Evening star., 1928-10-31
Politics at Large
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

next Tuesday it is likely that an acri-
monious discussion will ensue as to
whether he would have won had he
, been a Protestant. In fact, the ques-
ton is not new today. Many Demo-
Gratis are ready to proclaim it fact.
Many of them already say that If he
wer7 a Protestant he could not be de-
feated. 1t is idle to tell them that
other Democratic candidates have been
| defeated for President by Repub-
! licans. It is idle to point out to them
that Gov. Smith has against him the
| prohibition issue from the dry point of
view, the fact that he is connected
with Tammany, an organization which
has its enemies, and the fact that he is
Democrat in a land where Repub-
licans have recently far outnumbered
Democrats. They apparently can see
| it no other way. One Democratic State
chairman in the West goes so far as to
six States II Gov. Smith had been a
Protestant instead of Catholic
1t is noticeable, however, that this is
an argument advanced by Democrats
and not by Republicans. Many of the
latter assert with emphasis that Gov.
Smith would have been defeated on one
issue alone-the wet and dry issue.
| Others take the view that present pros
porous conditions in the country made
| it certain that the Republicans would
be retained in power. 1t seems, how
ever, that only one way exists by which
q discussion of what might have been
may be avoided. That is to elect Gov.
Smith President.
The Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent himself, in his final speeches of
t1n ie l.
issue to the fore, attacking bigotry, at
tributing it both to Protestants and
dryS. He must have been aware that
his election would be fought bitterly
by the dryS and even the Anti-Saloon
League after the Democratic national
convention in Madison Square Garden
in 1924 and after his own pre-conven-
ton campaign this year. Judging from
his speeches in Philadelphia and Balti-
more and the reports of his probable
themes in his final addresses this week,
Gov. Smith has determined to make
his last appeal on nti-prohibition and
religious tolerance grounds.
y 4 \ \
A week from today the cabinet
makers will be in full swing-whether
1t be Democratic cabinet or a Re-
publican. The election will be over and
the prognosticators will be shaping the
| cabinet either for Gov Smith or for
Mr.. Hoover. All the most prominent
Democrats, or Republicans, as the case
may be, will be trotted out and put
| through their PAGES for Secretary OF
State on down the line. Incidentally
there is a considerable belief among
Pennsylvania Republicans that If Mr.
Hoover Is elected Secretary Mellon will
| continue to handle the pursestrings of
the Nation as Secretary of the Treasury
Mr.. Mellon has been hailed as the
greatest Secretary of the Treasury since
more, those who know Mr. Mellon say
that he likes official life in Washing
ton and that he would be at a loss
how to employ himself If he should
surrender his present position. Mr..
Hoover, If he be elected, will have to
decide how many of his old companions
around the cabinet table he will invite
to retain their jobs. There are some
of them who may desire to retire in
any event. Secretary Kellogg, it is said,
is already making his plans for a re-
turn to his old home in Minnesota.
Incidentally, there is some speculation
as to whether Mr.. Hoover, as President,
would offer Senator Rorah of Idaho the
Senator Borah would accept. Certainly
it would appear that Senator Borah
might we'll expect anything he desired
at the hands of a Hoover adminiStra-
ton. He has led the forefront of the
Republican attack in this campaign.
and his speeches, delivered in all parts
of the country, have been very effective,
For the first time the Idaho Senator
has entered vigorously into a presiden-
tial campaign and has used his great
abilities as an orator to win Tor the
Republican nominee. Not that ne mas
failed to make addresses for other pres
idential candidates, but that ne mas
never before taken so active a part In
a presidential campaign. Doubt is ex-
pressed that Mr. Borah would be willing
to relinuuish his seat in the Senate to
take a cabinet Office He has become
an institution in the Senate and his
withdrawal would leave a big hole IN
that body. He is chairman OF the
Senate foreign relations committee ana
has welded as much power over foreign
relations of this country as a Secre-
tary of State might do.
Here and there is talk OF the posi-
bility of a woman in the cablnet II Mr.
Hoover is elected. If all the reports
can be believed, it is the woman vote
which will put him in the White House
and the women may expect some slgnai
recognition. The suggestion is SOME
times made that Mrs. Mabel Walker
Willebrandt now Assistant Attorney
General, might like to be the ilrse
woman to serve In Presidents CABINET
as Attorney General. She, too, has
played her part in this campaign. HOW
ever. William j. Donovan, the assistant
to the Attorney General, is regarded as
a more likely appointment as chlef legal
officer of the Government II the Repup-
licans are successful. He has been a
consistent supporter OF Mr.. Hoover S
candidacy, and was so during the pre-
convention campaign, when Republican
leaders in New York, Col. Donovan'S S
own State, were lukewarm to the then
Secretary of Commerce.
X X 4 X
No one has yet claimed that this
election is being bought. That Is
another way the campaign has dlIereo
from others. In 1920 and in 1924 SEN
atorial committees were working vlgor-
ously investigating campaign expenol-
lures by the two parties. But this year,
although there is special Senate com-
mittee and a special House commlttee
all provided to keep tabs on campaign
expenditures, neither has had meet
ing since the Republican and Demo
cratic national conventions made their
nominations. This may be due In part
to the fact that the Republican ana
Democratic national campaign commit
tees themselves have been making pun
lie full reports of contributions and ex-
penditures at regular intervals during
the campaign. Senator Borah, by the
way. is not a little responsible for the
adoption of this plan of making pubic
the fiscal affairs of the national COM
mittees in the campaign. He insisted
at the Republican national conventi11
that the Republican platform should
contain provision for such reports. The
Democrats followed suit when 1T came
their turn. Perhaps after the election
is over there will be a shout that one
side or the other bought" the cleo
ton. But at present both Democrats
and Republicans are apparently con-