Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-07
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

nv Os OOub0 AMCOtW. /
Senator Smith w. Brookhart Of Iowa
Progressive Republican, looks darby
upon the chances of Republican success
in the national election next year
provided the Republicans nominate
President Hoover to succeed himself
The Iowa Senator asserts, however, that
II the G.. o. p. will place in nomination
Senator George w. Norris Of Nebraska
or Senator william e. Borah Of Idaho
for President the situation will be vastly
different Either of those gentlemen
according to Senator Brookhart, could
be elected
New York is as Progressive as Iowa
and Pennsylvania Is as Progressive as
Nebraska" says the Iowa Senator. 81
know, for I have been in Pittsburgh and
New York"
This is his answer to the suggestion
that, If President Hoover cannot be re-
elected next year, no Republican can
win the election as President. Brook
hart wants the ProgresSives to get into
tEe primary fights in all the States
where they have presidential preferen-
tial primaries next year and challenge
President Hoover.
st want to fight this thing out in the
Republican primaries and in the Re-
publican national convention" he saws.
But the Senator from Iowa, in addi-
ton to making his demand for q Pro-
gresSive Republican presidential nomi-
nee, IS launching out upon a course OF
argument which regular Republican
leaders dub "defeatist talk" and which
makes the regulars very sore. Senator
Brookhart Is asserting that regular Re
publican leaders have told him private
ly that the G. o. p. cannot possibly
win with Mr.. Hoover as the party nomi-
nee next year. Some of these regu-
lars, he insists, would like very much
to find another candidate.
On the other hand, however, Repub-
lican leaders. when questioned about the
Brookhart anti-Hoover talk, insist that
the Iowa Senator is all wrong. They
say that II the Republicans cannot re-
elect President Hoover, they cannot
elect any candidate. They say that
Mr.. Hoover would be the strongest can
didate the g. o. P. could put forward,
and one of the most prominent Of the
Republican leaders asserts with
that Mr.. Hoover will be able
to defeat with one hand tied behind
him any Progressive Republican who
enters State primaries against him next
year.
This does not mean that the Re-
publican leaders are not worried. They
are. But their fear, they say, Is not
that Mr.. Hoover will be the party nomi-
nee, but that no Republican. Mr.. Hoover
or any. one else, will be elected Presi-
dent next year. And their fear Is based
on the conditions of depression IN busi-
ness and agriculture and Of unemploy-
ment. II there is an improvement In
conditions, the Republican leaders say,
Mr.. Hoover will be elected hands down.
II there is no improvement. then there
Is going to be real battle with the
G. o. p. trying to show the voters they
would be foolish to turn to the Demo-
cratic party in this storm.
~ ~
Senator Brookhart not only has a
few Progressive Republican candidates
up his sleeve for the presidential nomi-
nation, but he also has ideas about
what the Republican national platform
should contain next year. He says, in
the first place, that it must contain
plank possessing q farm policy which
shall be relief to agriculture in fact"
He says that merely by adopting the
plan on which Julius H. Barnes, now
chairman Of the board of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, operated
the Governments Wheat Corporation
at the time Of the World War would
be sufficient. With regard to the tarlh,
Senator Brookhart says:
ct think there will have to be new
tariff policy. There are SOC, 900 items
in the tariff law. No Congress, no COM
can scientifically consider $780,
600 items and the tariff which should be
Imposed on them in lifetime. We
should, therefore, adopt a plan OF con-
trolling the profits Of those industries
which are benefited by the tarin, the
protected industries. 1t would be easy
TO regulate such profits by the power OF
taxation"
other planks of major Importance.
Brookrart insists. should deal
with water power. prohibition, labor and
The people. he says, are
aroused over the waterpower issue and
are demanding Government and mu-
nicipal operation Of waterpower and
electrical plants. They have had
enough of being exploited by watered
capital" he says. On the prohibition
issue, he says, the Republican platform
should call for law enforcement the
strictest kind. While the Department. OF
Justice has been doing better with the
matter OF enforcing prohibition than
the Treasury Department did in the
past, Mr.. Brookhart thinks there is
still room for improvement. Further, ne
does not like leaving under the control
IF Secretary Mellon the industrial al
cohol plants. The labor plank in the
platform should declare for a law pre-
nibiting injunctions in labor disputes
and should call for old-age pensions
and for unemployment insurance. With
such q platform, Senator Brookhart
'eels. the G. o. P. might yet go to the
country and win, particularly If 1t had
. candidate like Borah or Norris.
* X
The Iowa Senator Is not hankering
FOR a Democratic President, he says.
He wants Republican OF the right
zind. The Democrat who is most
mentioned now for the
nomination Is Gov. Frank
in d. Roosevelt of New York. So far
IS Senator Brookhart Is concerned,
jov. Roosevelt does not fill the bill at
all, no matter what Senat tor Norris may
.hink OF Roosevelt. In the first place,
senator Brookhart cannot forget that
GOV. Roosevelt is a wet, even though
he Southern Democrats seem inclined
o overlook that fact and to support
Roosevelt. Then he does not think
hat Roosevelt's attitude toward the
rater power question is much better
han that OF President Hoover, even
though Senator Norris has declared
himself q believer in Roosevelt on wa
er power. Suppose the Republicans
dominate Mr.. Hoover next year and
.Iso suppose the Democrats nominate
Gov Roosevelt. Whom will Senator
follow? There are those
Who are willing to wager that the Iowa
senator will cast in his lot with the
republican National ticket under those
He himself will not Say