Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-09-25
Who Is EvasiVe ?

Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the
Democratic nominee for President,
speaking to an audience in San Fran
cisco, charged Friday night that the Re
publicans have no program. no plan
for aiding the farmer, the laborer and
the forgotten man generally. He
went further and said that the Repub-
licans, including President Hoover, of
course, are lodging issues. Gov. Roose-
Welt is refreshing, at least These are
the same charges that the Republicans
have leveled at Roosevelt and the
Democrats. The Republicans are ask
ing where is his plan for farm relief.
They say that he has written out
specifications" of the farmers ills and
gone no further Indeed. careful eX-
animation of Gov Roosevelts farm
speech, delivered in Topeka, shows the
Republicans to be entirely correct in
this criticism He held out to the
farmers his great sympathy. He told
them that their dollar must be made
equal to the dollar Of the induStriallsti
that the benefits of the tariff on manu-
featured articles must be given to the
farmer on his products. The Repue-
licans say of the Roosevelt plan to aid
the railroads that the New York Gov
ernor "cribbed" Mr.. Hoovers ideas.
The Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent continues to assert that the Re
publican party has been without lead
ership; that President Hoover has been
failure. That is conventional stock
in trade 1t is what might be ex-
pected. The fact of the matter re-
mains, however, as former President
Coolidge has reminded the country,
that Mr. Hoover has provided the only
real leadership the country has had
in this period of economic crisis. The
country is benefiting from that lead
ership and has benefited from it for
months. 1t may be necessary to re-
mind Americans that they still have
big stake in this country; that despite
unemployment and depressed business
the country is still far better off than
the other nations Of the world and SO
are American citizens as compared with
the citizens of other countries. These
are facts that the Americans should
consider carefully.
The charge that the Republicans
and President Hoover are avoiding is
sues is not borne out by the facts.
The President has stated his position
very definitely and clearly. In his
acceptance speech he left no doubt in
the minds of the people where he
stands on the prohibition issue. He
believes that the eighteenth amendment
must be revised so as to permit those
States which so desire to have legal
the old saloon. In his recent state
ment on the soldiers bonus Mr.. Hoover
has left no doubt that he will oppose
the payment of the bonus now, when
the finances of the country and the
Government do not warrant it.
Where, now, does Gov. Roosevelt
stand on this question of the bonus
payment? Is he lodging an issue?
Furthermore, the bonus question is
one that can and should be answered
yes" or no" 1t has not the in
tricacies of the farm problem or even
the railroad problem. Gov. Roosevelt,
unless he is without such information
as presidential candidate should
have, knows the condition of the Treas
ury. He knows that it probably will
be necessary to increase still further
the tax burden now on the people
without the payment of the bonus. He
knows that if the bonus burden is
ADDED it will be staggering load.
But Mr. Roosevelt so far has found
it impossible, apparently, to make up
his mind which way he will jump on
this issue.
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