The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-06
KEEPING UP
With
THE NEWS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

w the unprecedented collapse OF
party lines and emergence of new
issues in today'S election force re-
vamping of parties and platforms
during the next four years? Will a
new party result?
Politicians are not given much to
speculation in futures, but these
questions already are being dis
cussed in their immediate applica-
ton. Here are some of the prob
lens which Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders must begin to face
tomorrow morning:
How can Hoover, if elected, unity
the warning conservative and pro-
gressive factions of the Republican
party, each of which expects him
to follow it and renounce the other?
Unless Hoover satisfies the pro-
gressives, who probably will con-
tinue to hold senate balance of
power, they can join with Demo-
Gratis in binding Hoover's hands and
pushing legislation over his head
as they did with the conservative
Coolidge.
How can Smith, if elected or If
defeated mold into permanent
form the conflicting elements which
suspiciously have united around
him for the duration of the cam
paign because they had no alterna-
tive? If Smith is to lead toward
liberalism, how can he hold the
southern conservatives, who consti-
tute the bulk of his party? If Smith
is to bring the wet millennium for
the east, what about the dry millen-
MUM of the southern Democrats?
Some are inclined to answer
these questions with a shrug Of the
shoulders and the remark that pol
itics is not logical, parties never
unified, and that the Republican
and Democratic organizations will
go on without significant change as
they have for years.
n q
OTHERS believe the change has
" begun already so far as the
voters are concerned, and that the
parties themselves will have to re-
fleet that change as the price Of
survival. They point out the event
in this campaign the two major
parties have disintegrated to the
extent that this has not been a
battle of Republicans versus Demo-
Gratis. but of Hooverites versus
Smithites, of drys versus vets, Of
country versus city, of native versus
foreign born-of a dozen different
conflicts having no relation to an
inter party battle.
Whatever the answer in terms of
party reorganizations and realign-
ments during the next four years
may be, here are some facts cited
to prove that the present situation
is unique since the Civil war:
Hoover, Republican candidate and
probably the next President, less
than one year ago had no power in
the Republican party, eight years
ago was a key man in a Democratic
administration and a Democratic
presidential candidate in state pri-
maries.
Raskob, Democratic national
chairman, less than year ago was
an active lifetime Republican Of
the old guard faction.
Senator Simmons, for thirty years
the Democratic dictator in the Dem
ocratic state of North Carolina and
for years the Democratic fiscal
leader in the United States senate,
has led the bolt from Smith and
today predicts the first Republican
victory in his state.
So with Helm, Democratic sena-
tor from Alabama. So with eX-
Senator Owen, Democratic leader
of Oklahoma. While Senator Norris
of Nebraska and Senator Blaine Of
Wisconsin have bolted the Republic
can party for Smith.
Unlike previous years, when such
betting was limited to an occasional
diSgruntled politician or as in the
Bull Moose period to a faction of
one party, this year it shakes both
parties from top to bottom.
THE ease and speed with which
n Hoover, Raskob, Simmons, Nor
ris, and apparently the millions of
voters like them, can hurdle party
lines is said to be explained by the
fact that there are no longer any
party lines nationally.
State rights? In this campaign
Hoover took the traditional Jeffer-
sonian Democratic side, and Smith
took the old Republican slant.
Tariff? Smith and Raskob spent
most of their time proving the
Democrats have thrown overheard
tariff for revenue only" and en-
braced the Republican high pro-
lection principle.
Big Business? Smith, by specific
pledges, by choice of RaSkob Of
General Motors as his manager, and
of Owen d. Young of General Elec-
trio as his adviser, and by matching
Wall Street support with the Re-
publicans, campaign contribution
against campaign contribution, swept
away the Democratic issue of Bry-
ans day.
Foreign affairs? Neither on Will
sons buried League of Nations, nor
on any other question of foreign
policy, has this campaign shown
any actual difference between the
parties.
Therefore. voters in this election
are driven largely to vote for Hoover
as the better man. regardless of his
party. or for Smith as the better
man, regardless of his party. Or
they are forced helplessly to vote
for candidate who believes with
them on given issue, but who
can not make good on it because his
party does not share that belief-as
the WetS who vote Demncratic de-