
votes. Southern senator's filibustered
against the anti-lynching bill be-
cause of the problems, the burdens,
such legislation would load on them
and the northern Democratic sem
ators seemed willing to let business
die, unemployment increase, etc., in
order to gain few negro votes.
That was January in congress.
An analysis of the situation, there
fore, would seem to be in order. To
do that, we have to go back to 1888
when President Roosevelt took Of
flee. The nation was in chaos. There
is no need to review those condi-
tons. The new President came in
with an overwhelming majority to
support him. His majority was so
large that he needed only to express
his view and it was translated into
action. The country liked the ag-
gressiveness thus shown. Members
OF the house and senate, however,
developed habit-not all of them,
but majority of them. That habit
was one of waiting for the word
from the White House.
While this habit was growing,
business interests were pushed and
kicked around and generally given
to understand that they did not know
what the shooting was ali about.
Like country school boy, the bust
ness man was sent to his seat and
told to stay there. Otherwise the
hickory stick would be brought into
use. Indeed, the hickory stick in
the form Of several pieces Of legis-
lation was laid onto the business of
the country, not as a pat on the
back, but much further down to-
ward the end Of its spine. So bust
ness, too, got the habit of standing
in the background. 1t was afraid to
venture forth.
Things began to look UP. There
was something approximating good
business and it looked as II Mr..
Roosevelt's policies were correct in
every sense. But something hap
pened; the boat struck a snag.
For several months last year the
administration refused to admit that
conditions were alarming. It was
just temporary, officials said. The
country would pull out of it-and it
will some time if there is anything
left. But the problem is immediate
and January has gone into history,
as did December and November.
1t was in this circumstance that the
results OF the habit formed in 1888
began to show their worst phases.
Business interests have gone to the
White House to tell their side of the