Evening star., 1935-10-18
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

EMPORIA, KanS tN.AN.A).-IIle
political issues of 1886 are vaguely dis
cernible on the horizon. 1t is obvious
that the Democratic party, now that
Huey Long is dead. will range to the
ieftward Also, If the Democratic record
can guide US. we are safe in prophesy-
ing that the Democrats will be more
and more partisan in their adminis-
tration of the vast machinery of re-
construction and relief.
The spending to meet those prob
lens during the last three years has
been far beyond the need We faced
Its prodigality has somewhat been the
direct result of partisan administra-
ton. This partisan prodigality, to all
intents and purposes, has become and
will solidify into an orderly system of
vast national taX-eating Fascist co..
ruption wherein money will take the
place of storm troops and party 10y
atty will bludgeon the American peo-
pie into a regime which is abhorrent &c
their ideals.
What will the Republican party
W lllC PEOPlC oS tliS
alternative of this Democratic united
front of coerced corruption? Shall we
as Republicans be content merely to
chant: mo, no. thousand times no!'
Mere indictment, unsupported by a
positive program of definite construc-
tive plans for relief of the poor and
restoration of normal production, will
get us nowhere. We must define our
aims. We must specifically say what
we are going to do about it. Nor will
1t suffice to make save the Constitu-
ton" our slogan. We must answer
save the Constitution for what?"
Not merely for yesterday but for to-
morroY.
Must Go Beyond Pause.
And what is our program for tomor-
row, shall we promise mere reaction,
negation and pause? Or shall We
promise the American people to try
earnestly and courageously to cure the
evils which plunged us into the de-
preston? Shall we define a plan OF
action to promote more equitable eco
nomic relations than those which pro-
duced the cataclysm?
Here is where Kansas steps into the
program. Kansas offers America the
Kansas idea plus a Kansas leader.
The Kansas idea is definitely liberal,
unqnalifiedly progressive. We are
looking forward not back. We believe
in using Government as an agency
fo,- ho1;n
and has justified her faith by her
works. that a community is better off
in which men are neither rich nor
poor. in which everyone earns all that
he gets, and absolutely gets all he
earns.
We are not partisan State, During
the last 40 years. Kansas has turned
from one party to the other and al
ways kept the gains which every
change has brought. 1t has not been
treadmill radicalism and reaction and
back. 1t has been a steady, sane for
ward march. We have attained a
fairly equitable distribution of our
income. fairly just solution Of many
economic problems. The farm prob
lem alone is unsolved. But Kansas
believes it can be solved and does not
deny its tragic reality.
1t happens at the moment that
young Alfred Landon is our Governor
He is typical of our State He has
thrived in Kansas politics for decade.
He is business man. fairly well-to-do,
who has made his own business sue
cess. He is no genius. He is no po-
litical giant. He is a good, straight
forward, clear -visioned, hard working
young man in his late 40's.
He has continued, as Governor of
Kansas, the forward moving program
which Kansas has been slowly working
out through passing and changing po-
litical administrations for 80 years.
He has administered, without crossing
his fingers, the budget law. which a
Republican Legislature presented to
Landon's Democratic predecessor. We
have. under that law of necessity. a
balanced budget, for which Landon