Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
Member If the Associated Press.
The Debenturc Vote.

The reten ion of the deben;ure plan
in the farm oil by the Senate is hailed
widely not as victory for the farmers.
suit as a blow for President Hoover.
Therein lies the secret Of the situation
as IL existed IN The Ssnate-an open Sc
cret, rs matter of fact. Thirty five
Democrats voted for debcnture Many
Of them "heid their noses while they
east tneir votes. The de6enture, a
streigtt-out subsidy. is IN violation Of
all the principles Of the Democratic
party. 1t is economically unsound. Yet
the party leaders we're able to rally all
but four Of the entire Democratic men,
hershIp in the Senate to support this
subsidy proposal. This is politics.
Whether good or bad politics the future
will shcw II thcrs we're any real
chance Ct the 6ebcnture plan being
finally enacted into law, it is likely that
the votes cast in favor OF the plan yes
tsrday by number of these Demo-
Gratis would be their political death
knell. But these Democrats, seeking to
er1barrsss a Republican President, did
SO in the hope and knowledge that in
the end debenture would not become
a law and they would miss the RESPONSE
bility for making it law.
Joined with the Democrats in sup
port of the 6e5enture plan were thir-
teen Republican Senators and one
Perme' Dor Senator from Minnesota,
Mr.. S%rStead. Included in the list of
Republicans who voted in opposition to
the recommends tons of the President
were Borsh of Idaho, Brookhart of
Iowa, Nyc and Frssier OF North Da-
kota and johnson Of California, all of
whom supported Mr.. Hoover during the
campaign year ego al of them must
have known during that campaign that
Esr. Hoover would not approve a de-
benture plan such as is now written
into the Senate farm bill. Certainly, all
Of them knew his opposition before the
vote was taken yesterday. 1t was Sem
ator Borah who prevailed upon Mr..
Hoover, during the campaign last Fail.
to promise he would call special SEES
sion of the new Congress to deal with
the farm problem. The Idaho Senator
was one of the most effective, II not the
most effective campaigner for Mr.. Hoo
yer In the whole Republican party. Yet
Mr.. Borah must have known that Mr..
Hoover did not look with approval upon
such nostrums as the debenture farm
relief plan.
The President may well be puzzled by
the attitude of Senator Borah and 9TH
er Republicans who worked and voted
for him last Fall. 1t may appear to him
that he has been attacked in the very
house of his friends. That Norris Of
Nebraska, Blaine and La Toilette Of
Wisconsin should be found now aligned
against the President on the first i'm
portant vote in the Senate since the
rev administration took cffice was to be
expected. Norris and Blaine openly
supported Al Smith for President, and
La Follette's comment, such as 1t was,
could only be considered more pro-
Smith than pro-Hoover.
A blow" Of the character dealt Mr..
Hoover yesterday by the Senate is likely
to prove a boomerang. The Senate had
o practice Of dealing similar elbows"
against former President Coolidge, hut
it is rot on record that Mr.. Coolidge
lost any support in the country. Rather
he gained. II the Senate undertakes
to attack MIR. Hoover through the sup
port Of debentures, bounties, subsidies,
or what you will, which must he paid at
the expense of the people, with every
prospect of increased Federal taxation
If they are put into effect, Mr.. Hoover
need have little to fear.