The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-05-17

indications that they intend TO Ilght
fl election of their partisans in the
next congress on the ground that the
emergency is over and that President
Roosevelt and his administrator are
continuing on a spending spree just
to afford deserving Democrats with
pie from the government counter. The
tip-off as to the direction from which
the attack will come arose the other
day without attracting great deal
of attention. 1t came from Represent
alive Smell of New York, the Republic
can leader in the house, who opposed
one of the newer brain-trust creations
because he declared, unequivocally,
'Athe emergency is over" 4
After Mr.. Smell had made the state
ment, inquired of number of per-
sons, astute in politics, what they
thought of this anamoly. Here is a
leader of the opposition party declar-
ing that the emergency is over, and
If that condition exists, the leader of
the opposition, by Inference, at least,
has admitted that credit for the job
must be- given the Roosevelt admins
tration. I find as well that the Demo-
Gratis can hardly admit the correctness
CT the statement without admitting at
the same time that there should be an
end Immediately to the countless
emergency agencies that the Roose-
welt administration has set up. It
seems to me, therefore, that we are
witnessing one of the most ridiculous
situations that has ever occurred in
politics where peculiar things are the
rule. Succinctly, it amounts to this:
each side actually is contending that
the other is right.
Of course, it should be said, much
water will flow under the bridge be-
fore the votes are counted in Novem-
Der; indeed, many changes will have
come before the congressional cam
paigns in the various states get STIR
red up to white heat, but unless the
course of battle now Indicated is al
tered, I predict the campaigners will
have to do some fancy high rope walk
ing. It surely appears that getting
ones own legs tangled up in those ar
guments is about the easiest thing in
sight.
Curious possibilities are offered by
the situation. For example, are the
Democrats going to go out on the
hustings and saying to their mass
meetings in effect that 1--WE have not
succeeded; we must keep the AAA
and the NRA" and others? And, ct
the same time, are we going to hear
from Republican spellbinders that "the
Democrats have licked the depression
and they must now put an end to
their orgy of spending and running up
bills which the taxpayers must
meet?"
Neither side, of course, will say it
in those words. But, if the argument
goes ahead as it has started, that will
have to be the substance of their tale
to the voters. There will have to be
some very careful, as well as very
quick, thinking before the campaign
ends. One political observer here sug-
gested that this may turn out to be a
most confusing campaign because of
the anamoly that is now presented by
Mr.. SHELLS declaration.
just Speculation
There is considerable discussion
here as to how far-reaching the eff
feet may be if the Republicans stress,
with sufficient vigor, the contention
that the Democrats are trying to hold
on to the extra jobs and that they are
continuing to spend taxpayers money
for repayment of political debts. There
is always something sinister about