The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-04-17
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1916, by King Features Syndlcate)

dIlCS Ol lliC IlOOSeVGlL duCeSLl d. 1A1oiAoAo az
Hyde Park by the Department of the Interior
as national monument several press dis
patches referred to this property as shrine
In the pure sense, shrine is place or
object consecrated to some holy person. In
the vulgar sense it may pc anything from
Huey Longs tomb revered by many Ignorant
Louisiana backWoodsmen, to Red Oranges
Number n which he wore On the back of
his sweater at the University O. Illinois and
which, upon the close of r.; career was
solemnly Withdrawn from ISSUE never to be
worn by another.
Huey Long was a dangerous scoundrel who,
for all we know or his gestapo ever permitted
any record to show, may have been assas-
sinated by one of their number and not by
the unfortunate Doctor Weiss who was in
stantly shot to tatters by the armed guards
whom Huey frankly called my thug-men''
Some thousands of illiterates in Louisiana re-
garded Long as savior and revere his memo
ry just as, in Germany, millions of human
beings, including many highly intellectual
persons, actually adored Adolf Hitler and still
regard him as martyred deity.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was in no sense
holy person and so the memorial which ne
prearranged in his own honor, in display
of that taste which was characteristic of him,
is not shrine in the authentic meaning of
the word The one place in our country which
most nearly constitutes shrine is the tomb
Of the unknown soldier in Washington, who
personifies all the Americans who were killed
in the First World War. Washington's tomb
at Mount Vernon and Lincoln's at Springfield,
Ills, are SO regarded in purely historical
sense the latter especially by Negroes VINO
inaccurately believe Lincoln fought the Civil
War to elnancipate them although he plainly
said he fought to preserve the Union and that
| if he could have done this without emancipat-
| l.
and Lincoln are not regarded by Americans
generally as holy men. however, and no per-
son of prominence has yet had the effrontery
to declare that Mr.. Roosevelt was holy.
There are many, however, who do believe
he consecrated his lie to the service of hui
manly end if they would like to make the
| old mansion national shrine in the true
sense they should be willing to 60 about it
correctly. The correct way would be to hold
sort of trial upon his character at which
all evidence of selfish purpose dishonesty,
duplicity, ingratitude and greed would be Of
fered by the DEVILS advocates Just who would
constitute the deciding authority I am unable
| to suggest unless they would wait for posteri-
ty to make the decision and this they seem
unwilling to do. Such haste is reasonable
for time is long and he will be dead forever
and, even after so years, a modest interval,
would still have ages in which to enjoy his
sainthood.
Among the defects in this claim one Of the
most important would be the very terms by
which the nation acquired this real estate
This gift was a tax dodge by which the cand-
date for sanctity Intentionally relieved his
heirs of financial burden whereas other age
ing squires in the same neighborhood were
denied the same privilege. Through the trans
fer, he imposed on the common man. or tax
payer, Cor whom he professed great love, the
a property which instantly has been exploited
as a partisan asset OF the Democratic party
The % million Republican voters have alb
stained from all orgies there. The burden falls
with special weight on his neighbors in the
region, many Of whom would testify that
Roosevelt paid misery wages for farm labor
even while he was denouncing greed and abus-
ing Well-fed club-men of whom he was one
himself being at that time a member Of five
clubs ali OF which excluded Negroes and some
of which were frankly inhospitable to Jews
The decent course at this time would have
been to bequeath the mansion and the limited
property which it stands to the Demo-
cratic National committee and other private
groups similarly devoted to the exploitation
of the Roosevelt myth for political and per
sonal profit.
The reason tor the haste is obvious. Those
who want to make shrine OF these premises
would be furthered by the unprotected public
acceptance of the old heap as holy place
and delay would permit the discovery of more
and more proof that Roosevelt abused his Of
flee to enrich members CT his family and
personal rroteges. No fair inquiry can be had
until the Democratic party loses control of
Congress and the Republicans or some new
opposition shall get control Of the appropriate
investigating committees. If that should occur
within, say, the next two years, criminal
prosecutions would ensue against survivor
rascals Of the bund during which incidentally
the reputation of Roosevelt would be revised
according to the rigid designs and outlines
of truth
The promoters of the myth including Presi-
dent Truman, are aware of the handicap
which they impose on those who cherish truth
above political advantage in their c1amor for
a premature historical verdict on their late
leader. Already there are suggestions, even
from conscientious Americans, that in
his grave should be allowed to lie there. This
viewpoint overlooks the fact that Truman, the
widow, the National committee and the Po-
lltical Action committee are not content to
let him lie but exploit every excuse and ruse
to lay wreath and broadcast eulogies from
the grave. It overlooks the fact, also, that the
evil men do lives after them and that, in
this case, evil is fagrantly presented as good.
| If the truth ever is to be known about the
Roosevelt rule the truth about the man, him
SELF must be told. johnson, Grant and Hard