The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-22
PARTY ISSUES
NOT OUTLINED
AS VOTE NEARS
Neither Side Has Formulated
or Crystallized Platform
With Which to go to Voters
To Ask For Power.
LEADERS ARE TlMID
ny MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, July 22.-We are
within six or seven weeks of the time
when the Democratic and Republican
parties will be contesting before the
public for the control of the lower
house of congress. And yet, Just what
will be the issue or issues between
the two parties is not clear to the
public or to the party leaders them
selves
Each party mas its campaign COM
mittee at work Each is soliciting
funds for the campaign with rather
less success in the cases of both par
ties than in the past, it may be said
Incidentally; each party has official
spokesmen who give out utterances
on various public questions as they
arise. But the Republican party has
not formulated nor crystallized the
platform on which it is to ask for
new lease of power Neither has the
Democratic party formulated or crys-
tallized a platform on which it is to
ask for transfer of power TO it.
On the tariff there is fairly clear
alignment between the parties. The
alignment of the Democrats in oppo-
sition to the present tariff bill is rath-
er more clear than the alignment of
the Republicans in favor of it.
In other words, the Democrats In
the senate will vote against the pres
ent tariff bill rather more near to
solidly than the Republicans will vote
in favor of it. When the final vote
comes on the tariff, the only defec-
tions likely to appear in the Demo
cratic ranks will be from Louisiana
and possibly one or two from other
states. For the Democratic senators
from Louisiana to vote for a protec-
tive tariff has little significance. They
usually do so.
On the Republican side, however,
there will be defections, larger in
number than this and more 'signifi-
cant in their character. These defec-
tions may include some surprising
ones from Eastern states. Neverthe-
less, in spite OF these alterations, the
alignment on the tariff will come as
close to composing a sharp and defi-
mite issue between the two parties as
commonly occurs.
Public Stand Unknown.
The question is however, whether
there will be an equally sharp align
ment on the part of the public. The
bulk of the evidence provided by mem
bers of the lower house of congress,
who are now on vacations in their
home districts. is to the effect that
the public is only just beginning to
show much interest in the tariff. So
far as this interest is being shown, it
follows the customary lines of cleav
age, although there is in New England
and the East a good deal of opposition
to the present tariff among elements
1r-hA sv1 hoTT
counted on as the staunchest supper
tiers of Republican tariffs.
The real question is whether the
public, by October. will have begun tc
think and talk about the tariff with
sufficient volume and intensity o.
feeling to make it a real campaign is
sue, capable of enlisting strong inter
est and bringing out large vote. 1
is largely a matter of the time re
quired for the public to become ia
miliar with the tariff and arrive at
state of strong conviction about it.
As to this element of time, the Dem
ocratic leaders have been of twt
minds: Some of them have though
ii would be well to. limit debate on tn,
tariff, to get it passed and get it be
l. fore the public early enough to caus'
it to be the party's principal issue il
the coming congressional elections.
Another section of the party leader
ship has held to the theory that TIL
congressional elections are relativel,
unimportant this year that it woult
be a doubtful advantage for the Dem
ocrats to get a majority in the hous
anyhow and that the party would d.
much better to let the debate dra
along, thus postpoping the tariff a
no iol ia
two years from now. BY that tim
the public will be familiar with tn
tariff, and also the possibility whicl
n will exist in thai year of carrying no
only congress but the presidenc
would appeal to the Democrats as O
greater importance.
Business Conditions
II is always true, in all elections
that whatever happens to be the bus
ness condition of the country durin
the campaign is not a party issue, bu
nevertD eless, a determining influenc
on the elections.
year ago, when the prices of farr
products were very low. when it seen
ed certain that this condition woul
continue for a considerable time an
would gradually infect the other il
dustries of the country-at that tim
the democrats COuQlSu cO1IlU6nIly o
having hard times as one of the chic
of their allies during the coming can
paign.
However, the decline in the price
of farm products was checked an
the whole economic sequence of d.
preston was short-circuited by tn
work of the War Finance corporatio
in loaning some hundreds of million
of dollars to distressed persons an
institutions in the farming commun
ties. Partly as a result of that, an
partly as a result of other factors
business conditions in the countr
are commonly good and growing be
ter.
1t is confidently asserted now b
the Republican leaders that when ele
tion day comes there will not be al
unemployed man in the country-f
= least none unemployed who wants
work. Against this promise of hop
: on the part of the Republicans lies th
sinister possibilities of the variou
al