Evening star., 1932-05-24
Eorah and the Campaign.

SAiiS-I' WIllIdIH Z. bOTdI Ol
Idaho changes his mind he will not at
tend the Republican National Conven-
ton in Chicago next month. HIS pres
ent determination will quite naturally
be regretted Always a colorful figure,
the Idaho Senator was a strong force in
himself in the 1923 convention where
he had much to do with drafting the
party platform and where he supported
the nomination of President Hoover.
Since the Hoover administration took
charge, Senator Borah has been off
the reservation" The first outward
split came when President Hoover de-
cllned to accept the debenture plan
for farm relief. which Senator Borah
ardently supported There have been
many other clashes since then. Months
ago Mr. Borah was strongly urged by
Progressive Republicans to make race
for the presidential nomination of the
Republican party against Mr.. Hoover.
He declined to be drawn into such q
contest, Gvcrring that the denomination
of President Hoover vas inevitable
Senator Borah has been widely pro-
claimed a foremost defender of the
eighteenth amendment. His position.
however, has been that he would accept
something better" than the eighteenth
amendment and the Volstead act. pro-
vided anything better could be de-
veloped So far, Mr. Borah contends.
nothing better has been proposed. 1t
has become increasingly apparent that
the wet group in the Republican party
would make a strong bid at the con-
yention for moist" If not wet plank
would be potent in the convention if
such fight came to the floor.
Threats have been made by the drys
that if the Republicans write into their
party platform a plank on prohibition,
even for referendum on the wet and
dry issue, and the Democrats not only
include 4 wet plank in their platform
but also nominate a wet for President,
dry, independent third party will be
formed. Suggestions have been made
that such party would turn to Borah
for leadership. 1t Is not believed, how
ever, that Senator Borah has given the
drys encouragement. Yet the rumor OF
a third party continues.
One of the questions over which
Senator Borah has differed strongly
with the Hoover administration is the
part the Federal Government should
play in relief for the unemployed He
has maintained that the Federal Gov
erpment should contribute out of the
Federal Treasury for support of the
distressed President Hoover has taken
strong stand against such proposal.
His most recent utterance has favored
no more than loans of Federal funds
to States to be used for relief work
and to be repaid by the States to the
National Treasury. The Idaho Senator
recently declared that there should be
no recess of Congress for the conven-
tions, while relief legislation was still
pending. Republican and Democratic
leaders in House and Senate have
agreed t. this proposition.
The Idaho Senator's probable course
in the coming campaign is still mat
ter of speculation. He has never fol-
lowed Democratic candidate for Pres
ident He is net likely to do so now.
Two years ago he was reelected to the
Senate for six-year term. He may
take his ease and become a mere OBJ
server during the campaign. But such a
course for man as definitely ard in
tensely interested in the welfare of the
country, for a man as active as Senator
Borah, does not seem probable. If he
should enlist in or lead a third party
movement, it would be foreign to his
course over long period of years.