The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-14
Norris Wins

The victory Of Senator George w. Norris in the
rerublicsn urinary in Nebraska win encourage lib
erals everywhere. They need such encouragement
especiaIly the tired liberals" And there are lou
of tired liberals in the country men and women VINO
have grown weary fighting for the public interest
in the face Of what often seems TO be public in
difference.
Norris himself has had these periods Of discour-
aeement Six years ago he was ready 70 eno me-
long public service in politics not because MS spirit
had been broken by the reactonaries. but because
he received so little support from the public IN ms
legislative battles.
Announcement Of his retirement however caiieo
forth great wave OF public protest. 1t turned out
that the people we're not Indifferent. Ihey reiuSeu
10 let him retire So he went on.
This wear the situation was different. 1t was the
reactonares who forced Norris to stay in the race
forced him that is by their unfair efforts TO put
him out That made him angry. And when ne Is
angry. no one can fight harder than MOTIFS.
before the primary battle well under way
hi; enemies got panicky They resorted to trlcKery
Fearing that most of the voters would cast nallots
for George W. Norris under any conditions 1ney
hit upon the expedient of running another man oil
exactly the same name.
For this purpose they found an unknown grocery
clerk It happened that the clerks name was nled
tvro avs too late under the law. The secretary OF
state of Nebraska approved that llegality nut
sppreme court Justice finally ruled against it, ana
the trick failed.
Probably It would have failed anyway, for Sen
ator Norris doubtless would have run as an lnoe-
pendent successfully.
After elimination of the double" it was clear
cut struggle between Norris as a progressive ana
w NJ stebbins, the G. o. P machine candidate
How much Norris victory was due to his own
politicai popularity and how much was due TO PUBIC
reaction against the Hoover administration Is very
die5cult to determine Certainly both factors were
important.
The administration did everything in its power
n defeat Norris And since Norris is the recog-
zed leader in the senate Of the western progreSSes
The urinary result in Nebraska will be interpreted
s1lv as further evidence of western revolt against
Hoover policies
That applies especially to two issues farm reheI
and electric power After eighteen months in ONCE
the administration has failed to give the farmer Ia'
equality with industry" which it promised IN the
,a9a campaign The tariff has widened the gap be-
tween the price Of things the farmer buys ana seS'
Likewise the line is drawn clearly on the power
issue Norris is the national political leader OF the
government ownership and operation group hoover,
otter webbing from one side to the other just has
come out definitely against the Norris Muscle ShoaiS
bill which has passed the senate Several VeS' Ou'
which Is blocked by the old guard in the house
Norris probably viii be reelected. His Democratic
ouuonent, former Senator Hitchcock-who' oy tne
way is a great admrer OF Norris-ls an aOie Hail.
but hardly can equal the Norris prestige
And If Norris is reelected, he probably VIII lead
IN congress stronger opposition than ever to the
Hoover farm tariff and power policies. That oppo-
siton may be more effective because Democratic VIC
tories in November are apt to add to the numerical
strength of the coalition In
congress.
under such conditions, the President would nave
the choice Of returning to the growing liberal group
or of continuing to act with the Republican conSerVa
tves on such major issues farm relief tariff ana
electric mower.