Evening star., 1928-11-18
Hoover and Progress.

Progressive" members of the Senate
and House were particularly fortunate
In the recent election. Nearly all of
those who were up for reelection were
returned by their States or their con-
gressionai districts. This was true not
only IN the case of the Republicans, but
also among the more progressive Demo-
Gratis Apparently the progressive spirit
still snimates many of the people. not
vitnstanding the gloomy view of the
situation taken by Senator Norris of
Nebraska, Republican Progressive, who
ia the last days of the campaign came
cut for the election of Gov. Alfred e.
Smith. Mr.. Norris in statement is-
sued after his return to Washington
said that the next four years did not
hold out much hope for the progress
sively minded men and women of the
country There are other so-called Pro-
aressives who also supported the Smith
candidacy and who take much the
same view as the Senator from Ne
braska.
But whatever the disappointment of
Senator Norris. Senator Blaine Of Wis
consin and other Progressive Republi-
cans who swung over to the Democratic
national ticket, the great bulk Of the
Republican ProgreSSiyeS in Congress not
only worked for the election of Herbert
Hoover, but look to him as a liberal and
progressive leader It was because OF
their belief that Mr.. Hoover will meas.
ure up in many respects to the ideas
of the Progressives that such men as
Borah of Idaho, BrookhRrt of Iowa,
Frazier and Nye Of North Dakota,
Howell of Nebraska and Hiram john
son of California gave the President
elect their hearty support in the cam
paign.
MIR. Hoover in the past has shown
himself q great humanitarian. There
is strong and apparently well grounded
belief that he will lend . friendly ear
and D strong influence to measures
looking to the improvement of condi-
tions for the workers and for the farm
ers. He believes In maintaining the
opportunity of individuals, it is true.
and does not believe in the Govern
ment undertaking to do innunerable
things which the individual can do for
himself. But there seems no real
ground for the gloomy forebodings Of
Prosressives who determined in the last
few months to cast in their lots with
the Smith candidacy for President.
Their jibes now at the outlook for prog
ress in the next four years sound rath-
er like the disappointment OF politicians
who made q mistake in choosing their
candidate in the presidential race, al
though they predicate their gloomy
views on the assertion that special in
terests are to hold sway.
There is room today in the Repub-
lican party for progressives as we'll as
conservatives, just as there has been
in the past. Extremists are found in
both groups They tend to leaven the
whole. The country as q whole Is
vitally interested in economic issues.
And bound up in those issues are the
welfare and happiness of millions of
men and women who work. More and
more the tendency in this country Is
for the improvement in the conditions
and wages of the worker to keep pace
with the development of industry and
business. Much as some Of the radicals
would like to make it appear that there
is q peasant class in this country, such
a class does not exist. The prospects
of development along progressive lines
in this country are bright, notwith-
standing the calamity howlers.