Evening star., 1936-06-12

Committee not
because they were viewed at variance
with the members of the committee,
but because the latter thought it was
bad political strategy to mention gold
in the monetary plank. Both in the
subcommittee and in the full commit
tee" said William Allen White, men,
Der of the Resolutions Committee
from Kansas, we tried TO have the
Governors views accepted, but twice
we were beaten. l do not believe
there was ever more than few votes
against the gold plank, but the feeling
OF the majority was that it would
be bad politics
Under the circumstances, the situ-
alton being explained to Gov. Lam
don on the telephone, he refused to
pussyfoot. He declared that the
campaign at the very beginning
should be frank and fortnight and
that there should be no surrender TO
political expediency.
When the question arose among his
advisers as TO whether the message to
the convention expressing dissent
should be sent after the nomination
had been made, as has occurred in
other conventions, Mr. Landon insisted
that it be done before the nomination
was voted on so that the convention
delegates who had approved formally
the report of the Resolutions Com
mlttee could decide whether in accept
mg him for the first place on the
ticket the platform was in effect being
amended TO conform to his views.
Place of Telegram.
The fact that no dissent was ex-
pressed and that the nomination was
made unanimous may be taken TO
mean. therefore, that Gov. Landon's
telegram TO the convention becomes
part OF the platform and just as sacred
pledge as any other plank that he
accepted
This has been a dignifed. earnest.
purpoSeful convention-neither a car
nival nor a circus nor a Specta ocular
show
The crowds in the galleries wanted
amusement. combat. demonstrations. |
Ibh lttr hClCkdbCS NflC lpi NLtC JllOSb
part Serious-minded men and women
who were more businesslike than the
strical. Hence some newspaper ac- !
counts will discuss how the affair
dragged how dull" it was and how
backing in color"
When the serious problems of the |
Ma ton are considered, there is no time /
far f1Ir a ~ hn al trI
rsdeS of banners and artificially slim
ulated demonstrations
This convention came here 10 pick
the man who seemed best equipped TO
win votes and capture the election.
They believe Landon is that man.
The delegates exude a confidence of
triumph in November which was
quite surprise to "defeatists," writers
who have assumed the election was all
over and that the Roosevelt Farley
ticket would not even have TO make q
campaign.
Spending to Be Prime Issue.
While the platform covered many
sopics. the conversations among the
delegates indicate clearly that they
hiCdh W hidhC bllC vi iAilC ISSUE III bI1lS
the fiscal condition OF the
and the reckless spend
ing.
The keynote is Three Long Years"
which was taken up by the delegates
~ theme song. 1t refers, of course.
10 President RooSeyelt'S speech OF
March 10, 1888, in which he said:
sfTNr three AA Ealn /
Government has been on the road to
Mr. Roosevelt in that message to
Congress, referred to the deficits Of the
Hoover administra ton and said that,
with the year 1884, they would amount
10 $1,000 100000. Now it turns out
hat the deficits of the Roosevelt ad-
will amount to sl1 ,OOO,-
BOO, 900. There is little comfort in
deficits anyway, but. the argument is
that if the Roosevelt administration
has produced recovery, why have the
deficits risen and why are they con-
sinuing after recovery is here or well
Dn the way?
Some of the Democrats are already
49, MP blfe'h IL bilN WdDJ 10
make an issue of Three Long Years"
Il can be Hoover's three long wears.
hoo. But the Republicans are answer
ing that the American people have
learned how to count and that IL bill
ions Is more than twice as much as
billions, especially when recovery is
To have become an accom-
pliShed fact
Flaw in Democratic ArmOr.
There is no doubt that facts and
hgures on the Government spending
constitute the most vulnerable point in
Democratic armor. Obviously the
smear Landon" campaign is already
n the making at Democratic publicity
headquarters. which believes in that
'ort OF thing. Likewise there will be
laws to pick in the Republican plat
'orm, though, to be sure, the Demo-
rats have paid little attention to
heir 1882 platform so they can hardly
1sve much debate on platform prin-
.ipleS.
The so-called liberalism or progress
vism is too abstract to bring into
terms. just as consti- I
is hardly likely to become
efficiently concrete for stump
peeches. There is, on the other hand.
tendency here to make an issue of
What is described as Roosevelt dicta-
orship, with coercionist practices in
government as the target of attack. 6
So much for the purely political t
7arfare. The disinterested bystander t
vill grieve at the way conventions do !
heir work-both Republican and
Democratic. 1t is much too hurried t
nd confusing. The last-minute COM
romises to get agreement in the Res
lutions Committee are tragic. But q
hats the convention system as it has t
nNH aY1 for nonorafi1ne q