Evening star., 1935-10-06

Republican presidential nomi-
ination changes slightly but
does not clarity.
Mr.. Hoover is not candidate and
no group of friends of his are seeking
to get the nomination for him. Many
persons believe Mr. Hoover is the best
equipped man to straighten the coun-
try out after the mess that will be
pretty apparent next year. They be-
lieve there would be an advantage to
the country in the fact that Mr..
Hoover, if elected. would be filling his
second term and would, therefore, not
need to give thought to the future
for whoever is President, following Mr..
Roosevelt. will need to do good many
drastic things. But many who most
strongly wish that Mr.. Hoover might
be the next President are willing to
concede that as candidate he would
have certain degree of handicap that
some other candidate-some ideal one
called "X'-would not suffer from.
Mr.. Hoover had the misfortune to be
President during the worst of the
depression. History will take care of
him; but at time when the depres-
sion is only few years past, many
voters would tend to think of him and
the depression in one breath. This
the Democrats and New Dealers would
capitalize. They would again direct
Mr.. Nicholson to turn his smear
Hoover" batteries into action. If Mr..
Hoover were the candidate the Demo-
Gratis would strive to make the issue,
not the record of Mr. Roosevelt's ad-
ministration, which it should be. but
the record of Mr.. Hoovers admin
istration.
Knox Most Talked About.
For the moment Frank Knox Of
the Chicago Daily News is somewhat
more talked about than other posi-
bilities. A considerable number of
friends and advocates are active on
his behalf, and he is active himself in
the sense that he makes many speeches
in different parts of the country. From
the point of view of practical politics
Mr.. Knox is little too far out in
front at too early a stage. Whoever is
in front is sure to be shot at. This is
the more certain when the man in
front Is making many speeches. In
the interest of political candor it is
good that Col. Knox should be max
ing his views known and letting the
country get the picture of him. But
1t is quite certain that Mr. Knox, in
his various speeches, will take posi-
tions that will handicap him. AL
ready, on this account, he is in some
difficulty. He made one speech in
which he seemed to deplore the high
cost of living and blame it on the
Roosevelt administration. Thereupon
a shrewd person in the Midwest farm
ing district, friendly to rival of Col
Knox. put it up" to Mr.. Knox to
say whether or not he meant there
should be reduction in the prices
paid farmers for their crops. There
upon Mr.. Knox made another speech
explaining himself satisfactorily to the
farmers. About now, as politics goes,
II Is time for some friend of some
Eastern aspirant for the Republican
nomination to put up to" Col Knox
query as to where he stands on the
high cost Of living as an issue. This
kind of crossflre is apt to trouble Mr..
Knox rather frequently If he con-
tinues to be out in front and con-
tinues to make many speeches.
Gov. Alfred M. Landon of Kansas,
In quiet way, attracts increasing sup
port and makes no enemies. AS the
admittedly capable Governor of Kan
sas, he is presumably satisfactory to
the Middle West; and for his all-round
soundness he is acceptable to many
Republicans in the East.
What is happening just now is that
one man after another. such as Col
Knox and Gov. Landon, are, in the
political phrase, being given a run"
Through public and newspaper psy-
chology one man after another comes
into the spotlight for a few weeks and
Is compared with others. This process
will continue and expand Between
now and the time of the nominating
convention there may be talk of as
many as half dozen other men:
Senator Lester J. Dickinson of Iowa;
Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Michi-
gan; ex-senator and present Repre-
sentative James w. Wadsworth of New
York; Representative Hamilton Fish
of New York, and perhaps others not
yet so conspicuous.
Senator B0rah's Friends.
The favor for Senator Borah for the
Republican presidential nomination
arises, think, from an instinct that
is just now coming to the front
throughout the country. Instinctively,
many people are coming to feel that
the real issue is the preservation of
the American form of government and
society-preservation of the Consti-
tuition, preservation of the independ-
ence of the Supreme Court and
preservation of America as union of
States with each State having local
powers. People begin to see this as
the issue. And If it is an issue at
all, 1t is of course the paramount issue.
If the form Of society and government
40 oV oeohC' CNCi ytililIS cloC-bllc
budget, the plunging into debt, farm
relief-all this is subordinate.
Recognition of this is the first
step toward thinking Senator Borah
would be good candidate Every one
knows he is sound on the Constitu-
ton and that he has a high fervor
for the American form of government
and society. Mr.. Borah at once SYM
bolizes the Constitution and is per-
haps the ablest defender of it in pub
lie life. Consequently many persons
favor Mr.. Borah for the nomination
even though they deplore and disagree
with many of his attitudes on other
matters, his position on silver, for
example. They may have many mis-
givings about Senator Borah-but
they know that with him in the
White House, America would remain
America.
Granted that the real issue is (and
! think 1t Isl the preservation Of the
American form of society and govern
ment against the new principle that