Evening star., 1943-12-24

lSSl COulQ QucS" Dsvi0 As~1e"oe'
ton the broad phrases used to ex.
press the promises of a better dea
for the many groups which had beer
struggling for that recognition.
Thus the underlying purposes o1
the law sanctioning collective bar
gaining as a statutory right or the
law assuring minimum wage or the
law regulating the sale of securitie.
or the laws setting up a system Of
old-age pensions and unemployment
compensation were accepted by pro.
gressives in the Republican as vel
as the Democratic party. Tht
principles were not unlike those o.
woodrow Wilson's New Freedom
which were prevented from being
carried into wider effect by the out.
break OF the World War.
But the chief objection which
many Wilson Democrats, like the
writer, and others have had tc
what has become to be known as
the New Deal has been to the mis-
use Of governmental power in the
guise of progressivism. The at
tempt to circumvent decisions OF
the Supreme Court of the United
States by the so-called court pack
ing" bill is case in point. Like
wise the appointment of 50 many
justices out of the official family has
put stain on the Roosevelt record
which has come to be known as
New Dealism. The idea that the
end in government, however, benefi-
cent, Justifies the means is not a
theory of government which can
long retain support in America.
Again and again officials of the
administration have defended such
a course. One of them, in a public
hearing before congressional COM
mittee, justified his admitted viola
tions of the laws prohibiting the use
Of public funds for lobbying to Sc
cure legislation because he thought
the end was justif1able. Evidently
President Roosevelt agreed because
he promoted the official to higher
office.
The use of relief appropriations
to help local henchmen to build a
political machine is not progress
sivlsm, but 1t has come to be asso-
ciated in the public mind with New
Dealism.
The possibility that these mistakes
OF the past are now being recognized
and that arbitrary and capricious
use Of power is to be eliminated
introduces feeling of encourage
ment. But the reform has yet to be
demonstrated. The tendency of the
bureaucrats to insist that court re-
views are superf1uous and that bu-
reaus shall have the final word still
persists. 1t promotes class warfare
and discrimination between citizens.
New Dealism will always be remem-
bered as the chief offender in that
kind of mismanagement of the citi-
Zen's rights.
But if the discarding of the phrase
Is sign of complete change on
the part of the Democratic admin
istration, it augurs we'll for the COM
ing campaign. There are millions OF
citizens who are accused of hating
the New Deal but have no such atti-
tude toward truly progressive ideas
and principles. If the men who have
served the Democratic party
throughout their political lives
men like Senator Byrd of Virginia
or Bailey of North Carolina or Gil
lette Of Iowa or Van Nuys Of In
diana or Tydings of Maryland-are
to come into positions of greater
responsibility in the party along
with many others in the House OF
Representatives, the chances of the
Democratic party to reorganize ano
retain power would seem to be i'm
proving.
But if the change is merely pre-
election shift and is to be followed
by another wave of radicalism ano
arbitrary misuse Of power after the
election is won, the Democratic par
ty will find itself thoroughly dis
credited and its Southern wing COM
pletely cut off. Maybe the discard
ing Of the phrase New Deal" is q
forerunner Of campaign debate.