Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Prosecution and defense rest. The
evidence is in. Closing pleas, In the form
of bedtime broadcasts tonight, and the
great case Of G. o. p. vs. New Deal will
80 to the great jury known as the Amer
lean electorate for tomorrow's verdict.
Now that the turmoil is over, 1t can be
set down that the battle of 1886 was con-
Quoted, especially in its latter stages,
furiously, but, on the whole, fairly. Be-
ginning like zephyr. it wound up like
q hurricane. Charges and counter
charges finally new thick and fast. verg-
ing ever and anon on the brink Of bitter
personalities.
Yet by the time the fray gets into the
books, 1t will be narrated that the contest
was waged preponderantly on its basic
merits. Neither President Roosevelt nor
Gov. Landon, whatever the outcome, will
need to look back upon the struggle with
regrets or remorse, as far as their fighting
ethics were concerned. Voters had no
excuse for failing to understand what
all the shooting was about. Both the
Democratic cause and opposition argu-
ments were put forth with uncommon
lucidity. Owing to the radio, it's doubt
full If the fundamentals Of any presiden-
tial campaign were ever presented more
fully for the benefit Of the average
citizen. There were the usual appeals
to passion and prejudice. but, by and
large, citizens were confronted by legiti-
mate issues.
Commonest explanation of why the
campaign for election of full House
of Representatives and one-third of the
Senate has attracted relatively little
attention is that Congress played second
fiddle to the White House so conspicu-
ously throughout the New Deal. Barring
half q dozen senatorial races-Norris'
fight in Nebraska. outcome of the Demo-
cratic -Farmer-Labo alliance in Minne-
sofa, the Curley-Lodge duel in Massa-
chusetts, Borah's fate in Idaho, and one
or two other contests-popular interest in
the complexion Of the Seventy-Fifth
Congress was at q low ebb. To the last,
the view prevails that Republican House
gains may run into impressive figures,
with capture of as many as IS Democratic
seats. Such q result would leave New
Dealers in indisputable control of both
branches of Congress, but G. o. p.
opposition to programs Of another Demo-
cratic administration, If such there is to
be, would be vastly more effective than
since 1888. Aligned with conservative
Democrats, Republicans would be able to
offer far sterner resistance than Capitol
Hill has known in the recent past.
Although Gov. Landon proved no
match for President Roosevelt in the arts
of political showmanship, the Republican
nominee, everything considered, put up
telling fight. Even should he fail to
amass the 100000 victorious popular
poll which Chairman Hamilton cheerily
predicts, the Kansan's Nationwide
showing, apart from his electoral vote, Is
expected to be one Of the heaviest on
record. It would denote that Landon's
strategy of keeping everlasting ut the
paramount things in his common sense
way carried q certain amount Of con-
viction. The Governors principal weak
ness was q tendency to vagueness and .
proneness to indulge in negative attack
rather than constructive, positive pro-
posals. He was often cast In the role
Of abstract critic Of New Deal measures
without offering concrete, practical
alternatives. His pledge to balance the
budget Is case in. point. He never
supplied chapter-and-verse evidence Of
how he was going to do 1t. The same
observation applies to Landon's promises
to abolish unemployment.
y y
Several pre-eminent things viii de-
ode President Roooevelt6 fate: I'D How