Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-30
Politics at Large
By G.. Gould Lincoln.

Congress Is on the verge OF al.
journing again without having passed
the farm relief legislation demanded
by the corn belt and the wheat farm
ers, nor even the bill to which Presi-
dent Coolidge was prepared to give
his approval. the Fess bill.
The politics of this failure to enact
farm relief legislation is somewhat
complicated. Opponents Of the ad-
ministration insist that the Coolidge
prestige has suffered thereby, both be-
cause of aroused resentment of the
agricultural communities of the West
and Middle West and because of the
defeat which was administered the
Fess bill in the Senate, after the
President had publicly called upon
Congress to put that measure
through.
On the other hand, If President
Coolidge has lost some friends in the
agricultural communities, his firm
stand against the McNary-Haugen
bill. which clearly was designed to
put up and keep up the prices of food
stuffs in this country, has not lost
him friends among the people in the
industrial centers who nave to buy
these fOOdstuffs at prices which they
already consider excessive.
X X X
The President is not personally in
the campaign this year. nor has he
given any indication as to whether he
will be a candidate for the Republican
nomination for President in 1928.
There is a growing feeling in some
quarters, however, that the President
will not care to be a candidate to sue
coed himself in view particularly of
the fact that if he we're nominated
and elected President in 1928 ard
served through the new term, he
would have been Chief Executive for
period Of approximately 10 years.
No other President has ever served
longer than 8 years. But ire
spective Of the fact that the Presi-
dent has no direct personal interest
in the congressional campaign, the
result cannot fail to be Of importa nee
to his administration. The election
of a Democratic Senate or House, or
both, would hamstring his efforts for
legislation during the last two years
of his term.
The failure of farm legislation may
help to bring about the nomination
and election of more radical Republi-
cans from the West. Col. Brook hart
already has been nominated for the
Senate by the Republicans in Iowa
Senator Nye is likely TO be elected for
the short term and nominated for the
long term in the North Dakota cleo
ton and primary today.
The Democrats in the West and
Middle West, on the other hand. stand
little chance of gaining from the fail
ure to enact farm legislation. They
would support neither the McNary-
Haugen bill, which the farm orga MIA
tons wanted, nor the Tess bill, which
the President and his Secretary of
Agriculture wanted. They are left
in the position of obstructionists.
X X X X
One thing the Democrats in the
Senate undertook to do during the
consideration of the farm bill. They
sought to revive interest in the tariff
as a ma jor political issue. They have
tried TO lay the ground for an appeal
TO the farmers of the West to Join
with them to lower the Republican
protective tariff. on the theory that
If the tariff were lowered on the
things the farmer has to buy he
would be so much the better off. But
the farmers know that if the tariff
were lowered and the industrial work
ers, who must after all be the con
sumers of the farmers produce are
less able to buy foodstuffs. the mar
kets of the farmer in this country
will scarcely be helped.
The tariff has been the issue many
times in the past between the Re
publicans and the Democrats. and the
Republicans have benefited for the
most by this issue. 1t is true that
after the passage of the Payne Aldrich
tariff act, in 1909, the country really
took fire over this issue and returned
a Democratic Congress. But that Is
the shining example of Democratic
success on the tariff issue 1t hap
pened. too. Immediately after the
adoption Of the Republican tariff. To
day the Observation-Disclosures tariff act
has been in effect for several years
and the Republicans won great vic
tory at the polls since its enactment.
X X X X
The Democrats in New York State
have. it is believed. about accom-
plished their purpose of drafting Gov.
AL Smith as their candidate for gov
ernor next November. They figure
that this will be the better plan both
for the party in New York and for
Gov. Smiths chances for the presi-
dental nomination in 1928. Gov.
Smith, it is reported, is anxious to
have Franklin D. Roosevelt as his
running mate on the Democratic ticket
in November. Roosevelt seeking cleo
ton to the Senate seat now held. and
IarI6 En-,
tor James w. Wadsworth. Republican
Roosevelt would be a formidable can
didate for the Senate. particularly in
view of the detection of some of the
dry Republicans because of Wads.
worth's bold announcement that he IA
vored repeal of the eighteenth amend.
ment to the Constitution. This an
nouncement, it Is expected. will gain
Senator Wadsworth many votes in
New York City. But Mr. Roosevelt
is personally popular in New York.
He bears name with which to coniure
In that State. He was Gov AL. Smiths
floor manager in the last Democratic
national convention and he would re.
ceive great percentage of the Smith
strength. Mr.. Roosevelt, however,
has so far sidestepped the proposal
that he be candidate for the Senate
His health. while greatly improved
over what it was a couple of years
ago. would scarcely permit him to
make very active campaign. A
campaign might also set back his i'm.
provement in health.
X X X X
In Ohio. the race for the Democratic
nomination for the Senate has finally
narrowed down to former Senator
Atlee Pomerene and Judge Florence
r. Allen of the Ohio Supreme Court.
Miss Allen and her friends are seeking
to rally the Democratic women, and
Republican, too, partly because she is
woman and partly because she is a
dry. while Senator Pomerene is reck-
oned wet. 1t is on the cards, how
ever, that Pomerene will win the