Evening star., 1938-09-01

1--WE ~ Sollllpl u
New York are to
be triumphant in the Democratic party
primaries and has even written down
on slip of paper in a sealed envelope
the exact majorities which they are
to attain.
But if Mr. Roosevelt knows his
hand-picked candidates are going TO
be defeated, why does he carry on The
''purge?" And why did he start It?
The answer becomes crystal clear
Mr.. Roosevelt has begun systematic
campaign of intimidation for the next
session of Congress so as to stop defec-
tions in the ranks and to enable him
to hold the Democrats in line even if
the Republicans shall have made con-
siderable gains in the next Congress.
Thus in South Carolina. Georgia.
Virginia. Kentucky and Maryland the
electoral vote is normally Democratic.
Nothing is lost for 1910 if the party
does split in states of that type. 1t is
significant, on the other hand, that
Mr.. Roosevelt has not carried on very
active purge" operations in the
Northern States. Indeed, in Iowa, In
diana and Connecticut party harmony
is being developed Notwithstanding
earlier purge tactics of much less
vigorous character than those observed
in South Carolina, Maryland and
Georgia.
Few Purges in House.
SC that CprV
few purge operations concern MEM
berS of the House of Representatives
where the President is gradually IN
creasing the awe of his power. The
rubber stamp" Representatives have
been in most instances reelected and
usually local issues have defeated the
few New Dealers who have lost out in
the party primaries BY local issues
is meant the personality of the rival
candidates or votes in Congress on
questions of acute local interest.
For the most part the President has
succeeded in throwing a scare into
the Democratic size of the House OF
Representatives and perhaps among
some members of the Senate who will
come up in 1910. There are some
courageous Democrats who will stand
up for what they think is right,
Irrespective of presidential pressure
and they will not be intimidated by
threat of a Roosevelt purge" But
there are others with far less back
bone. They have occasionally re-
sponded to kilograms and letters from
constituents but now they have an
other kind of pressure facing them
threat of rival candidate in the prl-
maries given administration backing.
While this isn't altogether novel,
never before has President OF the
United States gone as far to enforce
his will on party members even to
the extent as in Maryland and Geor-
gia, of making stump speeches. How
many Democrats of the less agrees
sive or courageous type will want to
risk the presidential wrath? Many
of them will stick by the presidential
command next time-and that's Mr..
Roosevelt's real purpose no doubt and
the real fruits of his campaign thus
far. He is cracking the whip and
demonstrating what a party boss can
do. The weaker Democrats who have
no stomach for fight will surrender.
The strong ones, especially in the
Northern States, can depend on inde-
pendent voters to help them.
CALIFORNIA; Frankenstein.
AS for California, the primary result
there merely proves that the Roose-
welt regime has built a Frankenstein.
The national pump -priming" policy
of Mr. Roosevelt has been enlarged
upon by the radicals of California who
wish to grant a $30-a-Week pension
to all persons above SO years of age.
And, it will be asked, why not? If
there is no harm in an unbalanced
budget, if spending is the way to
prosperity, what is the difference how
much the Treasury is drained. or what
happens to public confidence in the
purchasing power of the dollar? The
Californians have accepted pump
printing" as just as valuable to per-
sons of advanced age receiving sub
sides individually as it is to the
political favorites of the administra-
ton who get it through the w. P. A.
or p w. A. Maybe the Roosevelt
regime will learn lesson from the
California primaries and hereafter in
States where the old age pension agi-
tation is growing will offer $40 a week
instead of $50 a week. 1t will be re-
called that Senator Pepper. Endorsed
by the New Deal and victor in the
Democratic primaries, was in favor of
more old-age pensions.
Mr. Roosevelt says it takes a long
long time for the past to be brought
up to the present. This might be
paraphrased to read that sometimes it
takes long. long time for the people
to discover how the politicians exploit
them. 1t takes long time for people
to realize how imitation eats into the
purchasing power of the monetary
unit and how public debt gets beyond
the point where repayment in any
substantial part can be expected.