Evening star., 1932-11-05
Rate by Carrier within the City.
"The People Deserve to Know"

"The People Deserve to Know.
The refrain reiterated with telling
emphasis by the President in his st.
Louis speech last night was that the
ueople deserve to know the views OF
Gov. Roosevelt on certain ISSUES OF great
irportance to the national welfare.
That has been the Republican refrain
since Gov. Roosevelt started his first
swing through the country with his
promise of a new deal" based on what
he tfe6 chose as the issue OF this cam
paien-the economic issue.
But while Gov. Roosevelt's words have
been many and moving, their careful
choice has made apparent to everybody
the fact that the Democratic strategy
Is to let well enough-or it might be
more accurate to say "let bad enough
alone. As for specifications and de-
tails of the new deal, they have been
lacking. The Governors approach TO
an issue has been bold 1t has left his
audiences tingling with admiration Tor
his courage. But when the last echoes
Of his clarion call to battle have faded
awav and his charm has lost its spell
It. has been discovered with surprising
consistency that the issue was never
met at all.
And this has been the opening left
for one of the most vigorous Of the Re-
publican campaign attacks. As the
President said last night. "the people
have vet to learn from Gov. Roosevelt
what he really thinks about prepay
ment of the soldiers bonus; "the peo-
pie deserve to know" how the Gov
er1lor can do what he says he can do
and cut a billion from Federal expendi-
lures; the people deserve TO know
whether Gov. Roosevelt, granting his
advocacy Of sound money" specifically
condemns the "greenback" bill passed
by the House last session; "the people
deserve to know" the details Of the
Governors plan. Il any. on the tariff,
and how far the principle Of reciprocal
tariffs or tariff bargaining will, when
and If applied, affect current rates and
what rates they would affect; the peo-
pie ought TO know more about what
Gov. Roosevelt means by his illusions
to solving the problem OF war debt
payments.
OF course, the people ought 10 know
and they deserve to know more about
these and other questions than Gov.
Roosevelt has cared to tell them. OF
course, the ideal state would be one in
which no man could even lay claim to
the presidency without making his
views ON the important and contro-
versial issues definitely known and
clearly understood.
But 1t may be said, more in con-
demnation of our political system than
in condemnation or defense Of the
Democratic candidate, that no candi-
date for political Office says any more
than he Is forced to say. 1t has been
recalled that four years ago the chal-
lenger who was demanding answers
from his opponent was Gov. Smith,
and that it was President Hoover who
was then accused of maintaining
golden silence in respect to these chal-
lenges 1t is significant of an ap-
parent turn in the tide of political
sentiment, and the greater prospect for
victory now enjoyed by the Democrats.
that it is the President who is doing
the questioning and 1t is Gov. Roose
welt who is, in relation to certain
questions, remaining silent. If the
bonus may be dragged in again as SYM
bolic of the Governors attitude, the
question repeatedly asked in various
form, was the simple question: What
do you think about it; what will you
do, If as President, you must face the
issue as three Presidents before you
have faced it?" And the answer, as
President Hoover stated in perfect
truth last night, could be interpreted
rs the interpreter chose to interpret 1t.
It is not admirable political strategy,
but it is, nevertheless, generally &C
cepted form of political strategy, to
evade where evasion will work. Wheth-
er. in this campaign, evasion will work
will not be known until Tuesday. Ii
1t works it will not be the first time