Evening star., 1924-08-31
CANDIDATES HUNT
:. FOR PARTY ISSUES
Democrats and Republicans
Each Ignore Points Raised
BY the Other.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

b1 hObEHE Il. SMALIIs
80 NEW YORK, August 30..-The lead
, ing candidates for the Presidency of
, the United States seem to be having
disagreeing as to just what are the
issues in this campaign. Until they
get little nearer together. the man
in the street must remain in some
. thing Of a quandry. At the present
, moment there is only one point of
contact, and that is the tariff. Even
on that somewhat superannuated is
sue there is not the wide divergence
of opinion that one might expect, for
while Mr.. Davis is denouncing the
'robber' schedules of the Fordney-
McCumber act he is at the same time
stating that there must be tariff
based upon sound competitive princi-
pies. so the American working man
may not suffer at the hands of cheap
foreign labor.
President Coolidge evidently has
made up his mind completely to ig-
more the honesty in government is
sue raised by Mr.. Davis. Mr.. Coolidge
is taking the position that under him
honesty in government" is to be as
sumed. not questioned. Mr.. Davis has
been courteous enough to say that
no one would question Mr.. Coolidge
on that score, but he does not seem
to believe that Mr.. Coolidge would be
the entire next administration if
elected. Instead he thinks the Presi-
dent would fall victim to the same
system" which surrounded Mr..
Harding and made Teapot Dome pos
.sible.
Oil Scandals Slow.
On the scandals" of 1923, the only
point on which the Democrats can
attack Mr.. Coolidge is that he did
not act with any too much celebrity
in view of the exposures which were
being made by the Senate investigat-
ing committees. They claim Mr..
Coolidge did nothing at all until the
situation forced him to act. OF course,
s3fr. Coolidge replies there was moth
ing for him to do until he was ap-
.prised of the misconduct.
; 1nasmuch as the Republicans feel
they have a good arguing point on
..this issue, and inasmuch as they say
their faces are set toward the rising
rather than the setting sun, the
Democrats are having a little diff
,hculty in keeping up their rage"
Senator Wheeler. the La Toilette
candidate for Vice President, is do
ing the best he can to help the Dem
.ocrats on this score. and for his as
isistance they are duly grateful On
all other matters they are somewhat
Scornful.
President Coolidge is attempting to
spike the La Toilette guns so far as
is possible by committing himself
definitely 70 farm relief legislation
in the nr.st Congress. Just at the
moment. however, the farmers are
sitting pretty and needing no relief
However, it is always good idea to
hold out to them the promise of re-
lief even though the farmer vote" of
a1yra hoc
publican. The La Toilette movement
which started off with such a clash
ing OF cymbals and beating of drums
seems to- have met with deterrent
currents because the gamblers in
the pits have been boosting the
price of wheat and corn beyond the
widest dreams of avarice on the part
of the dirt farmers.
Coolidge Has the Breaks,
On this issue" Mr. Coolidge un-
questionably has carried off the
breaks of the game" and he has
added to his farmer prestige by his
stay IN vermont and by the pictures
ne has had taken in the fields pitch
ing hay and doing the chorus about
the old farmyard. Mr.. Davis has
had to content himself on "off days"
with Locust Valley. L. l.. where the
hay is clipped by motor mowers
from the golf links and where the
Maud Mullers are as scarce as visits
from the Prince of Wales.
Mr.. Davis by his speech at Seaeirt
last week and by his visit to Column
bus, Ohio. this week has endeavored
TO bring the ku klux klan to the
fore as an ISSUE" but thus far Mr..
Coolidge has insisted upon ignoring
the subject and the chances seem to
oe that he Will not agree with Mr.
Davis that the way to deal with this
subject is for both of the leading
candidates to denounce the Klan and
all its works. In any event Mr. Davis
has the support of Senator La Toilette
in denouncing the Klan, and here, as
well as on the subject of honesty in
government" the Democrats have the
cooperation q the third party"
nominees. This support is not to be
despised.
Trying Oh Nerves.
With both the democrats and the
Republicans ignoFtr- the issues raised
by each other am with the La Fol-
lette following " Mdering where they
can go in the face of the indecision
on the part of the two older parties,
the campaign promises to become ex-
ceedfngly trying on the nerves and
no one knows just where it will end.
to push forward the foreign relations
angle to the campaign. They feel
that without entering the League of
Nations they have accomplished
much. The Democrats say they
could have done the same things
years ago by entering the league
Thus the discussion becomes aca-
demic, and if there is one thing in
the world that the man in the street
takes no stock in, it is academic dis
cuSsions.
Most political observers believe
that the election might as we'll be
held tomorrow. They think the vot-
ers have made up their minds and
that all the money, energy and words
to be expended between this time and
election day in November might bet
ter be conserved. Still and ALL the
United States without a quadrennial
thrill over the presidency would be a
dull place indeed.