Evening star., 1949-09-18
Iow-Grude Conduct
Not Much Resented

Not Much Resented
Example Set by Roosevelts Held to
Explain Lack of Indignation
By Frank r. Kent
Recent events in Washington again raise
the question whether what the late Samuel
G. Blythe. perhaps unjustly, used to call
'the great rancid American people" now
have any standard Of conduct up to which
they want their public men to measure Or
any capacity for resentment when they do
not.
There is slight prospect that the current
investigation Of the "hve-percenters" will
greatly damage any one. 1t is, Of course, a
healthy thing to have it. 1t Is good to pull the
covers of these frauds and fakirs who sell
their supposed influence to the credulous
businessmen seeking Government work. 1t
is right to discover and expose grating and
improperly in high places. But, despite
Republican exaggeration, detached observers
do not believe the revelations will really hurt
the Democrats. Certainly it is not going to
cost Mr.. Truman any votes because he has a
blatant. bumbling and not-too-scrupulou
aide who befriended some of the "f1ve-per-
centers' and distributed deep-freezers
among an inside group.
nevertheless seem 50 trivial when compared
with what went on during previous admins
trationS as to be unexciting. While Mrs.
Truman may have made a mistake in &C
cepting the gift, certainly she has made no
effort to commercialiZe her position in the
White House. She has made no money for
herself. Nor, so far as known, has any Tru-
man relative, aide or friend. Whereas un-
der the Roosevelts the entire family played
hat I'll
dollars rolling merrily in from all quarters.
Mr. Roosevelt himself personally encouraged
all this in various ways including personal
use of White House advantage to pad his
own unimpressive stamp collection to the
point where, when liquidated, 1t was worth
more than 100000.
That sort of thing. of course. bred imitators
and set the standard. Also it put in a class
by themselves two men of that time-one.
Stephen B. Early, who consistently refused
big money to write magazine articles while
connected with the White House, the other
John N. Garner. who in refusing huge fee
to speak on the radio said That is too
much money for Jack Garner and the Vice
President of the United States is not for
sale" But did the performance of the White
House family along these lines damage Mr..
Roosevelt? The answer is No" Indignation
was almost entirely confined to those in OPP
position anyway. 1t gave them additional
reason for resentment but added nothing to
their strength AS to his own following it
either stupidity refused to believe the facts
or swept them aside as of no Importance The
sillier among them still meet every revelation
with loud bleats about Roosevelt haters."
as though that were an answer or would
deter men who revolt against such shameless
greed ho
truth
The point is that the long years of low
grade conduct in the White House by the
Roosevelts has lowered, if not destroyed, the
standards of the people toward such things.
They do not react against grating in high
places as formerly. There is no public ex-
element about Gen. Vaughans connec-
ton with the five -percenters," no public de-
mand that he be dismissed. Nor is there any
particular interest in those deep-freezes.
Similarly. no popular anger has been aroused
by the disclosure that Senator Styles Bridges
of Vermont, in addition to his Senate pay.
has been drawing secret salary of $35 900
year as a member of John L. Lewis three
man welfare board, though the improperly Of
that is obvious and shocking.
*
This is the most fragrant case of Senatorial
improperly in long while, but there have
been other Senators and other high officials
whose improprieties have been almost as
great. For example, there was Senator not
too long ago who. during his whole Senate
service, was on the payroll Of a corporation
frequently interested in legislation before
the Senate at more than double his senato-
rial salary. His was not an isolated instance.
In the long past there were one or two Sena-
tore-notably Bailey of Texas and Foraker
of Ohio-Who received fees from a great oil
corporation while in the. Senate. There was a
great deal Of hot indignation over that. AS
to Senators who do not divorce themselves
from their law firms when they become Sem
ators. that has become so general that it no
longer causes comment
None of this is criminal. Neither the Roose-
welt family nor Gen. Vaughan nor the
five percenters" have violated any law. Nor
has Senator Bridges laid himself open either
to indictment or impeachment. Nevertheless,
what has been going on in the White House,
in the Senate and in the departments cam
not be reconciled with any degree of, high :
mindedness nor does 1t meet any recognized
moral standard. 1t falls short. The worst
feature is the apparent absence Of resent.
ment upon the part Of the people as whole.
They seem incapable of genuine indignation
over the dubious conduct of their representa-
tives. Perhaps their moral sense has be-
come numb Certainly, after failing to react
at the wholesale money making by the
Roosevelts during their period of power, it
would be ridiculous to become greatly excited :
over Gen Vaughan, Senator Bridges and
the five -percenters." @@
appearance in the Virginia village will prob
ably be long way off," The boy allegedly
was apprehended in the act of aSSaulting (