Evening star., 1940-11-02

You all know the history Of
recovery, beginning in 1888, and
progressing ever since.
Our economic system began
again to function. Then came
the suggestion from monopolis-
tic finance that while the Gov
ernment had done a good rescue
job, the best thing it could do at
that point was to forget all about
it, and to turn the whole eco
nomic system back to Wall
Street to run 1t again.
Determined to Save Nation
From Frustration and Despair.
They little knew the temper
of the American people. The
New Deal was no mere rescue
party. to restore to a chosen
few their old power over the
peoples savings, the peoples
labor, the peoples lives.
We had seen social unrest at
home and abroad-the frustrated
hopes Of common men and
women, the apathy which is the
forerunner Of cynicism, the de- =.
spair which dissolves civilization.
What this administration was
determined to do was to save
America from that Illustration
and from that despair.
We all remember how neg
ligible was the opposition this
administration met in the early
days. when it was cleaning up
the wreckage which had come
from the era of speculation.
The bitter opposition from Re-
publican leaders did not come
until little later. 1t came
when this administration made
it clear that we were not merely
salvaging few things from the
past, but that We were de-
termined to make our system of
private enterprise and private
profit work more efficiently and
democratically. to fill the de-
mands and needs of all the
people of America.
We understand the philosophy
of those who offer resistance
and counter offensive against
the American peoples march of
social progress. 1t is not an
opposition which comes neces-
sarily from wickedness-ft is
an opposition which comes from
subconscious resistance to any
measure which disturbs the
position of privilege.
1t is an unfortunate human
failing, that a full pocketbook
often groans more loudly than
an empty stomach.
I am a firm believer in private
enterprise and in private prop
erty. I am a firm believer in
the American opportunity of
men and women to rise in pri-
vate enterprise.
OF course, if private oppor-
tunity is to remain safe, average
men and women must be able to
have it as part of their own in
dividual satisfaction in life and
their own stake in democracy.
With that in view we have
pushed with social and eco
nomic reforms, determined that
this period in American life
should be written down as an
heroic era-an era in which
men fought not merely to pre-
serve past, but to build a
future.
Nations Brought to Ruin by
Needless Reactionary Men.
We have seen nations great
and small go down in ruin, or
get backed up against the wall,
because the reactionary men
who led them could not see the
real danger that threatened.
They were afraid of losing their
own selfish privilege and power.
They feared the legitimate for
ward surge of their own common
people, more than they feared
the menacing might of foreign
dictators.
For them, we take warning
here.
Most Republican leaders in
our own country for the last
seven years have bitterly fought
and blocked that forward surge
of average men and women in
the pursuit of happiness. And
let us not be deluded that over
night those leaders have become
the real friends OF these average
men and women.
Do you believe that the bulk