Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-14
PROTESTS. Menace
! POLITICAL TRUCE
Daniels Charges "CoId' Feet''
10 Seven Democrats Who
~ Signed Proposal. k
nv MARK SULLIVAN.

BY MAEk SULLIVAN
Objections breaking out with increas-
ang force strongly negative the likelihood
uf truce between Democrats and Re-
publjcans. Sources of late objections
are almost as high In station as the
three ex-presidential candidates, Smith
Davis and Cox. and the other Demo-
cratic leaders. including Chairman
Raskob, who signed the original
proposal.
Josephus Daniels, eight years in
woodrow Wilson's cabinet. delivers a
stern rebuke to the seven signers in the
Raleigh, N. c., News and Observer.
Resentfully Mr.. Daniels characterizes
the proposal In mordant words. He
describes the signers as having "cold
feet" and in a hyphenated and capitalize
ed phrase as Afraid to-Put-My-Feet-
tn-the- Tariff Stream" AS for the dec
laration, Mr.. Daniels calls 1t "tepid,
cautious, undemocratic," and afraid
of-its-pledge." Mr. Daniels puts his
specific condemnation not on the gen.
eral idea of cooperation, but on
passages in the statement which seem
to atspussy-foot" on tariff revision.
In the original declaration, the signers
seemed to wish to say that their party's
action on the tariff would not be
drastic. They asserted that Democratic
policy" on the tariff lis directly OPP
posed to periodic general revisions."
They implied that Democratic action on
the tariff would be confined to obvious
ly required changes in individual
schedules on the recommendation of
non-partisan experts" They declared
that Democratic action on the tariff
would cause no earthquake in our
business structure" They said the
Democrats would proceed with the
maximum of patience and precaution."
They stated directly that nothing is
further from the minds of those who
win direct legislation on the Democratic
side than general revision of the
tariff"
VehementIy Repudiated.
All this Mr.. Daniels repudiates We
hemently. He calls it "Raskob inter-
probation" of Democratic policy. He
says that true Democratic policy calls
for complete revision of the Hawley-
Smoot act from the first word to the
last" He demands this revision at the
earliest moment the Democrats have
power to do it. THE Democrats" Mr..
Daniels says. ''were called to the king
dom to repeal that Ubiquitous measure
Every day it remains on the statute
books is violation Of the will of the
people who voted for Democratic con-
gressmen."
TO the force Of Mr.. Daniels condem-
nation is added the disapproval of
other Democrats similarly high placed,
such as Senator Thomas J. Walsh Of
Montana and Senator Carter Glass of
Virginia, likewise q member of Wood
row wilson's cabinet. To these must be
further added the known condemnation
of other Democratic leaders who have
not yet spoken publicly. That the rank
and file of Democrats in Congress were
sullen about the original proposal has
been well known. It Is now clear the
statement Is equally obnoxious to most
Of tha T-mocratic leaders In Congress
l.Ight otherwise have been de-
pended upon to hold the rank and file
in line. Under the best of conditions
at would have been difficult for the
former presidential candidates and the
other signers outside of Congress to
make good on their proffer of co-opera-
ton by Democrats within Congress.
With the opposition that has developed,
It Is almost impossible In short, the
prospect Of truce Is extremely slight.
Aim Of DisapproyaI.
Much of the Democratic disapprcval
of the proposal of the party,s ex-presi-
DENTAL candidates is aimed not so much
at the idea Of cooperation, but at
other aspects OF their declaration. Some
of the circumstances Of the issuing of
the original statement we're unfavor-
able. The political correspondent of
7+i" baltimore Sun says, ct
.-~s mat the main reason
back OF that statement of Democratic
leaders promising cooperation With the
President IN all measures for the public
good was designed to give the business
interests Of the country confidence in
the Democratic party Because the
statement had this atmosphere end
setting 1t took on unintentionally, with.
out doubt, color which seemed to say
that business need not fear the Demo-
Gratis. This tone Infatuated some DEM
ocratic leaders who might otherwise
have assented to a statement merely
saying there would be no policy OF OBJ
structiveness to President Hoover. SEN
ator Glass of Virginia said, 81 confess
60 some establishment that anybody
should apologize for Democratic
victory or feel constrained to attempt
justification of such a result" Senator
Glass was palpably resentful Tor the
aurcner reason that Democratic lead
ers outside of Congress should seem to
dictate what Democrats within Con-
gress should do.
The net of it all Is that prospect of
. truce may be almost dismissed The
public viii be mlsled If it thinks that
what Is is not. The thing that is, or
Is going to be, is a divided government,
with the executive in the hands of Re
publieans and the legislative in the
hands Of Democrats, wholly or partly.
Under this condition, and looking to a
presidential election two years ahead.
politics Is likely to be not less political
but more political. not more mild but
more bitter. OF course, 1t is just con-
ceivable that there may yet be partial
truce limited strictly to what the At
lanta Constitution calls "non-political,
recuperative legislation" That limited
kind Of armistice might have been
brought about had the idea been more
happily expressed In the beginning.
EAnaNk nIlnaaHnn