The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-09-03

Washington. - AS the political |
campaign wakes warmer, it be- |
-. comes painfully |
Mud Singing evident that tn e
Ahead fight in 1886 for
the suffrage of the
people is going to be very dirty.
1t is going to be bitter and there IS
no way now apparent that such a
characteristic can be avoided.
l do not believe that either Gov
ernor Landon, the Republican can
didate, or President Roosevelt,
seeking reelection as Democrat,
can prevent the hurting of invec-
tives that are going to be very
close to mud-slinging. Naturally the
President of the United States sell
dom makes a mud-slinging speech
and Governor Landon personally is
a mild-mannered man who believes
in discussing issues rather than in
| dividuals, but the intentions or the
desires of these two candidates can
not control the bitterness that is, to
my mind, certain to be found in this
campaign in large measure.
AS typical of the sort of thing to
which I have referred is the recent
speech of Secretary Ickes who, in
a national radio broadcast, became
quite ill-tempered in his attack on
Governor Landon. Mr.. Ickes is not
known for his compoSure anyway
and when he gets heated up on any
subject he is likely to be guilty of
remarks that are not becoming to
an official of our government or any
other.
have not the slightest doubt that
before the campaign has proceeded
much further there will be similar
speeches attacking Mr.. Roosevelt
personally and that, while Governor
Landon may not approve, there will
be unworthy charges hurled at the
President.
Mr.. Ickes skated pretty close to
the line in his attack on Governor
Landon by various adroit phrases
which were designed to create the
impression that the Republican can
didate was either ignorant or dis
honest. I do not know Governor
Landon personally but ! can offer
this thought: No man is going to
be nominated by any political party
in national convention, nominated
by reclamation, unless his record
is pretty clear. For Mr.. Ickes to
say, therefore, in effect, that Gov
ernor Landon had sold out to wall
Street" was not the sort of cam
paign discussion likely to produce
confidence among all the people in
their government. 1t is compare
BILE, in my opinion, to charge that
the President of the United States,
who advertises himself continually
as a friend of the common man,
was guilty of increasing his own per-
sonal fortune through presidential
acts-and every one knows this is
not true. But to get back to the
theme song of the Ickes' speech, ii
seems to me that the tragedy of his
radio announcement lies in the fact
throughout his discussion he was
preaching class hatred. Every one
knows, of course, attacks on wall
Street" are very common in any
political campaign. The dema'
gogues use it every hour of every
day everywhere they can find any
one to listen to them. 1t is ridicu
lous, but it has happened for gooc
many years. So when Mr.. Ickes
made the charge that Governor
Landon was either unwittingly OF
knowingly leading a "rich mans
fight against President Roosevelt
he was descending to rather low
level of campaigning.
I have seen indications of re
action against the Ickes' speech il
another way. Joh1
May Cause Hamilton, the Re
Showdown publican nationa
: chairman, on hi
: recent organization tour of the west
d ern states, propounded the inqulr.
:. that seeks to identify the s'econom
0 ic royalists'' about which Presiden
/ Roosevelt spoke several weeks ag-
d If the Roosevelt campaigners con
l. tinue this class hatred propaganda
d rather suspect from what MI
e Hamilton said in his speeches Their
will be a perfect barrage OF de
q mands to know the names of thes
e economic royalists. 1t may nc
r seem important; indeed, it seem
r like it probably is inconsequentia
y but if the Republicans let down
!, barrage ON the President of tn
= United States, he is likely to
put in a bad corner.
Without attempting to forecas
: what the Republican opposition
. likely to say, I can recall as a
u observer close to the wheels of go'
eminent during the Roosevelt T,
e CINE that Mr.. Roosevelt frequent
was guest on the Astor yacht an
e that one of his chief advisors fl
IS many months was the multimi
,r lionaire, Bernard M. Baruch.
6, seems also that a very rich MAJ
1t Henry L. Doherty, was in charge
a. the nationwide dance progral
r. held on the Presidents birthday ar
H. Mr.. Doherty, be it said, is head
J. one of the great utility chains.
,e These are just samples. 1t ma
,e be good politics for the Preside
.. to encourage these attacks witho
m approving them, but those of us wi
N knew the late Louis McHenry How
are convinced that he never won
have agreed to that sort of attac
had he been alive and serving
:. the Presidents closest political q
NJ visor as he did for a quarter of
:. century.
ne The whole situation is bit pl
as 4, zling to those who have tried to ar
IL luze the campaign being conduct