Evening star., 1950-02-17


world in jeopardy to satisfy tn
advocates of false economy.
In this difficult world situation
some people are talking about gen
eral tax reductions. I regard this a
political hypocrisy. We had on
recent experience with an ill-timeo
, irresponsible tax cut, Much of ou
present financial difficulty is tn
result of the sweeping tax reduction
which was enacted in 1948 over m,
veto-at a time when expenditure
for defense and foreign policy wer'
inevitably rising. We must not MAKE
the same mistake again.
In this election year, the Demo.
cratic Party will not play polite.
with the Federal budget. We viii
state the honest truth about the
budget, just as we will about al
other issues. We believe that the
people are entitled to the plain facts
about every issue, so that they can
make up their own minds,
The Democratic Party can afford
to be frank and truthful, because it
is working for the general welfare
| OF all our citizens. 1t does not serve
any narrow group or clique. This
makes it easy for the Democratic
Party to put its program before the
country openly and completely. We
have nothing to hide from the
people. Our strength lies in explain
ling our program and our policies to
the people. And the more thor
oughly We explain to them what the
Democratic Party is trying to do
the more certain we can be of their
continued support.
There are many differences be-
tween the Democratic and the Re-
publican Parties. But I think the
greatest difference is that the Demo
cratic Party is the party of af-
| firmative action-it is for measures
to achieve prosperity and progress
The Republican Party is the party
of negative inaction-it is always
against things.
The principal thing that Re-
publicans are against, of course, il
the Democratic Party. But they
can't win on that plank alone. They
must try to find reasons for being
against the Democratic Party. They
must persuade people to vote agains
the Democratic Party. And that i:
getting harder and harder to do.
One reason it is hard to do is thai
the Republican Party has no af.
firmative program Of its own. Il
refuses to take thought and make
plans for the future. Instead Of
presenting positive program o.
their own, the Republicans si1
around waiting for us to make. 8
proposal. Then they react with ar
outburst of scare words. They are
like a cuttlefish that squirts out q
black ink whenever it's slumber is
disturbed.
Hunt for New Scare Words.
Right now, the main problem o1
the Republican leaders seems to be
to find some new scare words. They
have not had much luck along thai
line, lately. They tried using the
phrase welfare state" as a scare
word for while, but they discovered
that the people are in favor of &
government that promotes theil
welfare. So they dropped that scare
word. Then they tried "statism.
But my good friend, Gov. Lehman
took care of that one in the New
York election-so they had to dror
it, too.
Now, the Republican leaders hav'
had to go back to an old standby
Frankly, I don't think it's as gooe
as some of the others, but it ap
pears to be the best they can think
of. Their current scare word il
Socialism"
/ It's perfectly safe to be agains
socialism" The difficult thing /!
to make the country believe tina
the Democratic Party stands fol
socialism. How in the world car
the Republicans persuade people
that all you Democrats at all thest
dinners are Socialists?
1t can't be done. But the Re.
i publicans will try it just the same
That's what they've been trying t,
do ever since 1888. For the last l.
years they have called every new
Democratic measure Socialism" OF
communism" and they have made
constant predictions of doom ane
disaster. The plans and proposals
that we have advanced for improv.
ing the condition of the people Of
this country have been greeted with
these same old scare tactics during
all these years.
j And I'm going to prove that tt
you.
Let us take 1t step by step.
/ In 1888, this country faced some
of the greatest problems in its his
tory-the problems of providing
food and work for millions of job.
less persons and their families, OF
} saving millions of farms and homes
!. from foreclosure. of restoring {
; banking system that had collapsed
of placing the entire economy or
oAlC way w ICCOVC1y.
| The Democratic Party rolled uI
its sleeves and went to work. 1t tool
steps to provide relief and jobs, tt
save farms and homes, to restor'
banks and business. Bit by bit tn,
!, economy responded to those vigorou!
!. measures. Income began to grow
confidence returned, business activ
, ity mounted. This was the respons,
of the economy to our farm and la
5 Dor business prograns-our pro
:. grams for resource development
and public works and the puildinl
of homes.
4 As this miracle of recovery un
!, folded. what was the attitude of tn
Republican Party?
In 1894, the Republican Nationa
5 Committee issued a policy statemen,
t And In that statement they said:
: American institutions and Ameri
can civilization are IN create
danger today than at any time sine
eIthe foundation of the Reuublic.n