Evening star., 1928-11-10
dim FUTURE SEEN
BY SENATOR NORRIS
Declares False Issues, ReIi.
gion and Prohibition De-
feated Smith.

Senator Norris of Nebraska, Pro-
greSsive Republican, who supported
Smith in the presidential campaign, in
statement issued today declared that:
From the outlook of progressive
the immediate future Is not encourag-
ing"
Senator Norris took the view that the
campaign was fought out on false issues
and not the real issues. He said:
ut was great victory, coming from
battle fought in the main on false is
sues. The greatest element involved in
the landslide was religion. Regret it
and conceal it as we may, religion had
more to do with the overwhelming de-
feat of Gov, Smith than any other one
thing"
Also BIames Prohibition Stand.
Next to religion came prohibition
Neither one of these factors should
nave been an issue in the campaign.
The election of Gov Smith would not
nave repealed nor modified the prohi-
bltlon amendment or the Volstead act,
and even prohibitionistS in their sober
moments must admit that he could
not have made a more diSasterous at
tempt at enforcement than has been
going on for the last eight years under
an administration that Mr.. Hoover
promises faithfully to follow.
The religious issue has done dam
age. 1t has Sown the seeds of hatred.
prejudice and jealousy, and they viii
grow and bear fruit long after the
present generation has passed away.
THE real issues in the campaign
were relief for agriculture and the pres
ervation OF our natural resources frorl
the grating fingers of the power trust
In the excitement over the artificial
issues OF religion and prohibition, farm
relief was beaten and the power trust
given the greatest victory since it be-
gan the stealthy and secret attempt
to control all the activities of our eco
nomic and political life. It is almost
inconceivable, in the face of the as
founding revelation of the Federal
Trade Commissions investigation, that
this should be so.
Cites Future Claims.
"The claim will now be made that
the question of control by private mon
opoly of the natural resources of the
country has been submitted to the peo-
| pie and decided by them in favor of
the trust. 1t will also be claimed that
the farmers themselves have decided
that no farm relief legislation Is neces-
sary and that the partisan government
al machine is giving complete satisfac-
ton.
From the outlook of a progressive
| the immediate future is not encourag-
| ing. AS a concrete illustration. it
looks now that unless the Supreme
Court holds that the Muscle Shoals bill
| passed at the last session of Congress
| is now a law, that great property de-
I veloped at the expense of the American
1 taxpayers cannot be saved for the
people. We do not have the votes In
| Congress to pass a similar bill over the
veto of the President, and 1t is well
known that the PreSident-elect would
veto any bill that retained the owner
ship, control and operation of Muscle
Shoals in governmental hands.
| The general subject of the control
Of water power development from oul
natural resources, already in the hands
of the power trust, must of necessity
remain there for at least four wears
The danger is that within that time
the remaining resources still belonging
to the people will have passed into the
hands of the trust.
Notwithstanding the setback. it 4
the duty of progressives to fight or
and to do the best we can, even in the
face of defeat, and to continue the
contest in spite of the additional odd:
that the election has thrown in tht
pathway OF human progress