Evening star., 1940-07-22

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votes. but the
final outcome
was a triumph David Lawrence.
Of the people over the politicians.
At Chicago the deception and
hypocrisy was much worse, for it
enveloped some of the highest Of
ficials who, though drawing salaries
from the Government of the United
States paid for by the taxpayers OF
all parties, did not hesitate delber-
ately to make themselves part OF
the mechanism and machinery of
partisan politics. These same of1-
cials threw the weight and influence
of their employers prestige to swing
the delegates into line for third
nomination in behalf Of the man
who possesses a vast appointing
power and a wide authority over
huge public funds and privileges.
There are honest and dishonest
men in Wall Street, but all the pee
ulations of the wicked few cumu-
lated over the years have never
done as much damage to the faith
of the common citizen in the in
tegrity of democratic institutions,
public or private, as was perpe-
trated in the name of liberalism or
New Dealism in Chicago last week.
Grown men, persons Of college
education and doubtless of men,
bership in the churches Of Amer
lea, participated in the fraud-the
effort to make people outside OF
the convention hall believe that
Franklin Roosevelt was not a can
didate, didn't seek the Office and
was actually drafted" by an ad-
miring body of delegates only be-
cause of the world crisis. Such a
concerted effort to fool the people
even by the use OF mechanical
demonstrations over the micro
phone has rarely been witnessed In
the entire history Of American pol
itics.
No Debate on Third Term.
In all the 1,100 delegates not a
single one ventured to get on the
platform to debate the third-term
issue. Not a single member Of the
Resolutions Committee dared to
bring in a minority report so that
the issue could be debated. The
story went around the convention
corridors that the isolationists
traded support for their platform
plank In exchange for willingness
to forget the minority report on
the third term. And when the iso-
lationists we're properly fooled the
leader Of the party in his accept
ance speech advocated conscription
and virtually discarded the platform
plank on foreign policy.
Men like Senator Glass OF Vir-
ginia and Postmaster General Farley
stuck to their convictions to the end
but the Virginia Senator had the
strange experience of hearing the
name Of Thomas jefferson, founder
Of the Democratic party, booed in
derision when attempting to read a
quotation from the latter's historic
statement against a third term.
The boos against Secretary WAL
lace for Vice President which came
from the audience and from some
parts Of the convention floor where
the delegates sat has been inter-
preted as a manifestation of inde-
pendence but it was evidently easier
to boo when there was no record
made Of ones disapproval than for
anybody to get up on the rostrum
and utter protest.
In fairness. however, it must be
said that while majority Of the
delegates were hand-picked by ad-
ministration henchmen, small
minority did plainly manifest its
dislike of the dictation as 1t came
from the White House. But the fact
remains there is no record of it in
the platform discussion or in the
proceedings of the convention. For
all practical purposes it will be
recorded that the Democratic party
by overwhelming vote nominated a
President for a third term and
repudiated Thomas jefferson.
Subterfuge.
There Is, however, a record
on the third-term issue made by
President Roosevelt himself which
will not only appear in the pro-
ceedings of the convention but in
the history books OF the future
and it will be criticized as long
as books are published and there is
freedom Of the press to criticize
1t can be briefly stated: On Tues
day night the President requested
and authorized the statement to be
made to the delegates that he had
mo desire or purpose" to continue
In offlce and that the delegates
could vote as they pleased. All
through the next day the represent
atives OF the President operated
the convention and arranged for the
so-called draft" and then within
48 hours-on Thursday night Of the
same week-the same President OF
the United States in a carefully
prepared speech announced his ac-
ceptance Of the nomination.
Why do men in high places resort
to subterfuges and devices of this
kind? Do they believe that the press
reports Of what happens in conven-
tions do not reach the voters or
Will soon be forgotten under an
avalanche Of Government spending
or subsidies? Or do they think that
. majority Of the voters are swayed
BY appeals to class prejudices and
by the smearing of political oppo-
nents? Do the New Dealers ap-
praise accurately the intelligence OF
the majority Of the electorate?
Election day will bring the an
swer. but it must be noted never
theless that to win an election men
IN high places have been ready to
abandon the morals and ideals nt