The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-08-01

By FRANKLY
! Publicity Director, Repul
Ever since the advent of the New
Deal on the American scene we have
heard a great deal from high places
ar0ut improvement in the "moral
climate" of the United States. Indeed
from the chatter that has gone thru
the ether waves in freside chats one
might suppose that idealism, decency
and political morality were rare VIZ
tues before 1888.
The fact of the matter is that there
has been less political morality in this
country during the last seven years
than in any comparable period of
American history. This may seem an
amazing statement to those who re-
call some of the scandals in our his
tory. But such scandels were isolated
/
affairs-wrong-doing on the part of a
few men.
1t is true that no earth-shaking
scandals in the Roosevelt AdminiStra-
ton have come to light. But far more
invidious is the Widespread indiffer-
ence on the part of New Dealers to
ordinary decencies and amenities Of
life and politics. A few specific Incl
dents may illustrate this point.
RELIEF PROSTITUTED
TO POLITICS
One illustration is the insensibility
of the New Deal leaders to the prosti-
tuition relief measures to political pur-
poses. 1t is common knowledge that
men and women in great distress have
been forced to give up a part of the
meager sums they receive from relief
funds to Democratic organizations
and campaigns. Yet Harry Hopkins
as head of the WPA blandly denied
the truth of such allegations until
they were confirmed by Senate Com
mittee composed chiefly of Democrats.
Another instance of this disregard
for political morality has been Mr..
Roosevelt's tolerance-if not his
friendship-for such smelly political
machines as that operated in New
Jersey by Mayor Frank Hague; in ILL
nois by Mayor Ed Kelly; in Tennessee
by Crump; in Pennsylvania by Guffey,
and in New York by Hines, Flynn and
their Tammany Hall associates.
Still another instance has been the
commercialiization of the White House
by the Roosevelt family. Never before
the advent of the New Deal has it
been possible for anyone to buy the
White House family. Now all the chill
dren have capitalized on the position
of their father to the extent of tens
of thousands of dollars. Young Jimmy,
who has no more talent than the av-
erage American youth, now signs at
the age of 80 years and says looking
after his investments takes most of
his time.
WALLACE SHOWS
CALLOUSNESS
Another instance of New Deal cal
lousness to political decency has been
just exhibited to the American people.
Secretary of Agriculture Henry A.
Wallace, who has been nominated as
the Democratic Vice. Presidential can
didate asserts he has no intention of
resigning his post in the New Deal
Cabinet.
Mr.. Wallace has been heralded as
great idealist-as man greatly in
clined to be religious-even as a
mystic. Ironically he owes his nomina-
ton to the very worst elements in the
Democratic Party. 1t was the big city
machines of Hague-K -Guffey-
Crump and Tammany Hall which as
sured his nomination over the pro-
farm states.
Idealistic Mr.. Wallace may be, but
he certainly has blind spot in this
business of remaining as head of the
Agricultural Department while cam
paigning for the e-Presidency.
There is no precedent for such ac.
ton. Mr.. Wallace attempted, again
ironically, to cite Herbert Hoover as
a precedent. But Mr.. Hoover in 1928
resigned as Secretary of Commerce
before he commenced his campaign
for the Presidency. In 1920, Franklin
D. Roosevelt resigned as Assistant
Secretary of the Navy before COM
mencing his campaign for the Vice
Presidency.