Evening star., 1934-08-19
LEWIS CHALLENGES
C. O.P. CANDIDATES.
Proposes Joint Debate on
New Deal to Take BalIy-
hoo From Campaign.
Continued From First Page.)

is slated to be his Republican oppon-
ent 1t would have Joseph F. Gufey,
PENNSYLVANIA Democratic candidate
for the Senate, meet Senator David A.
Reed, Republican, to discuss the con-
stitutionality and the advisability of
the new deal program. Gov. A. Harry
Moore of New Jersey, Democrat. would
enter the lists in his State against
Senator Hamilton F. Kean, Republi-
can. In the case of Senator Hiram
Johnson of California. who is likely
to have both the Republican and Dem
ocratic nominations, there would be
no one to oppose his arguments. He
could not debate with himself.
Senator Lewis, perhaps thinking
that joint debates of this character
might not be relished by some Of the
candidates, proposed that the sena-
torial campaign committees be au-
thoriZed to select other representatives
to do the debating for reluctant can
didateS. 1t Is, of course. intimated
that Senator Lewis, as chairman of
the Democratic Committee, would well
come a series of joint debates with
Senator Hastings himself.
Proposal Is Novel.
The entire proposal is novel, Sena-
tor Lewis contends that through such
a method of campaigning it would be
possible to get away from much of
the ballyhoo and hippodroming of the
ordinary campaign. 1t would be a
case of stating the facts and the argu-
ments pro and con the new deal and
the old deal, which he insists is what
the Republicans stand for. OF course,
Chairman Fletcher of the Republican
National Committee, and other Repub-
hcan leaders take the position that
the G.. o. p. does not stand for all the
old deal; that it believes in progress,
but progress within the bounds of the
tutionS Of America, which, they insist,
the new deal violates.
The Democrats. it appears from the
proposal now advanced by Senator
Lewis, are perfectly willing to go to
the mat with their Republican op-
ponents. They are willing to lay all
their arguments and their facts before
the voters, with the understanding
that from the same platform they will
be subject to attack by the Repub-
licans. The proposal smacks Of the
days of Abraham Lincoln and Sena-
tor Stephan A. Douglas, both of 1lli-
nois, and the vital debate which they
staged in the days prior to the Civil
War.
- @AI
If the plan is to be adopted and
to be effective at the very beginning
of the present campaign it must get
under way promptly so that Senator
Frederick Hale, Republican, may
meet his Democratic opponent, F.
Harold Dubord, in the Maine sena-
torial election. The Maine election
comes almost two months before the
elections in the rest of the States
on September 10.
While the proposal of Senator Lewis
appears to be limited to joint debates
between candidates for the Senate, or
persons chosen to represent them,
there seems no good raSon why can
didates for the House and for other
bate. Under the usual system of
campaigning, candidates of one party
hold meetings independent of the
candidates of the other political party.
If there is any argument for the op-
posing side it comes only from heck
lerS in the crowd. The joint debate
system would be calculated to make
the candidates careful in the presen-
tation of argument and fact, since
their opponents would always be on
hand to check them up. Furthermore,
it would give the voters an opportu-
nifty to see the candidates of both
parties perform under the same con-
ditions, and to size them up.
Many Topics for Debate.
The constitutionality of many of
the new deal acts has been chal-
lenged by Republican critics. That
lends itself to the system Of joint
debate. The huge expenditures OF
the Roosevelt administration have
been assailed by the Republicans,
and they, too, would make an impor-
tant subject Of joint debate. The ad-
visibility of continuing the N R. A.,
the A. A. A. and some of the other
alphabetical agencies set up by the
administration has been challenged.
There is the new Roosevelt reciprocity
tariff law, which has been attacked by
the G. o. P. leaders. Indeed, Senator
Lewis and Senator Hastings them
selves engaged in very enlightening
and at times amusing joint debate on
the subject of the tariff bill during
the last session of Congress.
Senator Hastings was out of the
city yesterday. He spoke last night
at Bridgeport, Conn.,, assailing the
Democrats for abandoning sound
money" and for their efforts to con-
troll all business, and for their ex-
penditures of public money. Senator
Lewis letter was promptly forwarded
to Senator Hastings, however, and it
is expected that the Republican chair
man will make an early reply.
Lewis to Make Tour.
Senator Lewis tomorrow will make
a swing through Western territory,
going first to Wisconsin and then to
Minnesota. He will go to New Mexico
and Wyoming and other Western
States. In three, at least, of these
States the Democratic chairman has
HIS ADV. z