Evening star., 1927-02-17

DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, head of
Columbia University and conspicuous
New York member Of the Republican
party, has been unable to arouse much
enthusiasm by his attack on the idea
OF third term" for President Cool
idge and his expression of belief that
only wet" can successfully compete
in the next presidential election. Sen
ator Borah's reply to the New York
educator, assailing the vets, also Is
received with detached interest.
A suggestion which comes from the
Rochester Times Union independent
Is that sin asking that the major
parties take definite stands on what
he views as the leading issues of the
day-prohibition, farm relief and for
eign policy-Dr. Butler is ruthlessly
tearing away the screen which hides
the shattered fabrics of party pro-
grams. Party names remain" con-
tinues that paper. because they still
command wide allegiance, but on such
issues as these the split is across
party lines, rather than a clear divi-
sion between them.'' The Asheville
Times independent Democratic) holds
that "if DR.. Butler wants a decision
in the Republican party on prohibi-
ton, Senator Borah has offered him
the means Of getting it. 1t would be
an interesting campaign and would
replace a vast amount of debate over
prohibition with actual facts as to
what the people think about it,
Recognition Of the fact that DIR.
Butler and Senator Borah ''agree that
the prohibition issue must be met
frankly and courageously by the Re-
publican party, and that the platforms
adopted by Republican State and ma
tional conventions in 1928 must con.
tain explicit declarations on the sub
ject, Is given by the Chicago Daily
News independently, which also be-
lieves that sincere and intelligent
persons are not likely to dissent from
the positions taken by these two emf
nent Republicans, one of whom Is in
principle dry and the other a wet"
r. v n X
"Our guess is that DR.. Butler and
Senator Borah will not have their
way." says the Charleston Evening
Post independent Democratic). land
that the Republican party will adopt
O. platform which will leave the pro-
hibition issue in the air" while the
Decatur Herald independently remarks:
"If Butler and Borah could have kept
quiet, there would have been In the
platform a fine. sonorous and harm.
less paragraph about law and order,
offset by a splendid tribute as to the
bill of rights which wouldn't have
meant anything and that everybody
could have accepted, interpreting as
he saw fit. That's the way platforms
ought to be written
-
President Coolidge the Philadelphia
Public Ledger independently offers the
comment: Every White House as
pirant will hope that Mr.. Coolidge IN
| due time will announce that he re-
spects the 'third-term' tradition. Ii
| the White House silence remains un-
broken, other means Will be 1ouno 10
break it. Just now the political wise
men feel that Mr.. Coolidge will not be
candidate. DIR. Buffers words are a
balm Of Gilead for all those who nope
as well as believe that Calvin Coolidge
will not run. But they do not KNOW
and it Is this uncertainty which tears
their souls"
AS the Jersey City Journal dndepend-
ent Republican, sees the Butler pro
gram for the presidential election next
year. "a wet will be elected Presi-
dent. Therefore, the Republican party
must nominate a wet. DR.. Butler Is
a wet" The Flint Daily Journal dn-
dependent) and the Hartford Times Tin
dependent Democratic) accept the con-
clusion as phrased by the Flint paper:
1.-THE pleasing thing for DR.. Butler
| is that DR.. Butler himself answers
the description Of the ideal Re-
publican candidate better than
any other man likely to run" The
Newark Evening News independently
says: "He was not speaking for Mr..
Coolidge: he denies that he was speak
ing for any presidential ambitions of
his own, but only as private citizen
may express his views. Is he to be