Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-02-11
ThePOIiticalM Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

Former President Herbert Hoover is
to talk to Republicans tomorrow night
at the forty-ninth Lincoln day dinner
given by the National Republican
Club Lincoln day dinners, given by
Republicans, are usually political in
their tone. What Mr.. Hoover has to
say will be heard and read with the
keeneSt interest. He has maintained
| an almost complete silence on things
political since he went out of ONCE
nearly two years ago. His main con-
tribution to the discussion Of public
questions and issues was his "Chal-
lenge to Liberty" published last year.
X
The fact that Mr.. Hoover is to step
into the G. o. P. spotlight again is
interesting. There are Republicans
who think that Mr.. Hoover sunk
them and the party and who are
| willing to place the blame for Demo-
cratic victories in 1882 and 1884 on
Mr.. Hoover'S shoulders. 1t begins to
look, however, as though the number
of these critics is growing smaller.
The Republican party got 1t where
the chicken got the ak in 1882 not
because of anything that Mr.. Hoover
| did or did not do No man on earth
could have been reelected President
of the United States in that year,
after the depression had done its
deadly work Perhaps had Mr.. Hoo
yer been willing and able to convince
Congress that he should be given sew
eral billions of dollars to hand out
to the unemployed in the years 1881
| and 1882 he might have had bigger
vote. But even so, 1t is not probable
be could have been reelected. And
the chances that the Congress of
those days would have given Mr.. Hoo
yer any such sum of money to spend,
with no string attached, amounted to
nothing at all.
The very fact that Mr.. Hoover is
to make a Lincoln day address in
New York, the Empire State, has
plenty of political significance. 1t by
no means must be interpreted as a
gesture on Mr.. Hoover's part to as
sumo leadership and to seek presi-
dental nomination in 1886. The
significance, however. may be found
in the fact that the G. o. P. is listen
ing again to Mr.. Hoover; that it is
tired, perhaps, of its attitude of per-
petual apology.
Other speakers at the Lincoln day
dinner of the Republican National
Committee will be Gov Harold Hoff-
man of New Jersey and Glenn Frank,
president of the University of Wis
consin. Gov Hoffman won a sur
prise victory in Jersey-a surprise to
the DemocratS-last November. Some
of his friends say that any man who
could land a winner in New Jersey
in a year so Democratic as 1884 must
have possibilities BY possibilities
they mean presidential possibilities
However. a number of things entered
into the Jersey gubernatorial race
last Fall, one of them being the fact
that the Democratic candidate was
not strong, and Hoffman had a big
personal following. President Frank
has been a keen critic of some of the
New Deal economic philosophy. In
some quarters DR.. Frank is consid-
cred a potential candidate for the
Republican presidential nomination.
The speaking program. therefore, of
the Lincoln day dinner should be of
considerable interest.
In year from now the first of the
presidential preferential primaries
will be nearly at hand. The race for
delegates will get under way before
long. AS a matter of fact, it is al
ready getting under way. There are
Republicans whose States are almost
bound to send delegations to the next
Republican National Convention, in
structed for these gentlemen. There
denberg of Michigan and Senator
Charles McNary of Oregon, the Re-
publican leader of the Upper House,
not to mention Gov Hoffman of New
Jersey and Gov. Landon of Kansas,
who also won a victory last Novem-
Der.
How much the C. O. P presidential
nomination will be worth is still a
question and will continue to be. If
there is a real and perceptible upturn
in business and employment during
the coming year it would be reason
able to expect that President Roose-
welt could and will be reelected. But
let there be continuance of the large
unemployment, increased taxation.
dissatisfaction with the agricultural
program, and a very different polit-
ical situation would be created.
x
The Democrats are insistent that
business conditions and employment
of labor are on the up and up. They
point with pride to the fact that the
farmers income for 1884 was up a
billion dollars. Senator Robinson of
Arkansas, Democratic leader of the
Senate, recently had inserted in the
Congressional Record dispatches pub
lished in Western and Eastern news
papers showing that there was a great
squirt in the automobile industry, that
bank deposits were rising rapidly, that
hog prices had scared and that much
greater quantities of gasoline were
being used by motorists, all tending
to prove that times are improving.
This is the line of argument that
Democrats will advance-if they can
up to and through the next national
political campaign. It is easily the
most effective line of argument, If it
is borne out by the facts.
X X X
The House last week passed the bill
offered by Representative Bland of
Virginia to repeal the citizenship
status of alien seamen who have not
been naturalized, but who under ex-
listing law are permitted to serve on
American merchant vessels as Amer
lean citizens. The bill is a step in
the direction of compelling an Amer
ican-manned merchant marine flying
the American flag. It has passed the
House before, but has been tied up
in the Senate. 1t should pass and
become law. 1t is in line with the
policy of Secretary Roper of the De-
partment of Commerce, who is strongly
in favor of merchant marine 100
per cent American. Under the present
law, passed during the World War, a
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