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Liberals (Finis)
Sirs:
The word "liberal," discussed in TIME, June 6 and earlier Letters, whether or not it once had objective meaning, appears to be, in current use. devoid of description. Among my economics students, sampled over a period of years, "liberal" seems to be merely a word of approval, like "good" and "beauty." Its use shows the feeling of the user toward the person to whom it is applied. . . .
ELMER PENDELL
Uniontown, Pa.
Sirs:
. . . May I offer as a cumbersome contemporary definition of a liberal: One who attempts to keep his conscience aware of the necessity of continually examining the intricate operations of holding companies, interlocking directorates, arms embargoes, international loans, etc.. in the light of the three or four most necessary of the Ten Commandments.
GERALD RAFTERY
Elizabeth. N. J.
Sirs:
. . . Roosevelt I defeated the Republican Party—Roosevelt II will probably defeat the Democratic Party. . . . Roosevelts have a habit of laying their eggs in other birds' nests —they are cuckoo. . . .
FRED DEB. BOSTWICK
Petroleum Engineer Wichita, Kans.
Sirs:
. . . [Roosevelt] is the greatest bond salesman the world has ever known. A man born rich cannot be a liberal. A man who has never needed a dollar cannot understand what a liberal is. ...
J. D. UTLEY, M.D.
Utley's Hospital-Sanitarium
La Crescenta, Calif.
Sirs:
A liberal is one who is willing to debate whether the sum of two and two is three and one-half or four and a quarter.
E. C. WATSON
Attorney at Law St. Petersburg. Fla.
Sirs:
. . . Liberalism is the window dressing of smart conservatives, timid radicals, and befuddled individuals generally, straddling the breach between slightly left of centre (Franklin Roosevelt) and slightly right of centre (Walter Lippmann). . . .
No wonder a liberal is so hard to define! He is the color of a chameleon, makes a noise like a clam, smells like pure water, and feels like motionless air. . . .
ROLAND A. WHITE
Dubuque Leader
Dubuque, Iowa
After reading 180 letters on this subject (of which 48 agreed that President Roosevelt is a liberal, 82 denied it), TIME is forced to agree with Readers Pendell and White that the common definition of "liberal" is cloudy, confused.
Do TIME readers think they can more clearly define the New Deal?— ED.