The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-06-20
SEEN and HEARD
around the
National Capital
BY CARTER FIELD

Washington. - Growing conviction
here that Herbert Hoover Is really
an active candidate for the Republican
nomination against President Roose-
welt next year is the biggest comfort
the New Dealers get out Of the SUI
preme court decision. 1t is the silver
lining to the constitutional cloud that
put the New Deal In the shadow.
That the Republicans would actual
ly nominate Hoover is TOO much
friends of President Roosevelt say pri-
vately. to hope for But the mere
candidacy OF Mr.. Hoover at the con-
vention would produce feeling of bit
terness comparable to that which dis
Square garden. 1t would lack the re
ligious element. and even the pro
hibition element, but It would be pretty
bad, they think. and with fair logic.
All this Is based, of course, on two
factors, either of which may change.
One Is that at present 1t appears like
be rugged individuaIism versus govern
ment control of wages, hours and trade
practices. and planned economy to pre-
vent overproduction. etc. Or, as the
New Dealers prefer to state it, the New
Deal versus the old law of tooth and
claw.
The Ideal candidate Of the Repub.
leans on such an Issue would have
been Calvin Coolidge. But Coolidge Is
dead Mr.. Hoover's views as to gov
eminent. business. and every point In
volved fit him ideally. almost, for the
leadership OF the opposition to Roose-
welt. Also. as the Inst Republican
! President. he is the titular leader of
his party.
But when that has been said for
Hoover, everything has been said. In
the opinion of the New Dealers. His
weakness. as they see 1t, Is that he
Is branded In the eyes OF the country
not only rs a failure. but rs unlncky
And the last Is almost worse than the
first.
1t pleases the Roosevelt supporters
to recall that 1t was during Hoover's
administration that the public lost SO
much money and that SO many lost
their Jobs. They point to the success
sion Of events that led deeper into
the depression and call them a sue
cession of Hoover mistakes.
Material Scarce
Students Of mass psychology insist
TINT once the public mind Is frozen
about man 1t is next to impossible to
thaw that conviction out 1t just sticks
there. For example, William Jennings
Bryan. The truth is he had fairly
good chance Of being elected President
the first time he ran. Only the most
adroitlv managed campaign In history
plus an enormous campaign fund, plus
intelligent and ruthless cooperation
with Republicans by employers of la
Dor, defeated him.
Yet for some curious reason Bryan
was stamped as a failure In the sight
OF the country. His campaigns after
that time were just jokes. AS one OF
the Tammany orators said at Balti.
more. In 1912. For Gods sake, Mr.
Bryan. get out Of the way and give the
Democrats chance"
The other factor that seems to point
to Mr.. Hoover Is the scarcity Of other
available Republicans. One thinks
quickly Of Representative Sen
ator-W adsworth. of New York. But
the forces opposed to him for one rea.
son or another are still very strong
In New York state. Notably the old
woman suffrage crowd, and the more
rabid OF the prohlbitionists. So that
many experts doubt II he could carry
his own state-a situation which has
nothing to do whatever with present
issues.
canvass Of all the talked about
Republicans shows none with any real
strength. all of which contributes tc
the theory that Hoover can bring about
his denomination If he wants II.
Watch Business
Business Is to have a ten-months
trial period of rugged iHdividualism
Meanwhile 1t will be checked by ar
army of investgators-the survivors oil
NRA employees Under the erecting
and highly suspicious eye of President
Roosevelt, fact finding as to chiselers
overworked and underpaid labor, ant
kindred evils will proceed.
Then will come the decision
IT the experiment sncceeds-if busi
ness does not Cypress employees, II
prosperity goes forward, If the country
seems to like operating without MIRA
codes-the whole New Deal program
for government direction of business
In the Interest of the public at large
planned economy and all the rest Of Il
will go out the window.
II the experiment fails-and Mr.
Roosevelt believes 1t will fail-ther,
will be. right on the eve of the Presi
deuYaai election a New Deal nrourafY