Evening star., 1931-06-18
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

The Democrats, taking President
Hoover's address at the dedication Of
the Harding Memorial in Marion, Ohio,
as text, are seeking to make the
oil scandals of the Harding admins
tratIon again an issue. Senator Thomas
J. Walsh OF Montana, who was the
chief senatorial investigator OF these
oil scandals, through the Democratic
National Committee, thinks that Presi-
dent Hoover made an "injudicious" dis
closure when he said in his Marion
speech that realization by President
Harding OF his betrayal by a few Of
the men he trusted had been a con-
tributing cause Of his death. The Mon
tana Senator also believes that it waS
equally iDjudicious Of Chairman Fess
Of the Republican National Commit
tee not to have insisted on q further
postponement Of the dedicatory exer-
ctses. 1t may be that the Democrats
VIII De able to arouse public interest
In such an issue almost q decade after
the death Of the late President Hard
ing and after the interval In which
two Presidents have served. 1t will
be remembered. however, that not in
1924, when the issue was new, could
there be aroused very much interest
among the voters In the matter, since
the principals in the oil scandals had
been turned out Of Office.
y
Undoubtedly President Hoover's state
ment attacking President Harding's be-
trayal by "a few men whom he trusted"
will be widely quoted. The Republicans
insists, however, that these men have
long since been out OF ONCE. The
critics OF the Harding administration
have urged In the past that 1t was i'm
possible for the oil leases to have been
put over" without the knowledge of
former President Coolidge, then Vice
upon cabinet meetings; the then Sec
retary Of State, Chief Justice Charles
Evans Hughes; President Hoover then
Secretary OF Commerce, and other men,
bcrs OF the cabinet not directly involved
But will the Democrats be able to con-
vince the voters that Coolidge, Hughes
or Hoover was cognizant of and ac-
QuieSced in the bribing of the then
Secretary Of the Interior Fall in con-
nection with the oil leases2 Even the
Democrats themselves have no real
hope Of such an outcome
Senator Walsh wants to know who
told President Hoover that President
Harding had a dim realization" he had
D$NA SN~oJC0 W d4Ag &BubAACI Iy1
Forbes or Miller; whether it was Mr..
Harding himself. Perhaps the Mon
taIla Senator has in mind some future
resolution to be offered in the Senate
calling upon the President to give that
body such information.
The Republicans and Democrats of
the first Ohio congressional district,
which for so many years was repre-
sented in the House by the late Speaker
Nicholas Longworth, have settled upon
their candidates to succeed Mr.. Long
worth. The Republicans are going to
the bat behind John B. Hcllister, law
partner of Robert A. Taft, son Of the
late President and Chief Justice Taft
The Democrats have Endorsed David
Lorbach. q practicing attorney in Gin
ctnnati and State Senator. The pri-
mary takes place August IL, and as the
law provides that all those who wish
to run for nomination must give notice
sixty days in advance, the whole affair
seems definitely settled, with Hollister
and Lorbach to make the race against
each other next November HolliSter is
q graduate of Yale College and the Har-
ward Law School. He is 20 years old,
a son Of Judge Hollister His Demo-
OARbAN OkROAlCbb 10 dloO Vi
the Harvard Law School and Is 40 years
Of age.
Both the candidates are widely
known. Lorbach Is holding his first
public ofice, that of State Senator, to
which he was elected last year. He
made . remarkable run in that cam
paign, 1t Is said. Under ordinary con-
ditions, the first Ohio district is a
pretty strong Republican district. But
1t Is recognized that conditions are not
ordinary today. However, the Repub-
licans areagoing to do their best to win
this by-election because of the psyche
logical effect. Furthermore, If the
Democrats should win, it would give the
two old parties each PIT members Of
the House. taking away the majority
OF one now held by the Republicans
The congressional camraign in Ohio's
1rst this Fail Is likely to be q hum
dinger.
~ X +
Senator william E. Borah is back
in Idaho. If Idaho had its way, Mr..
Borah would be President OF the United
States. He is as solid with the people
Of his State as any man in public life
can well be. In some Of the Progressive
Republicans could have their way,
Senator Borah would be a candidate
for the presidential nomination in a let
OF the States next year. But Senator
Borah in the past, has turned a deaf
ear to the buzzing Of the presidential
bse. He is likely to be as deaf to 1t
next year as he has been in other years.
He was reelected to the Senate for
another six-year term last Fall, and ap-
parently he can lcok forward to spend
ing the rest Of his life in the Upper
House If he so desires. He declined to
become Calvin Coolidge's running mate
in 1924, when he could have gone into
the vice presidency with ease. To be a
Senator OF the United States is entirely
satisfactory to many public men. It is
proud ONCE, and in the case Of Sem
ator Borah, powerful and influential
once. His colleague in the Senate, Mr.
Thomas, Is up for reelection next year
and there has been talk of opposition
cropping UP, though none has been an
nounced SO far. Idaho has changed its
election laws again and the direct pri-
mary for senatorial nominations is In
vogue new instead of the nominating
party convention. Both the Idaho
members of the House, Burton L.
French and Addison T. Smith, seem Co
have strangle hold on their offices and
will have no trouble being renominated
next year.
X r
Republicans out In Minnesota are
scenting o plot on the part of the
Democrats and the Farmer-Labor party
in that State. What they believe may
happen is that the Farmer-Labor party
win not put a presidential elector ticket
in the field next year, but will agree
to support the Democratic presidential
electors, provided the Democrats will
support the Farmer-Labor candidates
for State Offices. and give them part,
IL not all. the Federal patronage. In
deed 1t now seems assured that the
Farmer-Labor party will not offer q
ticket Of presidential electors in 1882.
The Farmer Labor party, which has o