The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-06-27
MONDAY, JUNE n, 1882


With practically all the delegates gathered
in Chicago for the national convention there
are only two subjects now being discussed.
One is naturally the candidate, Roosevelt
or the field; the other is the prohibition
plank. We would much prefer to predict
the course the party will take with regard
to its platform than hazard a guess as to
Governor Roosevelts chances of being
nominated. But one thing is certain if the
New York governor is the nominee good
many democrats will have to do an abrupt
aboout-face maneuver if they fall in line.
We hope that party leaders, especially
the heads of the national committee are
keeping this in mind. The vigorous oppo-
sition to the Roosevelt candidacy can result
in prediction damage if carried too far.
By that we don't mean that all opposition
to Roosevelt should cease Immediately. We
aren't convinced that his first ballot strength
is nearly as great as, that claimed by his
managers. If he does muster majority
vote on the first ballot. it will be sur
prising. and if he doesn't muster majority
vote. we don't see how he can hope to
secure a two-thirds vote. Sounds contra
dictory, but so is the present siuation in
democratic circles.
There is every opportunity being pre-
scnted the democratic party to win the COM
ing election. President Hoovers popularity
was never at lower point His policies
have proved to be far from adequate to
cope with such situation as now prevails
in this nation. He is not and never can
be leader of the people. He just isn't
built that way. The mistake we made
was in believing he was a miracle man be-
cause he performed in ereditable manner
dsrng the World War. But when it came
to clothing and feeding the American peo-
pies, he found it task that even he
couldn't perform.
Bearing this in mind we wonder what
candidate in the democratic ranks can do
these things in which Mr. Hoover fails Of
course the Hoover pitfall was made deeper
by his loyalty to republican tenets which
have been leading up to grand collapse
for some years. Had the president heark-
ened to the pleas of lower tariffs and less
consideration for chosen few. he might
have done much better than he did. The
democratic candidate who can be elected
will show to much better advantage than
the president, for he will work under new
rules, which by all the laws of averages,
should be just enough to bring US safely
around the corner of Gloom and Bad Out
look streets
A repeal plank will be one stepping
stone to the presidency for any democratic
candidate. A successful solution of the
squabble between, the Roosevelt faction and
the diverse other political camps in the
democratic ranks will furnish the rest of
the stones in the stairway to the White
House. Let US hope that there will be
many magnanmous candidates in the
ranks, so that when the handwriting on the
wall becomes apparent, they will withdraw
gracefully from the contest and throw
their support to the one man who may seem
TO bear the distinction of being the best
vote 2etter. The democratic party must
have victory this year, even more so
than in 1923. The future welfare of the
nation depends to considerable extent
upon it.