Evening star., 1935-08-12
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. Could Lincoln.


among Republican county chairmen, city
leaders and young Republicans" takes
on lot more interest in the light of
signs of growing unpopularity of the
Roosevelt New Deal and of the PreSi-
dent himself. The Republican nomina-
ton is not something to be sneezed at,
perhaps. 1t is not surprising that the
results of the poll show Senator Borah
of Idaho out in the lead. The discussion
of Senator Borah as a presidential nomi
nee for the G. o. P. gained considerable
headWay when the Midwest Grass
Roots" Conference of Republicans was
held in Springfield, ILL.,, last June. Out
side of Herbert Hoover, former President,
Mr.. Borah is more national figure than
any other man in the party today. He
is known as a great campaigner when
he takes the stump. He is champion
always of the Constitution of the United
States and the rights of the people re-
served under that Constitution. With
President Roosevelt aSSaulting the Con-
stitution, as it is now interpreted by the
Supreme Court, it is easily understand
able that Borah should appeal to the
popular imagination as a champion to
go up against Roosevelt next year.
Every time former President Hoover
opens his mouth on subjects political or
connected with the Roosevelt admins
tration there is an immediate bleat that
he is making a bid for the Republican
presidential nomination. In Chicago
yesterday Mr.. Hoover issued challenge
to President Roosevelt to state to the
people definitely just what he wanted
changed in the Constitution. Right
away the interpreters began to say that
this was Just another bid for the preSi-
dental nomination by Hoover. Those
with Democratic leanings are the lead
ers in such an Interpretation. They
would like to see Mr.. Hoover the Repub-
lican nominee, for they believe that the
contest would then revert to the same
character and status of the preSiden-
tial election in 1892. They may be en-
tirely mistaken about that. At any rate,
it is what they hope and believe would
follow the nomination of Mr.. Hoover
by the Republicans.
OF course. there is no reason whatever
why the titular head of the Republican
party should not say that the time had
come for the President to tell the people
Just what he wants in the way Of
CI1dIlBeS III JIle law Ol lIlc
land Whether President Roosevelt will
answer the challenge is another matter.
He stuck his foot in the pool Of conSti-
tutional change Immediately after the
Supreme Court had unanimously de-
clared the N. r. A. invalid. Apparently
he did not like the temperature Of the
water. The response of the country to
| his structures on the Supreme Court and
it's interpretations of the Constitution
was distinctly cold. There have been
continued signs however. that the PreSi-
dent was still anxious to make an issue
of the Constitution as 1t now stands
/ provided he could build up proper sup
port in the country. His request to men,
bers of the House that they pass the
Guffey coal bill no matter if they had
I reasonable doubt as to its constitution
ality, so that the law might go to the
Supreme Court for decision, was so in
terpreted Either the President desires
to see ehe' Constitution amended or he
does not. He may think that it is too
early to bring the matter to the fore.
If so he is likely to say nothing.
= X
The small vote that Mr.. Hoover has
received SO far in the presidential pref
erence poll. conducted by Mr. Lucas,
who was executive director of the Re-
publican National Committee when Mr..
Hoover was President, should be an an
swer to those who profess to believe that
Mr.. Hoover will either be candidate
for or become the presidential nominee
of the G. o. P. next year. Where SEN
ator Borah had 247 votes, Mr.. Hoover
had only 52 COL Frank Knox of Chi
cago, publisher of the Daily News, was
second to Borah with 167, and Gov.
Landon of Kansas was third with 127.
The Junior Senator from Michigan. Sem
ator Arthur H. Vandenberg, was fourth
with 81, and back of him and just ahead
OF Mr.. Hoover came former Gov Frank
o. Lowden of Illinois, with 88 votes.
Further returns from the poll may bring
| differences in the standing of the presi-
| Dental possibilities" Up to the present
| time, the Republican candidates for the
nomination have been reticent Some of
them have declared that they had no
aspirations whatever. although their
| friends have been working quietly. 1t
| won't be long now before some of them
| will be throwing their hats in the ring
| in good earnest.
The determination of the Democratic
leaders in the Senate to bring the SOL
diers' bonus to the fore next January
looks very much as though they had
reached the conclusion that they had
better put this measure through before
the coming national election. Further
more, apparently it is to be put through
| just on the eve of the national cam
paign. President Roosevelt vetoed the
| Patman inf1ationary soldiers bonus bill
earlier in the present session and his
veto was sustained. His veto was ac-
| claimed widely throughout the country.
Yet in spite Of this the Democrats IN
the Senate are making the bonus
| special order of business for the first
part of the next session of Congress.
One reason advanced is that by such
tactics the debate on the administra-
tions tax bill will be curtailed. The
bonus advocates were planning to offer
immediate cash payment of the bonus
as rider to the tax bill. The vet
eranS' vote in the election next year is
lure. But whether the veterans them
selves will be satisfied with such Demo-
cratic tactics remains to be seen.
The Roosevelt administration is in
hot water over its tax bill and also over
| the subsistence wage" which is offered
| the workers on the work-relief projects.
The President himself is responsible for
| throwing the tax problem into Congress
| this Summer. He is equally responsible
| for the subsistence wage" When the
"a $40 600 0()0 work-relief bill was before