The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1930-11-27

ocrat, of Tennessee, makes it plain
that he will not be bound by his
pledge, to which he was not a par
ty. He says he will vote to repeal
the present tariff act. And other
Democratic Senators are saying
that their party's position on leg
islation will be decided in confer
enee and not by a handful of self
constituted spokesman. Some even
characterize this attempt to COM
NIT the party to a policy in adj
vance as "presumptuous."
Rather a startling lack of unan-
unity, any way you look at it. How
ever, like many other things of
merit, the offer of cooperation could
not have been expected to please
the extremists of either political
group. There are dyed-in-t he-wool
protectionists who resent what the
Democratic leaders have to say
about the Hawley-Smoot tariff act.
There are the high-hat Republi-
cans who take umbrage at the
Democratic claim of a great vic
tory and the Interpretation of the
results of the recent elections as
a vote of confidence from the coun-
try. And there are also the insur-
gent Republicans who see in
Democratic pledge to cooperate
with the Republicans a lessening of
their chances for holding the bal
ance of power between the two
parties and debating the course of
action.
Doubtless for these reasons the
statement of the seven Democrats
is meeting with mixed response,
but that is no caus efor surprise.
Even in the great wartime en-
ergencies there was always a GER
tain amount of voluble dissent when
coalition was proposed, and the
lesser-though still baneful-stress
of today's economic depression
there should be more. Complete
unanimity is neither possible nor
desirable.
Quite naturally the country will
hope that the Democrats in Con-
gress will live up to the promises
now made for them by their THU
lar leaders-Alfred E. Smith, pres
idential nominee in 1928; John W.
Davis, presidential nominee in 1924,
and James V. Cox, presidential
nominee in 1920; the Democratic
leaders of the Senate and House,
Senator Robinson of Arkansas and
Representative Garner of Texas,
respectively, and the men who led
the fight in the campaign just
closed, John J. Raskob, chairman of
the Democratic National Commit
tee, and Jouett Shouse, chairman
of the National Executive Com
mittee. It is an imposing array.
No reason against the proposed
coalition on vital economic ques-
tions can be advanced which does
not bear the brand of ultra parti-
san politics. For those Democrats
who seem to fear that any sort of
teamwork with their opponents
means a weakening of the party,
it should be pointed out that the
seven leaders have not advocated |
their REIMBURSEMENT of a single
article of political faith. In fact,
in their discussion of the tariff |
they vigorously reaffirm the fun
damentals of the Democratic doc
trine and renew the pledge given
in 1928 for the enactment of legis-
lation putting an end to tariff
by lobbying and log-rolling
and restricting revision to changes
in individual schedules on the rec
concentrations of non-partisan ex-
perts made directly to Congress.
Those Republicans who have
zealously maintained that the sue
cess of the Democrats meant in
furious legislation will surely not
be pleased with anything so re-
assuring from the headquarters of
their opponents. To them the state
ment is in the nature of severe
rebuke when it declares that no
consideration of political advan-
tage should swerve a party from
the course that is best for the in
terests of the nation. But to the
Republicans who put the welfare
Of the nation above mere political
and qualification, the
offer should appeal-to the same
degree if in reality a sagacious
political gesture as if inspired by
patriotism.
No reason is seen why the Demo-
cratic party should not cooperate
With President Hoover and Repub-
leans in the coming session in such
matters as providing legislation
FOR the speeding up of public works
since that will alleviate in some !,
measure the unemployment stu
alton. No reason is seen why the
Democratic party should not CO. ,
'pdrate in putting supply bills /:
through Congress in an orderly
way, for it would be an indefen-
ible thing to risk a disturbance in
he operation of the Governments
outline machinery at a time like y