Evening star., 1936-04-22
The Keynote Speakers.

The Keynote Speakers.
The selection of two members OF the
United States Senate to deliver the key
note" speeches at the Democratic and Re-
publican National Conventions next June
is merely repetition of what happened
in 1882. indeed the Democrats are re-
peating with the same keynoter-Senator
Barkley of Kentucky. The Republicans
have chosen Senator Steiwer of Oregon
to sound off" for the G. o. P. Four
years ago the Republicans intrusted to
Senator Dickinson of Iowa the duty of
telling an expectant convention and
country what were to be the issues OF
the campaign. They might have picked
the Iowa Senator again this year had
1t not been for the fact Dickinson is
candidate for the presidential nomina-
ton.
The keynote speaker at a convention
of a major political party has an i'm
portant function to perform. He fires
the first shot. He sets the pace for the
orators who follow him. Incidentally
he is designated the temporary chair
man of the convention. After he con-
cludes his remarks the convention turns
to the serious business of adopting the
party platform and nominating the party
candidates for President and Vice Presi-
dent The gavel is turned over to the
permanent" chairman of the conven-
ton and the keynoter, having performed
his function. retires from the limelight.
There is always the chance that the
keynoter may talk himself to nomina-
tion-provided there should be dead
lock in the voting for presidential and
vice presidential candidates. But it
never seems to happen. So far as
Senator Barkley is concerned, his efforts
for the Democrats in Philadelphia this
year will be labor OF love. The Demo-
Gratis have their candidates already
selected for them-Roosevelt and Garner.
In the case of Senator Steiwer, how
ever, the situation is somewhat different.
He has been mentioned now and then
as q possibility either for the preSl-
dental or the vice presidential nomina-
ton. His own State of Oregon will send
a Borah delegation to the national con-
vention. But that would not necessarily
interfere with swing to SteiWer later
in the convention. The oregon Senator
is one Of three or four Republican Sena-
tors who have had the temerity to rise
and attack the Roosevelt administration
and the Democrats on the floor OF the
Senate during the last three years. In
convention he will be expected to lash
the New Deal and at the same time be
Liberal" This may be tough assign
ment. Many of the Republicans are
wondering how far they should go either
in direct attack upon the New Deal and
its acts or in support of some of the
New Deal policies. The address OF Sena-
tor Steiwer, therefore, will be listened to
with interest-as a first indication of
the attitude in the campaign of the
G. o. P.
Senator Barkley's appointment as key
noter for the Democrats is still formally
to be made, at meeting of the Commit
tee on Arrangements for the Democratic
National Convention next Saturday. But
it is regarded as certain. His task will
be comparatively simple. He will eXtol
the Roosevelt New Deal to the skies
and damn the Republicans and all their
works. 1t may be recalled that in
the Democratic National Convention of
1882, the Kentucky Senator sounded the
death note for national prohibition
although in the past he had himself
been dry" and the part of the coun-
try from which he halls had been more
faithful to prohibition-in the abstract
than any other section. 1t was the
demand Of the Democratic party how
amendment should be major issue of
the campaign, and the keynoter was, per-
force, compelled to deliver his partys
ultimatum on that subject. Just as
clearly, it is the party's demand this
year that the Roosevelt New Deal shall
be trumpeted to the Nation.
1t would be immeasurably interesting
II Senator Barkley, speaking for his
party and his President, should suggest
in his keynote speech the need Of
constitutional amendment validating the
New Deal. Such bold step, however,
Is scarcely to be expected. The Demo-
Gratis, except in the case Of some of the
more ardent New Dealers, have shied
away from a constitutional issue in the
national campaign this year. And yet
If the Democratic New Dealers acted -
forthrightly and honestly as their party
did in 1882, undoubtedly demand for
constitutional amendment would be
made.