Evening star., 1938-09-06

do y IL L d q
with mere personalities. Earlier he
had faced an embarrassing moment.
The reporters asked him whether he
would support Sherman Downey, the
Democratic nominee for the United
States Senate who had Just defeated
Senator McAdoo in the California pri-
maries.
The President was up against
tough problem. He had allowed the
voters of the State of California to
believe that. as head of the Democratic
party. Senator McAdoo was the favor
lite of Rooseveltian liberalism. For
surely it could not be inferred that
Mr., Roosevelt intervened in California
just because he liked his old friend.
Bill McAdoo. 1t is true Mr.. McAdoos
votes swinging California to Roose-
welt at crucial moment in the 1882
Democratic National Convention at
Chicago gave him his first nomination.
But things like that-personalities-
are now supposed to be forgotten, or
at least to be subordinated to 'prin-
ciples.'
Big Principle Involved.
So when news came of Mr.. Down.
ey's triumph at the polls, Mr.. Roose-
welt was face to face-not with per-
sonalities-a choice between his old
friend and helper, Bill McAdoo, and
q stranger-but a choice between the
regular party nominee. Mr. DoWney,
and, of course. some Republican. In
the ordinary case, this would be easy
to handle because as between a Dem
ocrat and a Republican, naturally,
Mr.. Roosevelt picks a Democrat for
his support.
In this case, however, big principle
was involved. Downey had supported
a plan which, if enacted into law in
California, would give every unem-
ployed person in the State every
Thursday" $50 pension in scrip. Mr.
McAdoo had called this cruel delu-
sion" The President told the press
last week he too thought the plan
Impractical. He doubted whether CAL
1fornia had the constitutional power
to issue currency, as this belongs under
the Constitution to the Federal Gov
ernment. He thought the plan bad
Now at this point the acid test of
principle" versus expediency arises
If Mr.. Roosevelt really felt that Mr.
Downey was championing a plan that
was a violation of the Federal Consti-
tuition and would bring hardship to
the people of California, was it not
his duty to tell the people of
Califorpia this? What else is to be
expected from the head of the Dem
ocratic party? If he is to announce
himself as in favor of liberalism" and
then sidetrack a fundamental issue
affecting human welfare, of what
value, it will be asked by his opponents
IS it to attempt to advise party voters
at all?
Didn't Act on Principle.
Mr.. Roosevelt could have made the
California pension plan a basis for
refusing to support Mr.. Downey. He
could have taken his position on
principle" but he didn't. Instead he
gave the reporters an example of
what happens to principles in modern
politics when expediency reigns su-
preme in the mind of a political leader
First of all, the President explained
that the California old-age pension
plan was State matter and no Fed
eral legislation was involved AS an
afterthought, to be sure, he mentioned
the constitutional question about a
State l,o
over that quickly to add that States
should have right to conduct expert
ments of their own and that Mr..
Downey was liberal anyhow. 1t was
to be inferred that with the exception
of a wild idea here and there Mr.
DoWney would be good rubber stamp
in the Senate for the Roosevelt ad-
ministration.
AS soon as the necessary wiggling
was done to let the press know that
the administration was willing to allow
an impractical and unconstitutional
pension plan which was the chief issue
in the California campaign to be dis
regarded just to get rubber stamp
Senator, the customary telegram of
congratulations was sent by Postmas-
ter General Farley in his guise of
chairman Of the Democratic National
Committee. 1t will be recalled that
Mr.. Farley telegraphed Upton Sinclair
who. by proclaiming the End-Poverty-
tn-California plan, had won the Demo-
cratic nomination for Governor in 1884