Imperial Valley press., 1935-11-23
EDITORIAL PAGE
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER %, 1885
MORE THAN ONE SIDE
TO THIS BALLOT

Foes and friends of the Rooseveltian
New Deal, buoyed up or depressed by re-
suits OF the Literary Digest poll, are
NOT considering every phase of the straw
palIot which, to date, records vote of
oo.ZS per cent against the New Deal and
4.f2 per cent in favor of its policies.
Primarily, they consider it too readily as
a test between Franklin Roosevelt and
some as yet mythical opponent for the
position of president.
The hard-headed viewpoint is reflect
ed more truly in Wall Street. where the
poll lowered odds on Roosevelt's re-elec-
tlon, but left the wise money still in his
favor
Without going into discussion of the
million and one facts of the New Deal,
upon which there are, manifestly. as
many opinions as there are voters. it is
apparent that more will enter into the
1886 presidential election than vote for
or against the New Deal. On the ballots
of 1886 there will be no simple question
as do You Now Approve the Acts and
Policies of the Roosevelt New Deal to
Date?"
First, there will be listed two major
parties, Republican and Democratic. Be-
hind them will be policies outlined in ma
tional convention and sharply different
from one another Then there will be
the spaces in which voters will mark
their ballots for one of two men. In the
personalities, mannerisrs and publiciZed
traits of these two men will be a great
factor in influencing public opinion.
Voters will not be called upon to ap-
prove or disapprove one set of policies
or one man or party. They will be faced
with a choice between two men, two
parties and two platforms.
1t is readily understandable that a
person qualified to vote might mark dis
approval of one policy or set of policies
when asked regarding that only; then
might favor that same group of princi-
pies as against another program offered
in its stead. Neither might be entirely
satisfactory to him, yet he would face the
necessity of choosing one If either
We're put to him separately, he might
vote against it. With choice necessary,
he must vote for one. The Literary Di-
gest poll offered only one policy for ap-
proval or disapproval.
Another factor which cannot be over
looked is the human one. 1t should not
be so, perhaps but it is ever present in
the American political system. Suppose
there were two policies to be carried out,
one undeniably bad and one just as un-
icy to be represented by fluent, attrac-
tive candidate who has the knack of at
tracing people to him through sheer
personal magnetism. The other, let us
say, is represented by retiring, mouse
like, suffering, unattractive candidate
who shrinks from personal contacts Yet
the attractive man is without principle
and careless of the good of the nation,
and the unattractive one is filled with
the highest of ideals and constructive
plans to put them into effect Which
would win? The situation has not arisen,
and is not likely to arise, but the human
element would make the answer diff
cult.
In blanket vote for or against the
New Deal, too, it must be remembered
that the New Deal is not one policy
standing alone. 1t has as many branch
es as there are branches of economic
life. Some of them may be good, some
bad but no single expression of opinion
can cover them all.
Considering all these things, the Liter
ary Digest poll, while interesting to stu
dents of economics, cannot truthfully
foreshadow the nations choice of a pres
ident in 1886. Only a vote on two men
who are candidates for the office can
do that to any degree of certainty.
1I1T DIR WAY -. -