Evening star., 1932-08-29
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

FALMOUTH, Mass. August 2s.-Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt the Democratic
nominee for President, in his Seagirt
speech took advantage of the discre-
pancy between the positions of Presi-
dent Hoover and Vice President Curtis
on the prohibition question. 1t was
clear that Mr.. Curtis, by his declara-
tion for retention of the eighteenth
amendment in the face of President
Hoover's assertion that it must be re-
vised. had left an opening for Demo-
cratic shafts. Gov. Roosevelt ridiculed
the Republican national ticket because
of the split on this subject, and what he
had to say certainly went well in wet
Jersey. How we'll his remarks would have
! gone in Kansas is another question.
There is no doubt now that Gov. RooSe-
velt and his party stand in the public
eye as committed to absolute repeal of
the eighteenth amendment, without any
attempt to retain constitutional pro-
vision against the return of the saloon.
That after all, Is about the only diff
ference in the stand of President Hoo
yer and that of Gov. Roosevelt on the
prohibition issue. with the President de-
manding that the Constitution continue
to provide there shall be no saloon.
Gov. Roosevelt had much to say about
the "pussycat words" of Mr.. Hoover on
the subject of prohibition.
II 4
There is an issue coming to the fore
with the action of New York, MaSsa-
chusetts and other State departments
of the American Legion demanding i'm
mediate cash payment of the soldiers
bonus. President Hoover is on record
as being opposed to the passage of
bonus legislation at this time. Gov.
Roosevelt will be called upon to say how
he stands on that question, question
of decided Importance. He will have
an opportunity to use or not to use
'pussycat words" in this connection.
He may even be called upon to say
what he thinks of the ousting of the
B. E. F. from Washington.
The race between Democratic hopes
and good times is becoming hotter. It
would certainly be tough break for
the Democrats if business and employ
ment continue to make real gains dur
ing the next few weeks. After all
hard times is the main issue on which
the Roosevelt-Garner ticket is ex-
pected to roll into ofice-if it does
1t looks as though some OF the Demo-
Gratis were becoming nervous over the
situation. Especially when statements
are issued through the Democratic
National Committee calculated to cast
cold water on the efforts of President
Hoover, through conferences with flnan-
cial and industrial leaders, to bring
back better business.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader, put out a state
ment in which he expressed the hope
that the conference in Washington
might help, but clearly saying in the
same breath that it had no chance;
that it was the kind of thing which
had been tried before by the Presi-
dent. The Republicans will reply
doubtless, that If the President had not
made effort after effort to get indus
try and finance into better shape, the
| country would have been in a far
worse mess than it has been.
! Former Senator Atlee Pomerene OF
! Ohio, now head of the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation, is patriot before
| he is a politician. Notwithstanding the
repeated efforts of Gov. Franklin D
Roosevelt to make it appear that the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
was set up to aid the banks and the
railroads and financiers Of great wealth
and not the forgotten man" Mr.. Pom
creme in a strong statement shows to
the country that 81 per cent OF all the
depositors in banks in the United States
have been benefited by the loans made
to the banks by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation.
Mr.. Pomerene very properly argues
that this does not look as though the
| little men had become the forgotten
men to whom the Democratic nominee
for President continues to refer. Fur
therrnore, Mr.. Pomerene has called at
tention to the fact that 693 per cent OF
| all the loans made by the corporation
have been to small banks. Perhaps the
| publicity of the loans made by the cor
| poration. so vehemently insisted upon
| bv Speaker John Garner, the Demo
cratic vice presidential nominee, may
| turn out to be a blessing in disguise to
the Republican party and its national
ticket.
Mayor Jimmie Walker is greeted
each week end by brass band and an
other band Of admiring office holders,
etc. when he returns from Albany and
his Investigation before Gov. Roosevelt
| on charges brought by the counsel OF
the Legislative Investigating Commit
tee. Judge Samuel Seabury. The mayor
however. has been having his troubles
in Albany If he escapes custer from
his Job as mayor, it undoubtedly VIII be
because the courts intervene and com
pei the Governor to hold his hand. But
| it is not at all sure that the courts are
/ going to intervene.
Speaker Garner has accepted his
nomination for Vice President at the
] hands of the Democratic National
/ Convention, mailing letter OF ac-
ceptance to Senator Barkley OF Ken
lucky. appointed to notify him. This
is Mr Garner's idea Of economy. Gov.
Roosevelt flew out to Chicago to ac-
cent his nomination for President at
the hands of the Democratic con-
yention, and said he hoped to save
money by so doing, instead of having
the usual notification ceremonies weeks
later. The vice presidential candidate
failed to make any startling state
ments in his letter of acceptance. He
did. however, follow the line of Demo-
cratic attack on the enemy by &C
cusing President Hoover Of lack OF
courage and failure to act promptly
for relief of the unemployed. The
voters probably have not yet 1or-
| gotten Mr.. Garners own relief pro-
posal, including the building OF ex-
pensive post offices in scores OF httle
| towns throughout the country, the
measure which was dubbed a pork
barrel" bill by President Hoover. Mr.
Garner failed to align himself with
either of the candidates in the race
| for the Democratic gubernatorial cleo
| ton in his own home State, Texas,
where Ma" Ferguson fought it out
with Gov. Ross S. Sterling on Satur-
! day The Speaker and Democratic
nominee for Vice President has shown
himself pretty well able to avolo
answering embarrassing questions dur
| ing the last nine or ten months, or
since he became first a presidential
possibility and later a vice presiden-
| tial candidate.