Evening star., 1933-06-29
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

About this time four years ago the
Democratic party was coming TO life
again. It had suffered the worst de.
feat in its history at the polls in No
vember. 1928. It was a million and a
half dollars in debt. But it had not
given up all hope, even though there
appeared at that time to be hopeless
division in party ranks over the pro-
hibition issue. Under the Leadership
Of John j. Raskob, then chairman OF
organization was set up in Washington
to snipe at the Republican administra-
ton. There was q rift among the Re-
publicans in the Congress over farm
relief legislation. The fight to revise
| the tariff was on, with Congress tying
| itself into bow knots and rather effectu-
ally doing nothing. At that time the
financial crash, soon to be followed by
the industrial depression, was not yet
visible or even suspected by the vast
number Of Americans. Yet the Demo-
, Gratis began to prepare for the congress
sional elections in 1880, and their at
tacks upon the then President Hoover
! were as severe as they could be- When
the crash came the Democrats were
ready to make the most of it politl-
cally. They did. Indeed, it was this
crash that was the real life saver Of the
Democratic party.
The Republicans are beginning to
show signs of coming to life again
Regional conferences, under the lead
ership Of Chairman Everett Sanders
are under way. Representative Smell
of New York, Republican leader of the
House, turned loose the other day a
severe attack upon President Roosevelt
and the Democratic Congress. Mr.. San
ders, speaking today at a Young Re-
publican rally at Selinsgrove, Pa
called for militant minority party and
derlded the demand of some of the
Democrats that there be no criticism
of President Roosevelt and the admins
trations legislative program now en-
| acted into law. He said it was ridicu-
lous to claim that there should be nc
such criticism because the Nation was
In a state Of war-war on the depres-
sion. He said the minority's fsst duty
was to the Nation rather than to the
President.
ITO claim that any Of our elective
officers. from the President down, OF
any Of their appointees or associates
are immune from criticism merely be-
cause the country Is passing through
| an economic crisis Is to revert to the
doctrine Of the divine right of rulers,
said Mr.. Sanders. He might have
added that the country was in a crisis
and facing terrible depression when
but that the Democrats never let up fol-
minute in their attacks upon Mr.
Hoover for that reason.
Mr.. Sanders criticized harshly the in
dustry recovery act. which is about tc
be put into operation, and the farm
relief act. He said it was proposed tc
regiment the people of the United
States. to lay the heavy hand Of Fed
eral dictation upon every activity oil
agriculture and industry, to limit pro-
duction and regulate prices Of both
farm and factory. to restrict and allo-
cate volume of business. This means
putting individual enterprise ambition
initiative, thrift, foresight in a strait
jacket"
If Mr.. Sanders is right. 1t is going tc
be just too bad for the Democratic
| party. But, what Is worse, it is going to
be extremely bad for the Nation. While
/ many Republicans may wish that, from,
a political standpoint, the program OF
the administration may fail, as indi-
vidual citizens interested in recovery
of business and employment they must
| hope Tor the success of the recovery
act, the farm relief act 1t is rather
| tough, under all the circumstances. tc
be partisan Republican. And yet Mr.
| Sanders Is right when he insists tha;
the duty of minority party is to be
critical and to keep check on the
party in power
II the organizations now being SCI
up by the Democratic administration
| for the management of the industry
and the agriculture of the United States
are maintained and the operation Of
the laws proves successful, a huge po-
tential political organization within the
| government itself will have been erected
The industries and the farmers will
! have to look to these Government,
agents for fair treatment and even fol
favors. Naturally, Republicans do no.
look with happy smile upon any sucf
setup. With Federal agents-and al
of them Democrats-with a finger ir
every pie, where do the Republican.
get off?
If the whole system now being Sc
up proves burdensome, irksome. expen.
sive and of little use, then the people
Will-tfrow it off. But the Democrat!
look for great things from their indus.
try recovery act and their farm relic
act And most of the people hope
| they. the Democrats. are right. All o.
which makes hard game harder fol
the G. o. P It's just too early Il
make predictions about the congres
sional campaign next year. If real re-
covery is on the way the Democrat!
will win; if it is not, they won't.
x x x
The wet Democrats who followed TIT
| lead of Mr.. Raskob and made repea
of the eighteenth amendment a maJo
issue were successful. They impressed
their cause upon the entire party be
| fore the campaign was over, although
they were helpless when they tried tc
renominate their favorite candidate fol
President, Alfred E. Smith. Outside
of the demand for repeal of prohibition
Mr. Raskob and Mr.. Roosevelt hav'
! had very little in common. Here ant
there a Smithite has been appointed
small as to be all the more remarkable
Repeal of prohibition, active ant
political, has moved south of the
! Mason and Dixon Line. West Vir
ginia has fallen into step with Rhode
! Island and Iowa and has voted wet
The big test. SO far as the South i
concerned is coming next month
when Alabama Arkansas and Tennesse,
all hold elections of delegates to Stat
constitutional conventions to vote OF
the repeal amendment. If these thre'
States all go wet, then it looks a
though it was all over but the shouting
Jouett Shouse. president of the Asso
citation Against the Prohibition Amend
ment. in a statement issued today in
sists that they will be found voting fo
repeal. He was right about Iowa ant
Indiana. dry States of the North, ant
also about West Virginia, a borde
State.
Nine States have ratified the repea
amendment Seven more have electet
delegates to conventions which vii