Evening star., 1930-06-22
Republican and Democratic
Leaders Ready to Garry
Battle to Polls.
Eighteenth AMENDMENT
WILL FIGURE IN FIGHT
Any Improvement in Business and
Unemployment Seen as Blow
to Minority.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

OHlOcI-hdWley act, looms as the main
issue to be fought out by the Democrats
and the Republicans in the coming con-
gressional and senatorial elections, The
leaders of both parties have announced
their willingness and determination to
go to the polls on this issue next No
vember.
But there will be plenty of side issues.
Take prohibition, for example. Al
though the nominations have not yet
been made in Massachusetts,, the great
bulk OF the Republican candidates have
declared for the eighteenth amendment
and the Democrats are known to be
against it. Coy. Allen and William M
Butler, the latter believed to be the
leading candidate for the Republican
nomination, have espoused the dry
cause. II Mr.. Butler, the former ma
Clonal chairman of the Republican
party, Is nominated, he will fight IL out
against wet Democrat. The LIQUOR
question looms in the senatorial strug-
gle In Illinois, too, where former Sena-
tor j. Ham" Lewis, the Democratic
nominee, is demanding repeal of the
liquor laws and challenging Mrs. Ruth
Hanna Mccormick, Republican, and
dry, on this issue.
Unemployment to Figure.
Business depression. stock market
crashes and unemployment are likely to
ngure TO an even greater extent IN the
November elections than any of the
other so-called issues, unless the next
rev months show an improvement. A
real improvement would be fatal to
Democratic hopes in many of the
States.
Out in some of the States of the Yves,
and the Northwest, the failure of the
"debenture" plan of farm aid, against
which President Hoover turned his back
during the consideration of the farm re.
lief and the tariff bills, and the Hoover
administration will be the issues made
by tnsurgent Republicans, Democrat,
and Farmer-Laborites.
Ever since the President called a
Especial session of Congress last year tt
undertake farm relief and tariff legis.
latlon, 1t has been apparent the Demo.
cratS would seek to make the tariff q
| major isue in the congressional cam
paign. When it appeared that the
conference report on the tariff might
fnally fail and there be no legislation
some OF the supporters of the bill were
buoyed up by the hope that in the end
the Democrats, desiring the tariff to be
an issue, would permit the bill to gel
through. A failure of all tariff legisla-
ton would have taken the issue out
OF the campaign, except in a negative
way. which might have been harmful
to the Democrats.
Democrats to Continue Attack.
The Democrats attacks on the tariff
launched during consideration of the
bill in the Senate and House, will be
continued, Senator Joe" Robinson OF
Arkansas. Democratic leader of the
Senate, and Representative John Gar
ner of Texas. the House minority lead
er, playing foremost parts in the attack
Inc Republicans, however, are not
letting the grass grow under their feet
now that the tariff bill has actually
become law. In quick succession SEN
ator Jim" Watson, Republican leader
OF the Senate; Secretary Mellon of
the Treasury Department, and last
night Secretary Lamont of the De-
partment OF Commerce, have come for
ward with public statements defendinc
the new tariff law and declaring that
IT will aid American business. During
the actual consideration of the bill in
the Senate, Republicans who supported
the measure held of in order not to
prolong the debate and not to delay
further the passage of the bill. Now
tney feel at liberty to discuss the meas
ure and Will not only accept the Demo-
cratic challenge, but carry the fighting
10 their political enemies on this issue,
line Inc tremendous Republican sweep in
1923, which carried Republican con-
gressional candidates into office along
with Mr.. Hoover, is bound to be fol-
lowed, II history can be relied upon. by
recess1ons this year. The same Repub-
llcan losses in the congressional elec-
tions of 1922 and 1926, following the
big Republican gains in Congress in the
Harding and Coolidge years of 1920 and
1924, may be expected to take place
this year The swing of the political
pendulum has been fairly regular. No
new administration gives the voters Ali
they demand.
Expect Four or Five Seats.
The Judgment of the Democrats.
however, when talking privately. is that
the most they can expect in the COM
ing elections is to make a net gain of
four or five seats in the Senate and to
make such gains in the House that in
the latter body it may be possible to
form coalition" with Republican
ProgresSiveS from the West during the
next Congress, which will prove as har-
RAISING to the Hoover administration
as has been the coalition" in the SEN
ate during the present Congress. For
publication, Democratic leaders insist
they Will win q majority of the House.
With only third of the Senate mem
berShip up for reelection plus three
extra seats to be fought for on account
OF deaths in that body, it is practically
impossible that the Democrats should
gain majority in that body, no mat
ter how great their strength may prove
to be at the polls.
1t Is two months and half since
Continued on Page 3, Column A.