Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-14
The Political Mill
BY G. Could Lincoln.

While President Hoover was spending
q week end in his camp in the noun
tains of Virginia Republican Progress
sives from the West-or one at least
was undertaking to launch a boom for
Senator Borah of Idaho for the Repub-
lican nomination for President. This
idea is not exactly new. Mr.. Borah has
been urged to get into the race for dele
gates to number Of national conyen-
tons. The Idaho delegation was for
him at the last convention, but with
the understanding that it would do
what the Senator wished. He turned
the delegation over to Mr.. Hoover early
in the game. Senator Brookhart of
Iowa for months has been putting for
ward the idea that the Progressive Re-
publicans should put candidate in the
field for the presidential nomination,
and he has mentioned more than once
Senator Borah as a presidential posi-
bility. He Is one of the Progressives
who is now in Washington. Senator
Borah is expected to return from Idaho
the latter part Of this week.
What Mr.. Borah will say about the
projected boom for him fer President
in the past is any criterion for the
present and the future, Mr.. Borah is
not likely to go ahead with the idea.
1t Is true that he has broken with the
Hoover administration on many major
issues since President Hoover entered
the White House, including the admins
tration's farm relief and drought relief
plans He has been against the entry
of the United States into the World
Court, which is sponsored by President
Hoover, as it was by Presidents Harding
49, tSA AeV- Ia
the Senate contests over the nomina-
lions of Judge Parker OF North Caro-
lima and Chief Justice Hughes to places
on the Supreme Bench. Nevertheless.
there have been signs in the more
recent past that Mr.. Borah and the
President have not been 50 far apart
on other issues. He Is strong for
economy in governmental expenditures;
he has been favorable to the aid which
the administration brought to Germany
in the crisis which arose last Summer,
and there. have been other instances
where he has approved policies of the
administration. Recently he delivered
an address in which he warned the
wealthy in this country that If they did
not produce voluntarily the money to
provide for the unemployed and dis
tressed in this country during the
coming Fall and Winter they would
find themselves compelled to produce
this money through taxation. But
while he made the threat, his speech
may be interpreted at least as giving
the Presidents policy Of having aid for
the unemployed come from local
If necessary. through the commission
set up by the Chief Executive, the right
of way before attempting Federal dole.
The launching OF the Borah boom is
regarded as one of the early guns Of
the fight which the Progressiyes will
launch upon President Hoover and his
administration when Congress con-
Ienes. They are, apparently, all set TO
make as much trouble for the admin
istration as they can. For this they
will need the aid Of the Democrats.
Many of the Democrats already are in
clined to join in with the Progressives
in these maneuvers. 1t is true that
Senator Borah has stepped aside in the
past when it has been suggested that
he make a run for the presidential
nomination or that he mead third
party movement He will be 81 years
old in May OF next year. II he IS 10
make bid Tor the Presidency this
would seem to be his last chance. The
late Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette of
Wisconsin, sought the presidency seri-
opsly twice. once in 1912, when he
wished 10 be the choice of the pro-
gressiye wing of the party to run
against President TAFT in the Repuo-
lican national convention of that year,
and again in 1924 when he accepted
the Independent Progressive nominal
ton. Perhaps Senator Borah, as Sem
2 tor La Toilette did in 1924, will reach
faA
needed in the field next year. 1t Is
that the Borah boom so far
Goes not propose a third party, but
would have the fight waged within the
ranks.
Mr.. Borah has always been willing to
a Senator of the United States.
He likes the Senate life. If he under
takes to run for the presidential NOM
ination against Mr.. Hoover next year
he may be beaten, perhaps badly. in
some OF the primary States, which
would not tend to increase his fame or
his prestige in the Senate. Many per-
sons do net believe that Senator B0rah
or any one else has a cha nce to make
a cent in the Hoover phalanX of dele
gates in the next Republican natiCn ai
1t is one thing for a man
always to be potential presidential
candidate and another fer him to be
a defeated candidate for the nomina-
ton. The Republican organization. gen.
orally speaking. is for the renominati ton
Of President Hoover. If Senator Bo:ah
and the progreSsives undertake to win
In primary elections. they will be faced
with the need of building up an Or
ganization of their own in many States.
That requires money. Where is it TO
come from?
Speaking of the presidential pri-
maries up in Massachusetts, a BIZ
partisan organization of prominent
is seeking to get around the
evils Of the present primary system,
which seems to break down party
and discipline. This group
Is proposing a system of pre-primary
party conventions at which each party
will select the candidates it prefers
10 nominate. 1t Is not proposed to do
away with the primary election, how
ever. But the nominees of the party
may be expected to have
the inside track when primary day
rolls around. Probably it would be
more direct to repeal the State pri-
mary law in large part, and so accom-
which have torn both parties wide
open in the Bay State in recent years.
But there seems to be considerable
doubt that public opinion would stand
for the abolition of the primary nomi-
mating system. The new plan re-
sembles in some degree the plan of
Chairman John j. Raskob of the
National Committee for
dealing with the prohibition question.
Mr.. Raskob insists he is not proposing
a repeal of the eighteenth amend
ment. but merely an amendment which
would leave the amendment in effect,
but give the individual States permits
sion to get out from under it and con-
troll the liquor traffic themselves, pro-
vided their people voted wet.
X X x x