Evening star., 1935-04-25
Mill |
By C. Could Lincoln.

One thing the election Of 1896 may
accomplishing may clear the air OF
lot Of ballyhoo. Since Rev. Charles
e. Coughlin has undertaken to lead
his National Union for Social Justice
into the field Of direct politics and
Senator Huey P. Long of Louisiana has
begun clamoring for q third political
party the air Is filled with forebodings
and a lot Of other things. It is no
secret that both the Democrats and
Republicans are beginning to ask
themselves-and other people-what
does it all mean, and, more particu-
larly, what Is to be the effect on the
elections next year. 1t is reported in
dispatches from Detroit that when
Father Coughlin asked his audience
Of some 1900 persons last night Are
you willing to follow me?" the response
was "deafening applause" He denied
that 1t was the intention Of the Union
to form a political party. But at the
same time he said that 1t was pro-
posed to drive out Of Office men who
promised redress of social wrongs and
who have failed. There is only one
way to drive any one out Of Office in
this country and that is through po-
litical action at the ballot boxes.
The Roosevelt administration Is
under attack at present from three
or four directions There are the
Republicans, the followers of Long
and of Coughlin, the people who are
sore because Of what is happening to
the cotton industry and others, all
beginning to shoot The Democratic
national organization, built up under
the able hand Of Chairman James A.
Farley. the Postmaster General, is not
likely to overlook any bets. 1t keeps
tabs on political sentiment in all parts
of the country through State and
county Democratic chairmen and
through the Republican national COM
mitteemen. These reports indicate
that much of the talk about the Presi-
dents losing ground with the voters is
inaccurate, according to officials OF the
national committee. However, there
has been so much said about changed
sentiment that the plan to send into
the field more impartial observers-for
| example, some of the correspondents
| of newspapers who have made 1t q
| practice to sound out sentiment dur
! ing campaign years-occurred to the
man who did great deal to put the
! Democratic party back on the map
prior to 1892 and during that year,
/ Charles Nicholson. director of pub
licity.
Mr.. Nicholson went so far as to
sound out one or two of the news
paper correspondents. but found that
| they were so busy in washington, with
| Congress in session, that it was out OF
the question for them to travel about
| the country at this time. The plan
leaked out, however. The publicity
given it may shove the matter into
! the background for the time being, If
not bring about its abandonment alto
| gether. It seems rather obvious, how
ever, that if these correspondents went
at the expense and in the pay of the
Democratic National Committee they
could scarcely 60 as representatives OF
their own newspapers.
+
Senator Huey Long, who seems
still to be considering whether he is
10 run for Governor, Senator or Presi-
dent next year. has broken out with a
proposal to support some other man
for President. Included in the list,
however, is not President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. His first choice, it appears.
Is Senator William E. Borah Of Idaho.
He regards Senator Borah as a liberal"
and Is willing to back him on any
party ticket-Republican Democratic,
or third party ticket. The LOUISIANA
Senator is ready to take any one Of
a group of liberal Senators. in ad-
dition to Borah, he says. He men
tions several Republican, -Progressives
and also several Democrats. There is
a lot Of talking going on right now.
Once the campaign gets under way,
however. it Is likely that the two
old parties will be found doing busi-
ness at the old stand. 1t would not
be at all impossible to find Mr.. Long
back in the Democratic fold-on the
theory that what the Democrats
offered at least was better than what
was offered by the G. o. P. Further
more. he comes from State which is
| traditionally Democratic and he might
have a tough time prying the people
loose from the Democratic party.
|
The Senate recently passed bill
authorizing the expenditure of So
100000 to extend the central portion
of the East front of the Capitol. The
House Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds is now holding hearings
on the measure. To lot of people
the proposal to change the Capitol
Building-the Oldest part of the build
ing-comes as might proposal to re-
build Mount Vernon, the home Of
George Washington. It is quite true
that when the Senate and House wings
of the Capitol were constructed. during
the period from 1851 to 1865, it was pro-
posed to move the East front of the
central portion of the Capitol further
east, and plans have been drawn and
redraWn many times for that purpose.
The fact is that the old building re-
mains as it was. The plan calls for
rebuilding the central portion with
which it is now constructed. The agi-
tation for the reconstruction of the GEN.
tral portion of the Capitol-that is, the
walls of the East front-has been 60
ing on for great many years. Just
now the proponents of the plan have
seized upon the feverish desire to
build more and more public buildings
and works to press for action.
y X
Generally speaking. it is possible to
improve anything. But it seems quite
unnecessary to tamper with a build
ing which has grown up in the affec-
tions of the American people as the
years have gone by. There is no need
Tor more room in the Capitol. unless
some of the new alphabetical agencies
of the Government are to move in.
The Supreme Court IS moving out of
the old building and into its new
marble home. Members Of the House
and Senate have Office suites and
hide-out rooms galore. The sum.
$3,500,000. which would be used for
the rebuilding of the Capitol east
front would have seemed large sum
few years ago. It might even be
used for some other purpose or not