Evening star., 1935-12-18

also mace Hepubllcan campaign
against the Roosevelt New Deal. He
devoted great part of his speeches
to attacks on the New Deal.
The Republican leaders DO not at
tempt to minimize the growth of SEN
timent for the Townsend plan in
Michigan and elsewhere. 1t is an is
sue which must be met sooner or later,
they say. Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan Is one OF those who believe
that it should be met Immediately by
those who do not believe in the plan.
and he issued statement on the eve
Of the election in the third Michigan
district fatly condemning the Town.
send plan.
What would have happened had
Cavanaugh, the Democrat, espoused
the Townsend plan and Main opposed
1t Is a moot question. But the Repub-
under those circumstances, though
perhaps by a very much narrower mar
gin. The TownsenditeS are well or
ganized and they centered q great deal
of attention on the Michigan congress
sional election yesterday. Their entry
into q congressional campaign is
reminiscent Of the entry Of the
Anti-Saloon League into past con-
gressional campaigns. And it is
contended that the Townsendites
are gathering many Of the old Anti
Saloon League workers into their fold
and putting them ON their pay roll.
The victory of Main, who won the
Republican nomination as a supporter
Of the Townsend plan, outdistancing
all four of his combined opponents, Is
significant again of the power of an
organized minority in congressional
primaries.
Vandenbcrg Denies Candidacy.
Senator Vandenberg. widely men,
toned as a Republican presidential
possibility, although he maintains that
he is not a candidate for the office,
said today: mo one will ever be able
to say precisely what yesterdays out
come means. 1t would be necessary
to probe the mind Of each individual
voter. Some Democratic Townsendites
undoubtedly voted for the Republican
because they deemed the Townsend
issue paramount. Some Republican
anti ti-Townsendites undoubtedly voted
for the Democrat because, they too,
deem the Townsend issue paramount.
But I believe that still larger group
of Republican anti-Townsendites sup
ported Mr.. Main because they would
rather be misrepresented at the
moment on the Townsend plan, which
cannot possibly come to conclusive
issue in the next session Of Congress,
than to be misrepresented at the
moment on the various Roosevelt
issues which must and will come to
an issue in the next session Of Con-
gress. In other words they declined
to be delivered to DR.. Tugwell today
simply because they are opposed TO
DR.. Townsend tomorrow.
This does not minimize the fact"
continued Senator Vandenberg, that
the Townsend plan has q tremendous
following in Michigan and elsewhere.
The time is coming-if it Is not al
ready here-when this issue must be
separated from others and met on
its own merits or lack Of them.
FavOrs Effective Pension.
my own position is clear. believe
in adequate and effective old-age
pensions. I do not believe that the
social security act will sufice in this
particular respect. But am sure
the Townsend plan would prove o
tragic disillusionment, neither feasible
nor constitutional.
81 believe q universal transactions
tax would pyramid itself on practically
every commodity until the cost Of hv-
ing would become unhearable. This
would first destroy that vast majority
of people who would pay for the
Townsend plan without participating
in its promised benefits. Ultimately I
believe it would destroy the promised
beneficiaries themselves. Meanwhile,
it would drive all production into self
contained trusts and combines to es-
cape serial transactions taxes and,
pending this alternative, it would drive
American production costs 80 high
that new and unbelievable tariffs
would be necessary to prevent com
plete delivery of the domestic market
to foreign imports.
"1t would not create purchasing
power. It would at most merely re-
distribute purchasing power at the
expense of the vast body of American
wage earners 1t would penalize the
purchasing power Off % per cent for
the direct benefit Of 8 per cent Of our
people. In my view 1t Is an economic
impossibility to find any offsetting ad-
vantages or compensations. You can
not take money from all of the people
and give 1t to some Of our people, and
thus produce prosperity. You are more
likely 70 produce chaos. The humane
tartan factor. can be irnplemented BY
adequate cld-age pensions. The eco
nornic factor-the prosperity factor
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