Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
Tweedledum and Twesdledes.


has sent broadcast over the land q mil
lion speeches made by a Republican
Senator, criticixing the Hoover admin
istration. The speech not only was
made by Republican Senator, but T.
was distributed under his frank, there
by going free through the mails. This
Is tidy saving to the Democratic ma
tional committee Of $4,000 or SO. The
copies of the speech, however, were not
printed at Government expense, but
presumably the Government Printing
once, which turns these things out at
cost. was paid for them by the Demo-
cratic committee.
The speech was delivered by Senator
William Z. Borah of Idaho in the Sem
ate last June, defending the so-called
debenture amendment to the farm re-
lief bill, which the President strongly
opposed. Another fight Is coming over
the debenture plan when an amend
ment to put it into effect is offered to
the tariff bill in the Senate. But no
one believes that the debenture plan is
going to be written finally into the
tariff bill any more than 1t was written
into the farm bill. 1t is obvious, there
fore, that the Democratic national
committee is making use of the Borah
speech as campaign material for the
congressional elections which come
next year, and possibly with the idea
OF stirring up the farmers of the West
against the Republicans in the next
presidential campaign In 1892, when
it is expected Mr.. Hoover will be q can
didate to succeed himself. Anyway, q
Democrat would quite naturally de-
light to attack q Republican President
through the mouth of Republican
Senator, especially q Senator so widely
known as Mr.. Borah. Mr.. Borah ad-
mits that he gave permission to some
OF his Democratic colleagues in the
Senate to make use of his speech and
Of his frank to send 1t out over the
West.
While the Democratic organization Is
making use OF the address delivered
by Senator Borah, for campaign pur-
poses, along comes Senator David I.
Walsh, stalwart Democrat OF Massa-
chusetts, with a smashing attack on the
attitude of his Democratic colleagues in
the Senate toward the tariff bill. In .
formal statement the Massachusetts,
Senator declared that he did not in
tend to support the resolution to be
offered by Senator Thomas of Okla
homa, combining the tariff revisions to
the farm and related schedules. This
Thomas resolution is similar to one
offered by Senator Borah before the
Senate took its recess last June. The
Borah resolution was defeated by sin
gle vote.
Senator Walsh insists that some OF
the industries of the country need fur
ther protection from the tariff as well
as does the farmer. 1t will be re-
called also that Senator Walsh was one
of the Democratic Senators who did not
believe in the debenture plan Of farm
relief and said so frankly. He voted
for the debenture amendment In the
Senate during consideration Of the farm
relief bill, it is true, but he did so be-
cause he was opposed to the entire
amendment. He would help to kin the
bill through the veto of the President.
1t would not be at all surprising II
the Republican congressional committee
or the Republican national committee
should undertake to broadcast In Mas
sachusetts, Rhode Island, New York
and other Eastern and industrial States
the statement and speeches made by
the Democratic Senator from Massa-
chusetts. The Republicans might have
some dificulty getting from Senator
Walsh permission to use his frank TO
send the speeches free through the
mails, for Senator walsh is a strong
party man and he might not be so will
ing to lend aid and comfort to the
enemy as apparently Senator Borah
has been.
With the Democratic organization
using Republican material in opposition
70 the Hoover administration and the
Republican organization sending out
Democratic attacks on the attitude Of
the Democratic leaders Of the Senate,
it would be another case Of Tweedle-
d I'm and Tweedlcdee.