The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-12-04
The Presidents Message

The President ; Message
The story OF President Hoovers first regular message
is not SO much what it says as what the response WI
be to it on the part of congress. Wha. he recommends
! = discusses no had recommended or discussed before.
His views we're known.
The president already has had two encounters Will
Tho nations lawmakers. In one he came off first hes.
The other was a draw. He got the federal Farm Doatu
with the debcnture feature omitted, because II louoe
stood by him The tariff clash ended IN a draw VIII
the special session. The senate tied up MS ellortS ="
Get through a bill increasing the protection on iarh
products. but the efforts Of eastern interests 70 rae ~
crcases on industrial products in on the back OF the
nrcsidcnt,s bill likewise was foilcd in the special session
Hence the draw.
Now the president rcncws his demands for increases
In agricultural duties and he recommend that the lex
iblc provision Of tho tariff law be retained, not cll'ninat-
"a az the senate voted to do in the special session.
Thus the stage is reset for the old battle II the OId 1'uaIo
still has left any desire to oppose tho white mouse.
The story Of the first regular Hoover message, thus
stu is to be written. Will the senate yield TO the pfesl'
dent or will it stand battle? There we're signs OF yield
,rc ! ! The special session drew to a close. 1t looked then
as though the Old Guard was whipped. And the prcsi-
dent has the house with him In this controversy. y
will assume his fight for him If the worst comes 70
the worst and the tariff folies OF the special session
arc repeated. 1t will insist on the flexible tariff prov
isions. it will stand against any inclusion Of the deben-
turc provisions in the bill.
thus there remains a field Of vast possibility for con-
founded efforts. baffled recommendations q dehacle N
legislation that has to do with the domestic serenity and
prosperity OF the nation. One fight might start a pro-
gram Of rccrimination that could split the Republican
party and give the Democrats the chance Tor Whlch tnev
have been driving a political wedge into the unity OF
congress and lawmaking. Is the message the signal Tor
such dire outcome. or will 1t be needed i'll compliance
with the program 1t carries?
This is the dramatic background to the message. a
document filled with a program Of vital items which
claim the attention and the hopes Of a nation probably
standing rather with the occupant Of the white house
than with the political actors who sit in the senate.
The president devotcs a considerable portion OF his
$4,000 words to a discussion Of law enforcement and his
stress on this feature rather dwarfs the economic por-
tions Of the message. He thinks he has a plan for stric.er
enforcement Of prohibition. He would lodge enforcement
in the department Of justice, leaving the distribution
Of industrial alcohol lodged in the treasury department.
This probably will produce a slow motion picture. Al
Smith received approximately 100000 votes for the
presidency. This minority virtually was a wet minority
and it is going to require a tremendous force to in
stall q policy to which it Is opposed, more SO as it be-
lieveS the policy is a trcspass on its rights. Even after
enforcement is transferred to the federal courts. If 1t Is
and is likely to be. there remains the ~congested condi-
ton Of tho federal calendars. Anyhow, nothing can be
expected to come from the recommendation before the
presidents law enforcement commission has gone over the
entire p~roblcm-which is not only the problem of prohibi-
ton but Of failure Of juries to convict and of the whole
growing structure of crime that cnmeshes the nation. !.
Is difficult to see how the president or the dry forces
Of the nation can expect early results from this recon-
mendation of the message. Facts are facts and they
have to be faced. Eight years of efforts to mop up
the country have demonstrated that.
The message is too complex a document to comment on
Its various features in one review of its proposals. As
said, 1t is the reaction to it that also is important. On the
part Of the people it is to be assumed that his peace
policy statements-which are no secret and with which
the nation is well acquainted-wnl be received with una
nimity. These stand on their own merits whether they
succeed or are condemned to failure by the reactionary
forces Of continental Europe which necessarily have to
be consulted when the codification of war remuneration
and limitation of ornaments into international Law
and policy is proposed. Even now they are undergoing y
menacing test In the guerila-likc relations between Rus
sic and China in Manchuria Here are two signatorics
to the Kellogg BRAND pact renouncing war virtually
carrying on war in spite of their signatures to the pact.
Then. too. the senate may not be minded to assent
national justice, even under the reservations worked Out
b. Elihu Root and accepted by the League Of Nations
g the sponsor to the tribunal.
II will require . skillful helmsman to steer the Hoover
bark through the whirlpoos Of foreign and domestic
intrigue. President Hoover has the reputation Of pos.
sessing that gift. The whole nation, surely, will desire
him to bring his policies into port.