The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-11-26
SEEN and HEARD
around me
NATIONAL CAPITALl
By Carter Field !

this campaign, while Hilles was al
ways noted not for practical or
ganization or the running of ma
chine, but for other qualifications.
He is thought by his admirers
though this is bitterly contested by
many critics-to have great polit-
ical sagacity.
This was scarcely demonstrated
when he was secretary to President
Taft, so far as sensing popular
trends or avoiding political errors
is concerned. Hilles did have the
confidence of many political leaders,
and also of many of what President
Roosevelt calls the economic roy
lists" In short, he had a great
facility for dealing with leaders who
did control political organizations,
such as Boies Penrose Of Pennsyl-
vania, Murray Crane Of Massachu-
sets, Dave Mulvane of Kansas. etc.
And he was able, once a plan was
mapped and candidates were agreed
upon with these gentlemen, to con-
vince the economic royalists" that
it was necessary for them to furn-
ish the wherewithal to make the
fight.
This time the scene shifted amaz-
ingly. Whatever may be said of
Hilles, there is no doubt whatever
that the gentlemen who provided
the contact between the big con-
tributors and the practical political
organization in the Landon cam
paign did not have anything re-
motely approaching Hilles' political
sagacity-even with a very low APP
praisal OF that sagacity.
On the contrary, it was this SUBJ
stitute for Hilles in his normal role
which played havoc with the direc-
ton of the Landon campaign.
Election Aftermath
It is not unusual after a landslide
for politicians and observers to pre-
dict that the party buried is dead
forever-that new party line-ups are
coming. But this time there seems
to be more logic in the prediction
than at any time since the Civil
war.
The Republican party and tn {
Democratic party have both suf-
fered terrific defeats. In 1912 Presi-
dent William H. Taft won only the
same number OF states, two, and
the same number Of electoral votes,
| that Governor ALI NJ. Landon re-
ceived this year. In many ways it
might have been better If the Re-
publican party had died then. Had
it called itself the Progressive party
the story might have been different
| in subsequent campaigns.
But now the Republican party has
nothing to compare with what the
| party had in 1912 after Taft's de-
feat. In the first place, every one
knew that the so-called Progressive
leaders were really anxious to get
back into the Republican party pro-
viding they could climb on h e
drivers seat. In the second place,
there was a speedy reaction against
the Wilson administration. reac-
ton which would undoubtedly have
swept it out OF power four years
later had it not been for the kept
us out of war" issue.
This time there are no such ell
ements in plain sight. Practically
speaking, the tariff issue, which
caused the reaction against Wood
row Wilson up to 1916, or at least
was one Of the important factors,
does not exist today.
Obviously this election decided
for some time to come, that the
tariff policy of this country is the
reciprocal treaty plan, including the
most favored nation" CLAUSE
which is one OF its most important
features.
Republican orators during the
campaign reported that the farm
ers OF the Midwest we're incensee
at exhibits of imported farm prod
ucts. The statement that it woult
require 80, 600, 900 acres Of good farm
land to raise the farm products i'm
ported was believed by the Repub
licans working on that issue IL
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Minneso
ia to be making votes for Landol
by the thousand.
Farmers for Roosevelt
But the farmers voted heavily TO
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
, Now some will claim that tn
, farmers voted for Roosevelt despit
his tariff policy because OF AA.
, checks. That may or may not be sc
, II is very difficult to be sure abol
such things. But it is very doub
full indeed if any major party woul
dare go into campaign on thu
! assumption. Hence the reasonabl
: probability is that the present polio
! will continue to be the policy OF tn
I country, not just the policy of til
4 Democratic party, for some year
i to come.
= Some Of the friends Of John q. n
4 Hamilton, Republican chairman
!, thought that maybe Landon Woul
: be defeated, but that the persona
4 ity and magnetism OF Hamiltt
! would make him the plumed knig