Judge — June 25, 1932 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Day Dream URING this lull between the two windstorms in Chicago, let us indulge in one of the few privi- leges left to the plain citizen—day- dreaming. Let’s suppose. Suppose the idea that holas Murray Butler had a few weeks ago had actually been tried. He suggested that the Republi convention should appoint ac mittee of conference to meet with a similar Democratic committee. Then the convention would take a recess to await results. Two weeks later the Democratic convention would do the same. The two committees would then get toyether and write a com- mon platform, “a definite, a con- structive and a ional program which would make instant appeal to hosts of the most intelligent men and women throughout this land who now call themselves either Democrats or Republicans without being in the least able to tell what these words mean as distinguished from each other.” Now go beyond Butler and day- dream with the old gentleman on th bench. Suppose the members of that joint committee were all distin- suished and widely known Republi- cans or Democrats. Suppose they suddenly saw a great light. Sup- pose they y that theirs was the sreatest opportunity that mortal men ever had. They would forget their parties and their prejudices. They would think only of the national sood. And they would write a plat- form something like this “This nation is in a national emer- xency of the first order. PI politics now is playing with dyna- mite. We are not interested in jobs JUDGE UDGE on ron BENCH for party workers, but in jobs for ybody. Our purpose is that the plenty we have shall be fairly dis- tributed among the whole people, that there shall be neither poverty nor swollen fortunes and that there shall be security for all. We mean to have a try at erecting a new so- cial order, by the democratic method, lest we be driven to a worse one, “The first steps i simple—to r peal prohibition, to revise the tariff rd, to cancel the war debts, to compel government economy, to put an end to unemployment by a xreat enterprise of public works, devised on a productive and not a pork-barrel basis. “What comes next is not so but is surely possible to men of srood will and energy. For our purpose s clear. We reject the doctrine of uncontrolled individualism and s protect the public ayainst the cesses of the private profit s We intend to promote the wider d tribution of the national income. To this end we favor high wages and the rigid regulation of rates and profits in public services and basic indus- tries. To this end also we favor high income and inheritance taxes, at the same time intending that those of modest means shall pay their rea- sonable share of a broad federal tax, so that all citizens shall be con- scious of responsibility for yovern- ment. We shall set up national eco- nomic planning to achieve balance between consumption and production, “Finally, we shall within one year call a national convention for the complete revision of the American constitution so that it will fit the needs and responsibilities of our in- dustrial ag By this safeguard we hope to prevent revolution.” eve ISy, Suppose this extraordinary nce should then go further and » upon a national leader, a can- didate for the presidency. It wouldn't be Hoover or Roosevelt. It might be Owen Young or Butler. Most likely, it would be a fresh, vix- orous, inspiring man of affairs, such as Mel Traylor. his leader named, he and the committee would then set up a complete slate for the cabi- net, stating exactly who would be the head of each department. con Then the two conventions meet again. How stodyy they would seem—and how sore and scared they would be! They wouldn’t accept the platform. They wouldn't accept t candidate. They wouldn't the cabinet. The old x licans would yo their we old line Democrats way, h with their own silly plat- form and their own typical candi- date and their own dirty little trades for this job and that job—just as though the country were not desper- ate and sick for honesty and cour- age and selfless devotion. But the new leaders with the new set of principles would yo roaring through the nation, gathering re- every cros ds, organizing election district, rolling up a e of votes. They would sweep into power with mighty mandate, not in the Russian way not in the Fascist way, but in thi American way, giving one more chance. Remember, this is only a day- dream. We know more about prac- tical politics than you would think from ding it. It won't happen. It can’t happen. Too many Americans are damned fools. Rd. W. would accept rd Repub and th would yo their democracy comicbooks.com