Evening star., 1919-11-15
MI. Hoover's Standing.


an Independent candidate and man
with the business sense to manage an
institution like the government of
the United States comes from friends
of Herbert Hoover. former food ad
ministrator. And the manner in which
the suggestion is being acclaimed in
dicates that when the candidates are
6ifted and chosen the name of Hoover
will remain.
F'riendliness to Hoover is to be
found in the ranks of both the demo-
Gratis and republicanS-not the party
politicians, but the Independents or
progreSsives in each party. Mr.. Hoover
so far as known isn't particularly
republican or democrat. From the fact
that he is a mining engineer and man
of huge enterprises, republicans as
sumo that he must be of their party
and must share their party's view
Jfont on domestic affairs. From the
fact that Mr.. Hoover didn't hesitate
TO support the Presidents appeal for
democratic Congress last autumn and
that he didn't hesitate to say out.
spokenly that he favored the league
of nations, the democrats have de-
rived considerable satisfaction. Some
democrats friendly to Mr.. Hoover
think that even if he were nominated
on an independent ticket he might
get the Endorsement of the democratic
party.
This, as well as the general tendency
at present to pick man irrespective
of what issues may be later, only re-
veals the general similarity of the
republican and democratic parties
The party platforms exhibit little diff
ference, and the opportunity for an
Independent to make campaign on
the accumulated defects of both the
old parties is not denied.
Mr. Hoover's friends base their hiyh
hopes on the fact that he knows the
subject of food and the cost of living
70 nd a
voting in 1920 the judgement OF the
housewife will be factor OF vital
Importance.
Big Economic Problems.
The campaign so far as any of the
sharps can forecast at present, SWiii
not merely involve a program for the
reduction Of the cost of living, out
knowledge on the part OF the candl-
date of the tremendous economic
problems with which the country is
confronted today and VIII pe Wres<
Ting within the next few years OF
reconstruction. Just now some OF tne
Doliticians think radicalism and the
stamping out of bolshevik tendencies
will furnish the issue But both the
democratic administration and the re-
publican Congress are at one on that
score.
opinion that comes this way from all
parts of the country there would De
little doubt in my mind that the DIS
satisfac action of the country with the
wasted tirAe in Congress and the faii-
ure of the republicans to deal con-
structiveIy with some of the big ques-
tjons OF the day that have demanded
settlement-such as more e9uitaDie
system of taxation and an equitable
adjustment of the railroad problem
would be found to be equaled only by
parallel disappointment at the lacR
of efficiency in the executive depart
ments of the government. ruled by
the democrats.
For years the republicans taunteo
the democrats with the cry that the
latter were inefficient. but the repub,
icans themselves in the session ol
Congress that is to come to an enc
this month have used up many months
of time and produced no constructive
program of legislation. The House
has had quarrels among the leaders
and has been waiting on the Senate
where direct or indirect efforts to XII
the peace treaty have occupied the
republican majority until there Is
today good chance that all the work
of the session may result in failure
to get the status of our foreign rela-
tions defined at all.