The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-10
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

WAsHINGroN Oct 1O'-of all
w the many paradoxes OF this
confused presidential campaign,
the sudden emergence of the tariff
issue is the queerest.
Along about the middle of Oct.
ober in every national campaign,
tradition and the rules of the
game" require party strategists &c
spring a surprise" The idea is
that The voters after six weeks OF
so of hearing party pledges over
and over again, and of hearing
about faults OF opposing candidates,
are getting pretty weary with the
whole show.
So at about this time, as the CAM
paign swings into the last lap, your
party manager is supposed to re-
vive the dropping voters with new
issue designed to waken the peo-
pie and burn the enemy. Like
most rules OF the game" this one
has the Slight fault Of being no
surprise to the enemy.
The Democrats have succeeded
though, after a fashion, this year.
That is, the Republicans were ex-
pecting certain other last minute
Surprises" but not this one.
ATOW that Smith and Raskob
~ have picked the tariff as the
home stretch issue, it is hardly a
violation of confidence to report
that the Republicans are relieved
and gratified. This tariff talk is
welcomed by them like mamma from
the skies, a blessing unSought but
eagerly pounced upon.
Indeed the c. o. P. is so well
pleased with this Democratic sur
prise, it is about ready to omit its
own traditional surprise. There is
no question that tariff is becoming
the closing issue. Smith is going
to discuss it at Louisville on Satur-
day, considering it so important
from his campaign point of view
that he can not wait until he gets
back into the eastern industrial re-
gion to state his position. Hoover
is going to use it as his theme at
Boston next Monday. Senator Moses,
eastern Republican campaign man
ager discussed it Tuesday and is
going to repeat again today at
Plainfield, N. j., over a wide radio
hookup. Curtis, Republican vice
presidential candidate, is doing the
same out in the West.
DR.. Work, Hoover's campaign
manager. let out a long blast on
the subject today, replying to one by
Smiths manager, Raskob.
Here is the paradoxical issue:
The Democrats say they now ac-
cept the protective tariff principle,
and only disagree with the ,Repub-
licans over its application.
The Republicans answer that
most of the Democratic party favor
its traditional policy of tariff for
revenue only, but that a few like
Raskob are trying to steal this
Republican protectionist plank. They
add, of course, that if the country
is to continue protection the Repub-
licans can be trusted better to APP
ply it.
OBVIOUSLY this situation puts
~ the Democrats at a decided
disadvantage, Hence the question,
why did Smith and Raskob choose
to put themselves into what the
Republicans call such a hole?
The Republicans will tell you that
Raskob had no choice, that he chose
the lesser Of two evils when his
scouts began to report that several
western States and the industrial
eastern States were in danger OF
blackballing Smith on the theory
his administration would reduce
tariffs and increase unemploy-
ment."
Chairman Works letter to Chair
man Raskob today was filled with
personal jibes at the latter, such as
these:
May suggest that while as a
Democrat you are only a few months
DID, the tariff policy of the Demo-
cratic party-one of opposition to
the protective principles more
than a hundred years old.
IF you were to undertake to get
the Democratic candidates for Con-
gresS to join you in advocating a
protective tariff, you would be
abandoned by most of them"
WOUR candidate (Smith) does
Il not make himself clear on the
question. Does he approve the
(Democratic) Underwood tariff law,
as he indicated in his acceptance
speech, and as he and his party did
when 1t was passed, or does he con-
denim it?"
But the Democrats think they can
drive home to the voters that the
Republicans have been administer
ing the high tariff-now ellegedly
acceptable to both parties-in the
interest of monopolies, such as the
Mellon aluminium trust" AS
Raskob puts it in his challenge
to Work:
"Of course I am we'll aware that.
in practice, your Republican, party
has treated certain schedules as
political footballs. For example, you
have accorded rates practically at
their own demand to such private
monopolies as the aluminium trust.
Your party has acted in many such
cases with no regard whatever to
the necessities of such monopolies
against ruinouS foreign COM