The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-30
JUNE 80, 1873
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

bags and quietly steal away. They
have done good work-foT the
trust"
With giant power one or the
major national issues, they have
succeeded in getting the nationa!
conventions of the two great parties
out of the way without any embar-
RAISING debate or any platform
thruStS.
Neither the Republicans nor the
Democrats have committed them
selves on Muscle Shoals or on
Boulder Dam.
These convention escapes are uuc
partly to luck and partly - the
clever quiet work of tine lobbyists.
Conventions being composed Of
delegates who resemble children at
a circus, they usually see only the
big spectacles and hear the big
noise.
Here at Houston and two weeks
ago at Kansas City, the big noise
of course was the bonn of the cam
didates. The sole interest of most
OF the delegates was the choice OF
ticket and surety that they would
get aboard the band wagon befors
it swept past them
The fact that the fights against
both Smith and Hoover were ex-
ceptionally bitter and collapsed
with unexpected suddenness in the
carly morning hours before the
conventions opened, accentuated
this. They we're so weary and the
relief over uniting on a candidate
was such that the delegates were
in no mood to fight over platforms
The exceptions we're the planks
on farm relief and prohibition.
PUT even on these issues, which
~ doomed up so large to the voters
back home and which threatened
for while to split the conventions,
the results were not determined by
the delegates.
The customary back room con-
ferences of leaders disposed of these
issues and in the customary way
by compromise. With the con-
ventions actually divided on these
issues, the politicians decided that
evasive general planks were the only
way to avoid party bitterness which
would jeopardize a strong campaign
and election victory.
So the 'Irreconcilable" dry nil
nority at Houston and farm re-
lief minority at Kansas City were
showed out of the way while the
main parades marched on to theQ
tuneof harmony music.
II the conventions could side
track the well-organized and rela
lively large dry and farm pinorities
1t was obviously much easier to liz
more the small and lonely group
which wanted to commit the partiesN
on the water power monopoly ISSUE
But the trust" was prepared forY'
the danger which did not material
lie. It's special agents were activ
and some Of its men came as deli
gates.
The Government ownership ad1Y
vocateS are very cynical about the
results. They point out that Hoo
yer controlled the Kansas City con-
vention and charge him personally
with responsibility in part for the
evasive plank. Altogether aside from
the Republican party, which is de-
scribed as working with the power
interest in Washington. these adj
VocateS blame Hoover for not tell
ing the country where he himself
stands on this issue.
There is even more Disappointment
In the Government ownership group
over the failure of the Houston
platform to mention Muscle Shoals
Boulder Dam, and the official reveI
lations OF public utilities propaganda
and lobbying activities. '
BECAUSE Of President Coolidge's
- pocket veto of the Norris Mus
Gle Shoals bill for continued Gov
eminent operation. some had ex-
pected that the Democrats would
hit upon giant power as one of the
major campaign issues against the
Administration.
They had expected much more
from Smith than from Hoover be-
cause of AIS earlier statements.
Here, for instance, is an excerpt on
power from the characteristic saw
ings by Governor Alfred E. Smith"
distributed by Smith campaign
headquarters to the Houston dele
gates;
Giant power combines naturally
will stand against the proposal Of
a public authority but it is difficult
to be in sympathy with their view
point, because it is purely selfish. e.
"On the other hand, there is to-
day an insistent and growing de-
mand for the development of these
power resources by the rightful
owners-the people themselves.
There Is one sure way to get the
full benefit Of hydro electric energy
for the small storekeeper, the small
home owner and the people on the
farm, and that is to have the State
retain the ownership not only Of
the source Of the power, but of the
development work.
Nobody honestly and conscien-
tiously can oppose it unless belong
ing to that reactionary Bourbon
group against public ownership or
public development of any resource"