Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
DEMOCRATS ARE DIVIDED
ASC. O. p. YIELDS FRONT
Passage on House Floor Between Garrett
and Two Colleagues From Boston Is
Held as Cleavage Barometer.

a place on tfe WAYS ana means COM
n1ittee seems to perfect the healing.
Is the Republican cleavage perma-
nently over? Or will it revive in the
coming session?
So far as one can see, there are no
signs of its revival.
AS late as one, two and three years
ago, one would have said it would be
utterly impossible for the Republicans
to take up tariff revision in session
Of Congress without causing cleavage.
Farm Relief Cause.
At that time, as recently as a year
ago. some Western Republicans used to
talk about Eastern Republicans much
as some Northern Democrats now talk
about Southern Democrats. In those
expressions of bitterness from corn belt
Republicans. the grievance they dwelt
upon was farm depression and the need
Of farm relief.
They devised a specific kind Of relief
which became familiar as the McNary-
Haugen bill. They said they must have
the McNary Haugen bill in precisely the
shape in which they formulated it. If
the Eastern Republicans would not
grant it to them, they said they would
turn upon the Eastern Republicans.
Specifically and pointedly and repeated
ly. they said they would join the Demo-
Gratis in an assault upon the sacred COW
of the Eastern Republicans, the pro-
tective tariff
They forced the McNary- Haugen bill
through CongresS-and President Cool
idge vetoed it. Then they said they
would compel the Republican party to
nominate Lowden on the issue of the
McNary- Haugen bill, but the Repub-
lican party did not nominate Lowden-
and did nominate Mr.. Hoover who was
the outstanding opponent of the Nc
Nary-Haugen bill.
Faction Loses in Tilt.
Thereupon the McNary- Haugen lead
ers took their cause to the Democratic
convention-and received some SYM
pathy, though not a full Endorsement,
from the Democratic platform and can
didate. In the campaign, the McNary-
Haugen leaders said they would take
several Western Republican States to
Smith. They received some hundreds
of thousands of dollars from the Demo-
cratic treasurer-but they. did not take
any Western State away from the Re-
publicans, nor measurably reduce the
Republican strength in any Western
State.
The McNary-Haugen bill is dead as
anything in politics can be (by Nc
Nary-Haugen bill is meant the essential
feature, the equalization fee; the rest
of the McNary- Haugen bill, speaking
broadly, is not Objectionable to the
orthodox Republicans and may be the
basis of the farm relief that will be
written by the coming session Of Con-
gresS.)
If there was true intention In the
threat of those corn belt Republicans
to oppose the protective tariff on East
ern manufacturers. right now would be
the time when they would make their
threat effective. There Is, as yet. no
faintest sign of 1t.
No Leader in Ranks.
II one speculates about the reason,
the answer Is the one that has been
stated classically by Carlyle, Emerson
and various other historians and phi
losophers. Insurgency in the Republic
powerful personality to lead 1t. The
thing that La Toilette stood for is dead,
because La Toilette is dead.
True, the La Toilette dynasty lives on
in way, in the son whom everybody
in Washington calls Young Bob"
Robert, jr., sits in his fathers
seat. Young Bob, standing upon
his own qualities, Is an impressive per-
son. Considering his youth, he is
remarkable person. But for the handi-
cap of health that is none too good, he
might conceivahly perform the miracle
and actually be new edition of his
father.
Elder La Toilette Would Act.
If the elder La Toilette were living
now, what he would be doing can be
yiSualized by any one who knew him.
With tremendous energy he would be
compiling the figures which show that
American manufacturing as whole has
been enormously profitable. He would
be assembling accurate data about the
dividends, and the extra dividends, and
the stock dividends. and the increases
in valuation on the New York Stock
Exchange-the sum of which amount,
in many cases, to literally hundreds OF
per cent.
Alongside that, La Toilette would
show that hardly an average farm In
the country is as high in price eSday
as it was in 1914. Starting with that
comparison of manufacturers that Aavs
proSpered enormously. with farms that
have prospered not at all, La Toilette.
in hours of speeches in the Senate,
would demand to know if nanufactur.
ing needs higher tariffs.
Largely because there is no inSlrg.
ency of this sort. there is no material
cleavage in the Republican party.
(copyright. 1920