Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-29
HOOVER INDORSESA
REECE SHOALS PLAN
President Does Not Intend to
Give Blanket Support to
Candidates, However.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

President Hoover does not plan any
blanket Endorsement Of candidates for
Congress either in the primaries or the
final election campaign.
Publication of the letter written by
the President backing up Representa-
tive Reece of Tennessee led to the in
quiry as to whether Mr.. Hoover had
embarked upon a policy similar to that
of other Presidents. who endeavored to
assist their party colleagues in holding
their seats. 1t turns out, however, that
the letter to Mr.. Reece, does not con-
stitute a precedent. but is merely
special case which arises from the fact
that Mr.. Reece sponsored an admins
tration proposal with reference to
Muscle Shoals and is now being attack
ed by his opponents, because of his ad-
vocacy of that particular piece of legis-
lation.
Reece PiIIoried for Attitude.
Mr.. Hoover. in his letter, points out
Mr. Recess plan for Muscle Shoals Is
better for Tennessee and the Nation
than the Norris proposal, which the
President says had no chance Of enact
ment by the House or approval b. the
Chief Executive.
The opponents Of Mr.. Reece have
been pilloring him for his attitude,
which, of course. he assumed on be-
half of the administration. This
to his support in the primary cam
paign 1t has always been recognized
as the right of q party leader to in
dictate which candidate he prefers, but
Mr.. Hoover has stayed out Of all the
senatorial and congressional primary
fights notwithstanding the fact that
some of his close personal friends and
supporters, like Fort In New Jersey and
Senator Deneen Of Illinois, were run
ming.
While the President Is as anxious as
other Presidents have been for the re-
turn of members of Congress who have
supported his legislative program lie
has not felt that it was incumbent upon
him to differentiate between Repuh-
lican candidates.
Local Issues Involved.
To do so would have meant entangle-
ment In local issues ranging from pro-
hibition to tariff items. With only q
few exceptions the Republicans In the
House have supported the President on
all important pieces of legislation. In
a number of instances the opponents
in the primaries are waging their light
on local or personal issues II. which the
administration would not wish to
participate.
When once the primaries are over
and the choice Is between Democrats
and Republicans, there will be pressure
again for some words at the White
House to decide on some general state
ments In the Autumn that might be
construed as an effort to bolster up
the Republican case but here IS not
going 10 be any explicit appeal for the
reelection of Republican members OF
Congress or the election of Republicans
to replace Democrats.
Many years ago there was no i'm
propriety from a political viewpoint III
Presidents asking for Republican or
Democratic Congress. Mr.. Mckinley
did 1t and so did Mr.. Roosevelt, but
when President Wilson made his appeal
for Democratic Congress II acted as
boomerang though the politicians TO
this day say the Wilson appeal would
not have caused criticism had it BEEN
made In normal times and on domestic
issues as we're the Mckinley and Roose- !
welt pleas for public support Of their
party in Congress