Evening star., 1936-06-12
The PLATFORM.

1ne hepuDllcan PLATFORM represents
as much of a triumph for the Landon
forces as the nomination of the candi-
date himself. 1t is a three fold victory.
The platform pledges reflect the new
spirit Of healthy progressiveness which,
its friends believe, has already gone far
30 revitalize the Grand Old Party
1t represents the result of fair COM
promise with valuable and by no means
diScredited elements of the party who
are, at the same time, in the minority.
And the manner in which it was
accepted by the candidate, who held cer-
tain reservations of his own regarding
two planks and was anxious TO
strengthen a third. represented a popu-
lar stroke which. at very outset. has
served to raise the candidate in the
estimation of the electorate.
The Governors acceptance of the plat
form in his unprecedented telegram last
night to the convention was smart polit-
ically and honest intellectually. The
platform planks on labor and on cur
rency have been represented as reflect
ing the views of Senator Borah. The
Senator, perhaps wisely, counSeled
against any precipitate proposal OF a
constitutional amendment on the mini
mum wage issue, raised through the
Supreme Courts unpopular decision in
validating the New York law affecting
women and children. He suggested that
the people wait a while" TO determine
whether the ends sought by constitu-
tional amendment might not be reached
without such an amendment. The can
didate, with former President Hoover,
Colonel Knox and rising tide of popu-
lar sentiment, favored the idea OF
constitutional amendment. The plat
form, read with Governor Landons in
depreciation, means that if Senator
Borah is not correct in his belief in the
possibility of valid minimum wage legis-
lation under the Constitution, then the
Constitution should be amended. That
Is eminently reasonable.
On gold the candidate places himself
on the side of those who believe in
literal Interpretation of the gold stand
ard-"a currency expressed in gold and
convertible into gold" He acknowledges
at the same time difficulties OF any i'm
mediate return to that standard without
disruptive results.
On the merit system the candidate
strengthens the phraseology of the Re-
publican plank by candidly proclsiming
his advocacy of merit system that COW
ers not only postmasters but every posi-
ton in the administrative service below
the rank of assistant secretaries of major
departments and agencies"
Taken as whole, the Republican plat
form seems TO accentuate the lack. rather
than the nature, of fundamental issues
that-as far as written pledges are con-
cerned-divide the two great parties IN
their bid for popular support.
There are, OF course, some exceptions.
The Republican platform condemns Sec
retary Hulls reciprocal trade treaties, is
outstanding in its opposition TO Ameri-
can participation in the World Court
and the League of Nations, suggests GER
tain changes in old-age pension and
security legislation. more directly cou-
pling these undertakings with the rails
Ing of revenue, and favors the Vanden-
berg plan of returning administration
Of relief to the States, assisted by Fed
eral grants
But, for the most part the differences
between the two parties, as expressed in
the Republican platform, are not
marked, nor do they constitute the sort
of material of which burning issues are
made. The differences are left to the
more subtle usage of words and phrases
in the Republican platform as measured
against the established record of the
New Deal. A deliberately sardonic use
Of such phraseology is found in the Re-
publican plank on gold-"a sound cur
rency to be preserved at all hazards
lifted outright from the Democratic
platform Of 1892.
Ihe Democratlc PLATFORM is yet 10 De
written. Political acumen of Democratic
platform builders will make as success
full use of rhetoric. in overcoming the
embarrassment of explaining away re-
pudiated platform pledges of 1882, as
the Republicans have done in utilizing
platform planks as battering rams
against the New Deal.