Evening star., 1932-07-14
DEMOCRATS TOPUT
AID UP TO HOOVER
"God Help Him in November
if Times Are Not Better"
Campaign Attitude.
RY MARK SULLIVAN.

The spirit of the Democrats in en-
acting unemployment relief in the form
President Hoover wanted Is one which
says. in the words of Democratic Floor
Leader Rainey of Illinois, I'VE are going
to give him what he asked, and II 1t
doesn't do the trick God help him in
November"
That Is in part the Democratic atti-
tude for the campaign. If times i'm
prove materially, then Mr. Hoover wins
If, however. times do not improve, they
think the President will surely be de-
feated. In the event that times do
not improve. the Democrats want Mr..
Hoover and the Republicans to have no
shadow of an alibi The Democrats
want to be in the position of saying
"Our party in Congress gave him every
thing he asked" This decidedly over
states the case, but it Is near enough
true to Justify the Democrats, as politics
goes. in taking that attitude.
The fight made by Speaker Garner
for a different kind of relief bill was
really not a departure from this Demo-
cratic policy. Neither Garner nor any
one else ever expected that his proposal
for Government loans to amy in
dividual" would prevail. Garner wished
to make spectacular demonstration
that the Democrats are for the in
dividual, the little fellow and to stage
the President as being fo- the big
fellow" and the corporation.
Viewed as Bad Politics.
1t is quite possible in a time like the
present. that this may work out as good
politics 1t is a fact, however. that
many Democrats, especially in the
Senate, think it was deplorab!e pohtlcs.
They think that either Gamers po-
litical Judgment is not Just now at its
best. or else that his political Judgment
was never we'll adapted to functioning
on a national scale.
That Garner himself thinks he needs
rest and reflection is suggested by his
announcement that he is going to go to
Texas and shut the gate against all Wis
itors until he is ready to resume par
ticipation in the campaign. detail
which Democrats criticize in Garner S
apparent intention to run for two hlgh
Offices at once. There is no legal OBJ
lection to this. Under our curious cleo
toral system the name Of Garner as
candidate for Vice President does not
appear on the ticket, but only the
names Of the Texas presidential electors.
Unless Garner is persuaded from his
present intention to continue as cam
didate for Congress in his district he
highest Offices in the Government at the
same time. Vice President and Speaker
OF the House.
Origin of Doubt.
Doubt among Democrats about Gar
ners political judgment began with his
bill. spectacular in itself and also IN
Gamers manner of pushing it in Con-
gress. for public works costing $780,
100000, including some 400 post
Offices. an average of more than three
in practically every congressional dis
trict in the country, embracing some
villages. which, as a critic put it, have
as much need for a $4,000 post Office
as a Walrus has for a mustache cup"
In spite of the uproar over it, Garner
to this day believes that was absolutely
sure-ire politics, believes the Republi-
cans made a mistake in opposing it, and
kids the Republicans about not know
ing politics.
All that, however. is a detail of the
never very elevated field of politics.