Evening star., 1935-10-17
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Gould Lincoln.

paisn is increasingly DINNER. For ex-
ample, Gov. Philip La Toilette of Wis
Consin, who heads with his brother, Sen
ator Robert M. La Toilette, jr, the Pro-
greSSive party in Wisconsin, indicated
clearly before he left for a vacation in
Bermuda that the ProgreSSiveS intended
to support President Roosevelt next year.
The only suggestion that this might be
the case was a statement that If the Re-
publicanS put up really progressive
candidate, Gov. La Toilette would con-
slider the matter before giving his al
leglance to the Roosevelt New Deal
The likelihood that the Republicans will
name man for President who would be
acceptable to the La Toilette Progressives
is small.
Then there is Gov. Floyd B. Olson
Of Minnesota, who is one Of the prides
Of the Farmer-Labor party in that State.
Gov. Olson also, it Is believed, will hook
up with the Roosevelt New Dealers, par
ticularly If he determines to become q
candidate for the Senate against the Re-
publican Senator Schall, one of the bit
tereSt antagonists of the President in
the Upper House. Here, then, are two
potential leaders of a radical ird-party
movement who seem willing to follow
President Roosevelt's advice and appeal
to all liberals to join forces-back OF the
New Deal. The death of the late Sem
atot Huey P. Long of Louisiana took
from the field another potential threat
of a third-party movement against
Roosevelt. Gov. Eugene Talmadge of
Georgia remains the sole outstanding
critic of the New Deal who might be in
position to organize revolt, particu-
larly in the South, against the New Deal,
except for the conservative Democrats
of the Bainbridge Colby and Lewis w.
Douglas type.
While the New Deal Democrats seem
to be making hay with the Independent
progressive political organizations in the
West, the Republicans on the other hand
have recently given further evidence OF
the wide breach between the ProgressiveS
Of the West and the more conservative
Republicans Of the East. The recent
publication of the correspondence be-
tween Senator William E. Borah of
Idaho and Col. Theodore Roosevelt, jr,
Of New York has done as much as any
thing to bring this division to light.
Senator Borahs bid for support of Col.
Roosevelt in his fight to oust the present
Republican leadership in many OF the
States and to make the issue Of the
coming campaign trust busting" has. it
seems, been something of a dud. Col.
Roosevelt's reply was courteous. But
reading between the lines it was rebuff.
X x*
Despite this warning of the Republic
ans. which is found in other exchanges
80 tota ov,I hA
seeming appeal which the New Deal is
continuing to make to independent pro-
gressives, the revulsion of feeling toward
the Roosevelt New Deal goes on in many
parts OF the country. The New Dealers
are feeling the criticisms of the consum-
ers, particularly because Of the increase
in food prices. First the price Of pork
chops and pork generally went sky high.
Now the price of bread is being boosted
by the bakers to level higher than 1t
has been in ten years or more. This is
the kind of thing that gets under the
skins of the millions Of people who buy.
1t Is inclined to make the A. A. A., how
ever popular with the farmers. decidedly
unpopular with the industrial workers.
Other food stuffs have been on the up
and up in price and the market bills Of
Mrs. America have increased consider
ably.
Secretary Wallace, whose heart is in
the A. A. A. program, is inclined to
blame the bakers and the packers. New
Deal shouts against the "profiteers" may
be expected. They do not like the sug-
gestion that the processing taxes and
the curtailment of production has been
entirely responsible for the manner in
which food prices have gone up. The
fact remains, however, that food prices
have scared. The party in power under
such circumstances is usually the target
Of the consumers. The A. A. A. is trying
to work out plan to boost the prices of
the big potato crop, without actually put
ting into operation the new potato law,
which would levy fine or tax on all
who produce and sell potatoes beyond
the allotments made to them. This,
again, is apt to please the consumers,
although the potato farmers take a diff
ferent view of the situation. It is sit
uation which has been brought about by
the operation Of the A. A. A. in other
fields, particularly cotton, wheat and to-
bacco. Where the farmers have curtailed
those crops they have taken to growing
potatoes. This has thrown the potato
production out of balance so far as pro-
duction and demand are concerned.
\ II
The administration, 1t is charged. has
too frequently been inconsistent in its ac-
tivities regarding agriculture. Recently
the Government, for example, made q
loan to fertilizer company in Georgia
Of some 5000 900. Apparently it was made
to enable the company to expand and to
increase its production. More fertilizer
will be produced to sell to the farmers
to produce more cropS-perhaps cotton.
At the same time the Government is
paying, and the public, through proc
esslng taxes, is paying, to keep the farm
ers from producing as much cotton as
they used to produce. 1t does not seem
to make sense.
Herbert Hoover is away to a good
start in his active campaign against the
New Deal. Probably Mr.. Hoover feels
that the aspirants for the Republican
presidential nomination should take a
similar course; get out on the stump and
give the New Deal rough ride. Some
OF these gentlemen are already doing
that. Col. Frank Knox, publisher of the
Chicago Daily News, has been speaking
here and there. Senator Dickinson of
Iowa is attacking frequently, and so is
Representative Hamilton Fish of New
York. But there are others who have
been prominently mentioned for the
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