The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-10-06
Relief A Real Issue

Relief A Real Issue
Washington, Oct. 4.
If the Republicans and anti-New
Deal Democrats had any real gump-
ton they would unite in making an
issue this fall, in the next session of
Congress and, if still unsuccessful, in
the 1910 campaign, of getting the
business of relief back in the hands of
nonpartisan State committees.
go
If the country is to free itself of the
New Deal disease in time to recover
health and sanity, what it needs is
concentration upon a single simple is
sue which people can easily under
stand instead of a blanket indictment
covering so many points that the force
IS Diluted and the effect nil. The pro-
posal to return relief to the local COM
mittees presents such an issue By
far, it is the best upon which to make
the fight. Even if the Federal Gov
eminent puts up ninety-five per cent
of the money, that would be an i'm
nense gain in that it would end a
situation which has become a great
national shame.
There are many reasons for center
Il Il ] -
relief policy and urging the change.
The first, of course, is that, under Mr..
Harry Hopkins, the relief organization
has become saturated with politics.
Appointments are made on recon-
mendation and approval of the poll
ticians and the pretense of non-parti-
sanship and non-political partici-
patton is completely transparent. Mr..
Hopkins himself has become a recog
nized political factor. He is boosted
for Governor in one State New
York;; makes declarations in favor of
the Administration Senatorial candi-
date in another Qowa), and recently
in third California;; justifies Ad-
ministration support of the absurd
$3O-every Thursday pension scheme
candidate by asserting that that sis
only a local issue, after ALL"
$50
Nor can the trick words last June
of Mr.. Hopkins and his aide, Mr.. Au-
brey Williams, with which, in effect,
they told people on relief how to cast
their ballots, be forgotten. Character
ling these utterances, Mr.. Hoover re-
Gently said Ripped of all DISCUSSES
and all intellectual dishonesty, the
statements of these two men were
direction to the millions on relief and
their wives and relatives how to vote"
Wholly aside from all partisan in
dictment, there is evidence enough to
Justify this issue over and over again.
Politics in the WPA has been de-
nounced by a Senate investigation
committee controlled by Democrats; it
has been exposed in Democratic news
papers supporting the President; 1t
has been vehemently asserted by lead
ing Democrats in Congress.
$50
In fact, it has been so widely
charged and so generally recognized
and admitted that the periodical ges-
lures made by Mr.. Hopkins, his stage
Indignation over the charges and his
blatant assertions of his non-politlcal
attitude have become worse than
ridiculous-they are impudent and
brazen. In anti-New Deal circles they
create a steadily growing resentment;
among the New Deal politicians there
is admiration for the way in which
Hop" gets away with it. One OF the
chief things some assert he has got
ten away with" is the adding to the
relief rolls during political campaigns
and at a time when, according to the
Administration own figures, business
is improving and unemployment de-
creasing. That this singular fact,
noted by Republicans more than once
before campaign, is anything more
than coincidence" is holly but not
convincingly denied by Mr.. Hopkins. At
the present moment, though there
certainly are signs of better business
and Government agencies speak OF
less unemployment, more and more
men are being put on relief rolls,
which now have reached their highest
peak-over 100000, and still going
up. 1t is, perhaps, just coincidence
that an election will be held in tlVe
weeks. $50
Take it all in all, this relief bust
ness, while probably the Administra-
TONS greatest political asset, is also
its most indefensible activity. 1t IS
being conducted at so vast cost as
to threaten the stability of the Gov
eminent, and in so muddled way as
to shock every man who abhors waste