Evening star., 1938-12-21

In the main our objectives have
been most worthy and humane.
There has arisen, of course, differ
ence of opinion as to the best means
OF obtaining those objectives, but
the ends sought have deserved the
favorable consideration and COM
mendation of the American people.
1t would have been impossible to
have done as much as we have with
out making mistakes. To me the
highest order of craftsmanship is
when mistake is apparent, to con-
fess the error, and apply, If pos
sible, the correction
This is an unusual but not by any
means novel statement and, coming
as It does, after one of the repre-
sentative business groups has shown
disposition to look more tolerantly
on those who hold views other than
their own, it is of the highest sig
nificance. The quotation above was
part of Mr.. Harrisons first speech
this week, but he followed it up the
very next day with the following:
Cooperative Spirit.
"We cannot reach importance as
a world factor in trade and COM
merce and peace through difference
within any political party. It can
not be accomplished by any one
political party, but it must be done
through the united and cooperative
spirit of right Americans
who believe in the preservation of
eur form of government, and that
equal treatment be accorded every
class of our citizens.
"What we need now, in all our
people, is the quality of courage,
nagnanimity, forgiveness and un-
derstanding"
It is not often that the chairman
of the Senate Finance Committee
speaks in this vein, and hence his
words will be read in the light of
the conflict between economic groups
as we'll as the divisions within the
Democratic party which brought on
the so-called purge" campaign last
spring. Senator Harrison dismisses
the subject of liberalism and con-
servatism with this definition:
Much has been said about con-
servatives and liberals. It matters
not to me if I be classed as a con-
servative or as a liberal. I believe
rs did Disraeli when he said: I am
8 conservative in that I would save
what is wholesome; yet am lib
eral in that I would destroy what
Is evil"
Wiser Policy.
The Mississippi Senator devoted
most of his two speeches to taxation
and the importance Of trying to find
q way to curtail expenses of the Fed
edal Government. He comedies that
some worth while things have been
done by the legislative process and
that relief has served on the whole
a worthy purpose, but he points out
that many persons have come to feel
that the Government exists to sup
port them and theirs" Mr.. Harrison
sums it up thus:
"And so, I have no doubt that it
is the much wiser policy on the part
0f this Government to devise plans
that will encourage private industry
to give employment to the deserving
citizens, rather than for the Gov
ernment to continue its present relief
program"
Unquestionably, both New Dealers
and anti-NeW Dealers, liberals and
conservatives, will agree on the de-
STABILITY of such an objective. The
differences usually arise when it is
sought to find practical ways to
reach~the objective. The period of
pain and hardship which sudden
transition might entail is not relished
by any political party or its members
facing an election. Political parties
do not go in for such drastic re-
adjustments, cognizant though they
may be at heart of the ultimate wis
dom of such a course.
Sound Recovery.
So while the trend will be to dis
pose of the present relief system,
some makeshift substitute which will
not bring about collapse of Gov
ernment stimulus of purchasing
power will have to make its appear
ance before the present system is
scrapped.
It can be said without fear of con-
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