The Great Game of Politics
By Frank R. Kent.
BALTIMORE.—Some far-sighted | facts; second, the fact that a great
men In politics in both parties be-1 many people were reconciled to the
lieve that, regardless of whether j expenditures because of the emer-
Roosevelt or Landon is elected in No-;(gency and are slow in turning
vember, an economy wave will sweep ' around and recognizing the national
over the next session of congress only jj danger involved; third, the large
less strong than that upon which Mr. j number of people (some 22,000,000 it
Roosevelt rode when he came into of- is estimated), who, directly or indi-
fice in 1933. rectly, are receiving public funds and
(mostly) are opposed to a
trenchment policy,; fourth, and most
important, the "act that the public
generally has not yet become acutely
tax conscious.
It will be recalled that in the first t
six months of his administration, in j
response to public sentimen
accord with his platform pledge and t
personal promise, he cut the veteran ]
pension load more than $400,000 and The reason for this is that the new
in other ways reduced governmental deal has so arranged its time sched-
expenses nearly 25 per cent. It was ule that the tax bill does not really
a Herculean feat which justly fall due until after November. It is
aroused general enthusiasm. Looking! in 1937, not 1936, that the taxes to
back now it seems almost incredible.!pay the stupendous cost of the new
Not only are the cuts all restored; deal experiments will begin really to
and the veteran load now heavier'pinch. Up to now the pleasing and,
than ever but the whole federal ma- wholly fallacious idea has been in-|
chine has been tremendously expand-iculcated that the poor were to get
ed in all directions. All records for'the benefits and the rich were to be
debt, deficit, expenditures, size and soaked for the cost. Our so-called
cost of government, have been1 leaders have been so thrilled In ex-
eclipsed. There has never been any-pounding theories about great prin-
thing like it in this or any other iciples that they have completely and
country. It is the most gigantic and conveniently ignored the practical
expensive bureaucracy in the world. ; realities of cost. So far as the new
^   #   # dealers are concerned it is a subject
That the swing against the expen-jin which they seem not particularly
ditures and toward retrenchment has interested at any time, but certainly
not become more pronounced before not before election. So far as the
this is attributed to . a number of anti-new dealers are concerned, they
things—first, the volume and skill of |have had so many targets at which to
the administration propaganda shoot that they have failed to con-
which  has  successfully   blurred   the centrate upon this shining mark.