The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-26
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

BY LUDWELL DENNY
TINE politicians and prognosti-
l. Gators are pretty close to hys-
terra as result of the farm relief
battle and uncertainty over its eff
feet on the Republican convention
and the election.
In Washington they are running
in circles, shouting claims
and counter claims, but at heart
wondering where they go from here.
This epidemic Of NERVES" is due
to the strain of the last-minute
rush and f1libuster in Congress- with
big issues like tax reduction, Muscle
Shoals and Boulder Dam at stake,
and due to the unaccustomed Demo-
cratic harmony and unaccustomed
dissension on the eve
OF the political conventions.
Even the usually cold Mr.. Cool
idge is infected by the hectic at
His veto message of the
McNary- Haugen farm relief bill was
not only the bittereSt presidential
document in a generation, but was
positively shrill When the Sena-
tors heard it read they went red
and purple-or whatever is the color
OF a facial storm warming.
They at once set about to pass
the bill over his head. But they
fell four short of the necessary two
thirds vote.
And now every one is trying to
explain what has happened and
what is going to happen.
means the end Of Cool
Il idge and Hoover-the farm
States will prevent the nomination
OF any farm enemy. or if they fail in
that they will vote Democratic and
turn the election" This prophecy
as you may have guessed, is that of
the anti-Administration alliance of
presidential aSpirants, led by Low
den and Dawes. who have staked
their political fortunes on farm re-
volt.
mot So" reply the Coolidge
Hooverites; "the Presidents cou-
rageous stand against this unconsti-
tutional and fallacious measure will
win the respect of most voters and
show many the economic danger and
political trickery involved in it. This
makes the nomination of Lowden
or Dawes impossible"
Meanwhile, many Democratic
leaders openly are guffawing on the
Senate floor over the Republican
split, and seeing visions of November
Some of them intimate that
Hoover wrote the un-Calvanistic
Philippe, and that the Presidents
friends are getting ready to throw
Hoover overheard"
ID EHIND all the shouting Of dis
ID pute and bitter partisanship,
however. you find few who stress
in private certain factors which
existed before the bill was passed
and vetoed, and which are apt to
remain the determining factors in
the political situation.
These appear to be:
l. There is an increasing agrarian
revolt, as a result of the postwar
defation, which will continue
despite better crops until agricul-
Jural prices are raised by some kind
Of artificial protection or until re-
moyal of the protective tariff for
industry increases the value of the
farmers dollar.
2. Historically the American farm
vote, though potent as a minority
irritant, never has been strong
enough by itself to control a Re-
publican convention or a national
election.
3. The unsuccessful Senate at
tempt to override the Coolidge veto
anew that this is not
a party issue, but a class and sec
Jional conflict. OF the fifty Senate
votes for this panacea, twenty were
one Farmer-Laborite,
and twenty-nine Democratic.
Of the thirty-one opposed, nine
teen were Republican and twelve
Democratic. Such Democratic lead
ers as Walsh of Montana, recent
presidential candidate, and Reed of
still a presidential cam
didate, are on the same side of the
fence as the Republican Collidge
and Hoover.
4. Even though the farm rebels
a majority of the con-
vention or electoral votes, which
they do not, neither logic nor UNI
masses determine political
decision Presidential control of
parties Ind expediency count more.
In the Kansas City convention,
Coolidge and Mellon probably will
dominate in the end, and Lowden
and Dawes either will climb on the
steam roller. or go away and start
a little farm party all their own
which nobody expects.
The question seems to resolve it
self into whether the Lowden-Dawes
can hold all the farm dele
gates or enough to deadlock the
finally forcing Hoover's
WlGllQA avail. L il1o 10 1lOb pAObdblC,
but if it happens, Hoover certainly
will see to it that neither Lowden
nor Dawes gets in.
And so will Coolidge. He has
shown that he hopes and expects
Hoover to win. But there is little
loubt that he would accept the nom
is his for the TAX
lng-if necessary to keep his politi-
cal enemies from capturing the
party.
II n
"THE biggest victory for govern
l. ment ownership in years." is
the happy opinion of those respon-
sible for final passage of the Muscle
Shoals bill and House acceptance
of the Boulder Dam bill.
The victory was won despite "the