The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-30
Fair Enough
By WEsTBROoK PEGLER

particular reference to their bleak social con-
dltlon, is another example of that remarkable
inconsistency which ran through the story of
her husbands political life and still amazes
observers of her own career.
That two persons whose protested princi-
pies contrast SO sharply with their practices
could enjoy the confidence, even the adulation
OF millions of those >~tcilers who are least
favored by fortune, as the good life is under
stood by the fascist wing Of the democratic
party, Is a paradox beyond present under
standing. 1t is only a slight exaggeration. Il
any, to say that Roosevelt was regarded as
a god by millions so priceless that thew were
pleased to be called the common man and
no exag2eration at all to say that these and
many others thought him generous and above
greed.
Here we have today a woman in politics
and a member, though ineligible, of a SUBJ
sldlary OF the CLIO, constantly .patronizing
the down-trodden and respectfully reckoned by
the opposition as a dangerous electioneer
while, IN the accommodating file of hard-wor
information, there is proof that her late hus.
band was, in the most conservative language,
a very practical man IN his own business
affairs.
We find Mrs. Roosevelt now solicitous for
the miners, though not exactly affectionate
toward Mr.. Lewis, who runs their union, and
are reminded of the coal properties in Penn
%sylvania owned and operated by the Delanos
and Roosevelts tor half a century, where. as
recently as 1910, the closing of the mines and
the company store left most of the inhabitants
of the company town Of Vintondale destitute
and with little food. The company just closed
down with the miners clamoring for their pay
and their families for bread.
Mrs. Roosevelt also mentioned a slight
aWareness of miners troubles during the first
world war when, on the word of an authority
close to the United Mine Workers, armed
guards patrolled the conpany's streets and
the property paid dividends of more than 100
per cent. Among the Troubles in the mines
during 1914, my informant in the UNIV. re-
calls a strike at the Delsno-Roosevelt proper
ty which lasted seven months and was beaten
by the company, as others were in 1916, 1919
and 1922.
That Franklin D. Roosevelt was for a time
one Of the owners of the mines we have the
word of Mrs. Roosevelt, herself, in a letter
from the White House in 1912. but a gap in
our Information leaves us in doubt as to
whether he shared in the great profits of the
first war boom. There is reason to believe
he did. Many Delanos retained their interest
down through the winter of 1910 when the
company closed the mines and the regional
press in Pennsylvania reported that large
quantities of meat and other food were al
to rot in the company store, eventually
being taken away by L scavenger.
Frederic Delano, an uncle of the late Presi-
dent and one of the many kin-folks who found
Jobs in the government during the Roosevelt's
big bonanza, was the company's chief ex-
ecutive and carried on some OF its business
from his office in the State department where ,
he held the title of chairman of the National I
Resources Planning Board.
Now here we have a company town de- /
picted by our authority in the UNIV. as one !
of the worst imaginable company towns.
where the employer ran the schools, the local
Administration OF justice and even the d,
unmistakably identified with the :,
clan of Roosevelt, and yet we find no mention :
Of the place or the troubles of these particular !.
miners in all the millions Of words written :
or spoken by Mrs. Roosevelt. many of them
in strong criticism of inconsiderate employers. =.
o. course it is true that the mines were
u%nionized in 1888, shortly after Roosevelt's :
first Inauguration, and we may grant that he
sold out before that. But we are permitted
to surrnIse that this disposition of his interest .
not necessarily an act to disassociate 1
himself from a business whose methods of
tended his humane and social feelings but
more likely a radiance of a decadent invest
ment. J
Nor should we forget that in return for the
patronage and benefits conferred by the
government during that first term.
the party received from John L. Levi for
its 1896 campaign one of the greatest single
gifts of slush in our political history.
1t has been reported lately that Miss Grace
Tully, one of the secretaries of the late Presi-
dent, is carefully preparing for historical in
a large collection of his papers
Now if these be revealed in the naive SIM
plicity Of George Washirgton's accounts thew
should show exactly how much he paid farm
hands and common laborers on his baronia1
estate at Hyde Park, in which case. again
assuming complete candor and no editing il
would appear that he was not merely practi-
cal but objective in his own dealings with the j
common man, and not merely thrifty but II
mean. We might even learn his profits from
the miners groceries at the company store.
we Know, from his will. that he limited to
Sl'o0o a year, or less than $40 a week, his
Dequest for the assistance of his loyal secre-
tary OF many years service. Miss Marguerite II
LIE Hand, Ill beyond hope of recovery, whose
oeath spared her the problems Of survival on :
this pittance. And we know that his appreci-
alton OF faithful service by personal en-
ployees was expressed in requests of sion +
each. :
Mrs. Roosevelt, of course, was not the head
OF the family, but the nation and, indeed. {
the world were given to understand that she i
was not reticent and was influential. Yet We +
find Mrs. Roosevelt robustly active in ta ~ Z
fairs of the CLIO. and all its propagand. -. {
the underpaid and under-privileged and 49,
serting her own liberal principles on the WOW,
day that a news dispatch reports that q vo,na