The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-02-14
A NEW ERA IN POLITICS

One of the strong arguments in
support Of Hoover's candidacy last
year was that he was engineer mind
ed rather than politically-minded.
Back of this was probably the thought
that what this Countrywide entire
world, for that matter-needs during
the coming years is not petty job of
political tinkering but big job of So
cial, financial and industrial engi-
neering.
Those who feel that way about the
nations needs will find some hope ir
the story from Washington to the eff
feet that President-elect Hoover will
inaugurate in his administration "a
big scale engineering era which will
bear fruit in mammoth constructive
projects for inland waterway devel-
opment, flood control, electric power
development, irrigation and related
purposes"
There is opportunity for vast i'm
provement in reconstruction of our
political practices and the relation Of
government to business. Some light
will be thrown on what is ahead of US
when the members of the Cabinet are
made known and the first message to
Congress becomes public.
Hoover's difficulty will not be lack
of vision or constructive purpose on
his part but rather in adjusting rela
cally-minded legislative branch of
government, most members of which
are already thinking about the new
administration in terms of jobs for
politicians who are key men in the
party organization. And no President
can ignore practical politics when he
has to work with Congress made up
of practical politicians in order to
carry out his administrative policies.
So he has not only to find competent
men who are satisfactory to members
of Congress, especially Senators, and
to influential members of the party
organization and others who helped
win the election.
Every President enters the White
House deeply in ALPHABETICALLY. But
there is also the greater debt to his
country. Often it is difficult to pay
both debts. AS practical man, as an
engineer who wants to carry out his
plans, Hoover will attempt to adjust
relations with Congress. There will
be compromises, Of course. Sometimes
that's the only way to accomplish any
thing at all. The clash comes when a
determined President reaches point
beyond which his public obligation
and his self-respect will not permit
him to go. Then the only alternative
is to go over the heads Of the politi-
clans and appeal to the public.
Like Cleveland, Roosevelt and Will
son, Hoover has a mind of his own.
In inaugurating an engineering era
government and in dealing with old
habits of political thought his Difficult
ties will be increased, but there is
hope in the fact that the new, scien-
tifc, and engineering era of business
itself will make it easier to mobilize
enlightened public sentiment back of
a determined President every time he
is right.
Business government is making
more rapid strides in evolution and
progress than political government
There are new concepts of the right
relation between capital and labor,
with new ideas about the dependence
of prosperity on it's wider diffusion
With this kind of economic pressure
on the old politics it may well be that
is entering upon an engineering era
in government we are entering as well
upon new era in politics.
If that's what Hoover's new era
means more mower to himi