The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-14
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

(COpyrlSHt, IS4os ny mig T CdIuTcS SynQlCatc J
NEW YORK. Aug. 13-When the story of
the Roosevelt administration is fully developed
oped, even this incurably juvenile republic,
with it's perverse pride in its picturesque ras-
calls in public office, for once may vince and
seriously consider whether such corruption is
merely a minor by-product of free government
or a symptom of grievous civic disease:
Notwithstanding the Indifference of Congress
and the guilty unconcern of a Department of
Justice tarred by the same stick, the dis
closures of shakedowns, commissions and
graft in a hundred guiseS will continue under
private enterprise until a record has been
assembled which will make the larcenies of
the Harding administration and the so-ca!led
Ohio gang seem frivolous by comparison.
After all, Harding, at his worst has been
depicted as a stupid man with an unfortunate
preference for the social company of coterie
of rogues who abused his confidence and IN
posed on his friendship. His worst enemies
never accused him of active connivance in
the exploitation of the presidency by crooks
and adventures and U. S. Grant gave up his
farm, his home house that belonged to his
wife, even his swords and trophies, in his at
tempt to pay off debts incurred in association
with swindler who deceived him no less
than the other victims.
Honor, uprightness, 1airness-These were
Grants cardinal virtues wrote w. E. Wood
card in the biography ''Meet General Grant. >
He would rather hear of his children pros
trated or bed of sickness from which they
were never to arise alive than to know that
they had departed from an honorable, up
right and virtuous life "
AS to Franklin D. Roosevelt. however, the
very fanatics who defy him should be the
last to assert in defense of his memory hat
like Harding and Grant he was gullible and
confiding man who didn't suspect that others
close about him were grabbing money with
the frenzied avarice Of looters in a riot. He
was shreWd, he was wise and he knew the
ways of grafters for he had denounced them
in pietistical orations and, in particular, had
voiced his scorn for "a public official VINO
allows member Of his family to obtain fees
or benefits through his political influence"
Harding and Grant were not crusaders and
neither man made practise of charging mo-
tlves of greed and larceny to all who, in the
exercise of their intelligence and their consti-
tutional right, found it necessary to disagree
with him. President Roosevelt, however, from
the beginning of his administration, assumed
to himself high degree of honesty and civic
morality, according to definitions which he,
himself laid bowman assumption that re-
vealed itself in melodious TRADES against
others
The graft that went on throughout his time
in the White House would have been a dis
grace to any administration but, in judging
this particular case, the people must consider
the contrast between profession and perform
ance, and the verdict if the facts are not
disputed, as none have been to date, must be
accordingly more severe
Here was an administration which declared
war on want and yet deemed $4,000 a
year to be pittance for young man with
no record OF business or executive ability or
performance and blandly tolerated, even en-
courased enormous gifts d tribute masked
as loans or investments and the employment
OF Its proteges in mock jobs by supplicant
ana mlscreant business interests at salaries
su11iclent to hire matured executives of es-
tablshed reputation and integrity
There were two standards in this regime
one for the lower classes, personified bv that
political myth, the common man. the other
for the ruling group
10 entlce the votes Of that credulous hav-
chaser and keep him plodding through .hree
terms and four elections, these cynical i'm.
posters kept promising him roses round his
door, dignity arr steady work and. for extra.
TWO weeks at second-rate summer resort.
he got, instead, tin shack. trailer or a
cuolcle IN a communical barracks, war wages
minus war taxes and subject to inflationarv
COSTS and set Of chains which bind him to
MS Job and submit him to the rule of iailers
representlng the Roosevelt unions
ror lhe ruling group, however. the standard
prescribed mansions. night life, travel steeds,
Iich meats and heavy gravies. and such was
tne spell OF voice and the propa ganda that
millions never even observed the difference
or. observing it. thought it peculiar
| was warned, not that I needed warning
TOR ! knew too well. the cvnicism and cor
ruptlon which had been bred among millions
OF Americans, deriving them of their iudg
ment and the inherent scorn of decent men
Tor hypocrisy and graft. that anv ATTEMPT 10
prove these violations of Roosevelt's own cole
would produce an unexpected reaction. That
reaction has occurred but it was not ,,nex
pected
knew there would he men of acknoW1ed7 ed
intelligence and good reputation who wou1
blame the victims of certain shake-dowrs and
vlnd'cate the grafters and comn1eto1v o1'@o1"o
President Roosevelt of anv knowledge of such
political badgeroan,es. thouoh. I'D to now
those who be did know about such deals
ard those who irsinuate that he didn't.
| knew that. lie HitJnr's subjects. 1hare
would be some who would saw that he took
them out of the bread 1res and that there
fo"e whatever else he did was all rioht
That is their RIGHT hut thew do not have a
right to SUPPRESS truths which should have 2
purifying effect on our notifies and govern
ment and deserve chapter in the record of
our time.
Editorial Comment