Evening star., 1934-07-26
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

The best laid plans Of mice and
men-and new dealers-sometimes go
awry. The drought in the West and
Northwest particularly has aroused
the resentment Of some of these West
ern farmers. They are inclined. as
always. to blame the powers that be.
There is a growing disposition on the
part Of the religiouS-and most Of
them are strongly religious--to regard
the drought and failure OF crops as a
visitation because Of the crop reduc-
ton plans OF the A. A. A. and the
slaughter of pigs, This kind Of talk
has been going on for weeks now. The
pressed in letters written by some of
the farmers to the Department of
Agriculture and the A. A. A.
When II comes to the congressional
elections, it looks like a race between
the psychological effect of the drought
plus its physical effect, against the
huge expenditures of money by the
Federal Government-which means
the Democratic administration in these
Western States. The administration
will be pouring money into these agri-
cultural States in huge sums from now
on. The money will not only go for
crop reduction agreements, but also
for direct relief OF the destitute and
the near destitute.
In addition to the disaster from the
drought-which. by the way. is likely
to do more toward the wiping out of
surplus crops than all the plans of
the A. A. A. put together-the farmers
of the West have a certain resentment
against being told what they may ana
what they may not plant. Ali of these
things have given birth TO reports that
the new deal is growing in unpopu-
larity in the West. So far, however,
there has been no way of estimating
the real extent Of the resentment.
Certainly the Republicans are en-
couraged in the hope that they will
make a better showing in the con-
gressional elections than was believed
possible earlier in the year. They
have opened their headquarters in
Chicago for the campaign and the
activity there will increase with the
passing weeks. The party workers
insist that there has been a strong
revival of party feeling among the
Republicans and that the organiza-
tions in the various States are rap
idly being put into efficient running
order. The more conservative talk
of regaining 40 to so House seats
and holding at least as many Senate
seats as they now have.
Admittedly, there is a good deal Of
confusion as to just what the state of
public opinion is today, politically,
among the rank and file of the voters.
There is increasing criticism of the
administration among business men
who hitherto have been willing to 60
along with the new deal They are
doubtful as to the permanent benefi-
cial effect Of the N. r. Aft the N.
r. A. Is to be made permanent in
whole or in part. They are doubtful
about the currency and fearful of big
undertakings. While this is true
among business men, no one knows
whether the new deal has suffered
much, If at all, in the estimation of
the man on the street, the worker in
factory and mill and mine and on the
farm.
There seems no doubt that the
campaign this Fall Is going to be
brisk and warmly fought, however 1t
may turn out. The Democrats and
new dealers are not overlooking any
bets. They will have speakers out In
droves. The burden of their songs
VIII be: do you want to go back to
the days Of 1880, 81 and '32 and
restore old dealers to power?" The
President will be back in the country
from his vacation trip in Hawaii early
in August. The party relies tre-
mendously upon the personal popular
ity OF the Chief Executive. He may
be expected to go on the air with a
discussion Of conditions and public
policies and jabs at the critics of the
new deal several times before the cleo
tions take place. The opposition, on
the other hand, is out to make the
best campaign 1t can. Generally
speaking. as the campaign advances,
the attack will center in large part on
the new deal. The reply to the chant
OF the new dealers will be that the
days of 1926, 1927 and 1928-under
the old deal-were far better and
brighter for millions of people in this
country then are the days of 1884.
Indeed, the attacks of the Repub-
licans and opponents of the new deal
viii be brisker and rougher, it may
be expected, as time goes on. The
days for soft-pedaling and going along
with the new deal on the part of the
G. o. P. are pretty nearly at an end.
This will be a disappointment to the
Democratic leaders, naturally. But 1t
is what any political party must ex-
pect when it is in power There will
be, and there is, a lot of Democratic
oratory about the need of putting
HAhcAISd AASI dAlu SolIlS ALONG WlLn
the new deal in the drive for a re-
turn to prosperity and better condi-
tions all around. Senator James Ham
ilton Lewis of Illinois, chairman of
the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee, recently made an address
which was entitled Conspiracy of
Politics and Its Assault Upon Amer
ica," which is just another way Of
saying that the Republicans are un-
patriotic to attack the Democratic ad-
ministration. The plea made by the
Democrats to the Republicans to ''go
along with the administration is the
same kind of a plea which has been
made in the past by Republicans when
their party was in power. The people
are going along with political party
just as long as they believe that times
are pretty good or getting better, and
no longer.
+ X 4
Postmaster General Farley now en-
gagged in swing around the country
in his dual capacity as a member of
the cabinet and as chairman of the