The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-10-31
Evasive Candidates

With the election only one week away, neither
of the two presidential candidates apparently intends
to come clean on all major issues
For the most part the Hoover campaign has con-
sisted Of repeating, to the point Of boredom doc
tored apology for his administrators failures and
of appealing to fear.
Roosevelt, in the main, has taken the easy course
OF finding fault with his opponents record, rather
than committing himself definitely to program and
issues he has taken both sides.
There is outstanding exception. Roosevelt,
unlike Hoover, has not evaded the prohibition issue.
The Democrat stands not only for outright repeal
of the eighteenth amendment but also for immediate
modification Of the prohibition laws and beer tax
pending repeal.
Hoover opposes outright repeal and favors ques-
tionable revision suitable to many drys but he Is
silent on immediate modification of the law
Neither has definite or effective program
for economic reconstruction though Roosevets stand
is intelligent and hopeful that the Presidents
On the very important question Of federal econ
omy both talk much and say little Both of them
know that cheese pairing here and there and even
the wholesale abolition Of many bureaus would not
achieve major economies that any big cuts must be
in the big expenditures, which are the army, navy
and veteran appropriations.
Yet neither candidate will pledge real economies
in these expenditures.
Similarly, both evade the war debt issue, though
they talk about it.
Both oppose fiat and unconditional cancellation,
which is hardly ISSUE But neither honestly is
admitting that the debts already have been can
celed in part and that the full balance never will
be paid
Neither has committed himself on the widely ac-
cepted proposal to trade cebt reduction for arms
reduction.
Indeed on the entire question of foreign policy,
both candidates are unusually silent On the rea-
tons of the United States to the league on Russian
recognition, marine occupation and financial die
tatorship in the Caribbean countries on the Philip
pines, on future policy in the far east on dsarma-
ment, the candidates have little or nothing to say
While Hoover plunges for even higher tariff
than the trade-killing Hawley-Smoot monstrosity
Roosevelt hops from one side to the other without
ever promising an immediate and definite revision
downward.
The exceedingly grave issue of the restoration
OF civil liberties including free speech free press and
free assembly is not considered important enough to
merit discussion by the candidates.
There are other issues such as hydroelectric
power, control of holding companies and reform in
banking laws, on which Roosevelt is much more frank
and constructive than his opponent But this only
emphasizes, by contrast, the other Democratic
evasions. e7
The explanation doubtless is fairly simple Roose-
velt and his campaign managers seem to think they
going to win because of the heavy anti-Hoover
VOTE and that therefore good politics consists of max
ing few commitments as possible and risking the
loss of as few votes as possible
We doubt that trimming is good politics Amer
lean voters like forthrightness as has been proved
over and over again. To the extent that there is
positive proRoosevelt VOTE most of it has been won
on his fortnight position regarding prohibition
During the remaining campaign week. the voters
probably would like more frankness from both Hoover
and Roosevelt.