The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-10-24
Political Experts Disagree

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During the pre-electior congressional vacations, wash
inrton correspondents arc sent on scouting pilgrimages.
They feel the political pulse of the nation, as 1t were,
and hoist a moistened finger in the air to determine
the drift Of the wind.
There has been the usual expenditure Of wind in the
campaign now drawing to a close, but the apathy OF the
voters has disturbed the political writer's of the ma
tional capital. There are many signs In the pohtlcal
heavens, but they are new signs and a Joseph to translate
them seems to be lacking among the energetic ana
ubiquitous gentlemen of the fourth estate.
The bread-and-butter argument so effectively used in
former campaigns is like so much wasted breath. There
is a shortage of bread and butter in many Republican
strongholds. Farm relief and the farm board arouse
no interest-there is q farm relief board but no farm
relief. Our old friend high tariff is causing no one
to toss his cap in the air. There are no raucous cheers
when the Smoot-Hawley schedules are mentioned-f
they are mentioned. Most Of the schedules are as
popular with the people as Schedule K Of the Payne
Aldrich bill which buried old Jim Tawney Of Winona,
Mimi, and started the debacle of the Taft regime.
So it is a new hastings that face the suffering con-
gressmen battling for their seats against one of the most
serious economic situations which the nation has faced
since the Civil war. The correspondents believe that
most anything can happen-some Of them are even pre-
dieting that the Democrats will control the next house
Of congress.
All seem to agree that the Republican party will suffer
owl AL VA4V NVSVhAHNA SASSVAOAs SFS~NNA @~"o "O-
has ~candidly said that his party without doubt will lose
several seats and the staid old Boston Transcript sees
blood on the political moon.
Political prophecy Is more or less futile, but that there
Is unrest and uncertainty among the voters Is certain.
The cloud today in the heavens may be no larger than
a mans hand, but it may expand and bring about a
political twister. The chief danger conservative political
observers sense is that q material decrease in the Repub-
lican house majority may tie the hands OF the admins
tration. Actual loss Of control hardly seems in the cards,
but nothing is certain in politics. The imminent danger
is that a greater and more aggressive Democratic minor
ity may make combinations that will embarass and
impede the Hoover program and the policies generally
Of the Republican regime-if it can be said there Is a
defined policy. Some say they have serious doubts as
to the existence of a strong, compelling policy at the
White House.
The Republicans have used the full dinner pail argu-
ment so long that some Of the chickens are coming home
to roost. AS Dwight Morrow well said on the hastings
recently, II a party claims credit for sunshine and the
rainfall it must also shoulder the blame for the drought
and the depression. It Is high time for the Republican
party to deny infallibnity-a most disturbing attribute
in these piping times OF peace.
Voters are becoming duled to ,specious claims for
support. The Republican and Democratic parties must
offer something more stable than has characterized the
political speeches Of the last decade or more. There is
good reason why the voters are apathetic, why many
stay at ome-they realize that q change in political
parties means little in their scheme of things and that
In the administration Of each party there is good mixed
with bad. No party, they know, can hasten the millen-
ium or guarantee a full dinner pail. Some trite political
arguments have crashed to the ground recently and the
voters are not taking party labels as seriously as of yore