Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-02-22
QUESTIONS FOR REPUBLICANS

The Republicans have picked
Philadelphia and the week of June
"a as the time and place to name
their issue and their presidential
candidate
Several issues are being discuss
ed-and several candidates-indi-
eating that the Republicans, no less
than the Democrats, are divided
and confused.
Yet, barring immediate threat OF
involvement in war, there can be
but one big issue. That issue, in
its negative phase, is ready-made
for the Republicans: After seven
years of Democrats in power at
least nine million Americans who
want jobs still haven't got them.
And the most logical nominee for
the Republicans will be the candi-
date who offers the best positive
program to give those Americans
jobs.
1t is not enough to shout that the
Democrats have tried many expert
ments and doubled the national
debt without solving this tragic hui
man and economic problem. The
people know that. They wait to
hear what the Republicans propose
to do about it.
For, short as political memory is,
the people have not forgotten that
the last Republican administration
had no solution. The New Deal,
with all it's muddling and mistakes,
can at least boast that it has given
the American masses more than
they had in 1881 and 1882.
The unemployed want something
better than a career on WPA. The
employed want something better
than Social Security on the frail
foundation of deficit financing. The
farmers want something better than
program of susidies. Business
wants something better than pump
priming.
Have the Republicans something
better to offer? They didn't eight
years ago and they didn't four
years ago.
Various COP hopefuls, in their
Lincoln Day speeches, dwelt on a
fine and glittering phrase, "free en-
terprise.' 1t is apt to become some
thing of Republican slogan-and
a good one, too, if they define it
and if they show convincingly that
they viii go all the way to estab-
lish it.
They make a good case when
they charge that the Democrats
have stifed free enterprise by pro
longed deficit financing, paralyzinS
taxation and too much bureaucracy
But what are they going to do?
Talk won't balance the budget. Will
they remove the taxes of which
they complain? If so, will they OBJ
tain suitable revenue and mobilize
effective public support for economy
by a courageous program of direct
taxes on a larger number of voting
citizens? AS for bureaucracy re-
straints on business--well, there are
other restraints.
Does the Republican concept Of
"free enterprise" still include what
ever tariffs vested interests ask, a
la Smoot-Haw1ey? Does it still
mean the government keeping its
hands off conspiracies and combina-
tions to raise prices and kill com
petition? If the answer to either
question is Eyes" the Republicans
will be trying to sell phrase AS
empty as the dinner pail Of 1882.
The Republican conception OF
"free enterprise" under the Harding
and Coolidge and Hoover left the
country with, not nine million, but
IA million unemployed.
And if that conception has been
altered, why do Republicans in
cOnpreSs continue to fight Secre-
tary Hull's trade agreements while
offering no other plan to demolish
trade barriers? Why have they Civ
en- no support to this administra-
tion's antitrust prosecutions-in
the building industry, for instance?
Those questions, and many 9th