The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-13
Roosevelt to Waqe
Aggressive Battle
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER

NA
w ing for another campaign aggressive as his
1882 fight. Although his confidence must be
strengthened by polls and individual judgments
forecastng the increasing probability of his
election, he is taking chance More than that. it
seems probable that he is determined to amaSS as
heavy vote possible in order to emphasize the
vindcation which he anticipates for the New Deals
first term
Tonight the President opens his active speaking
campaign at Democratic rally in Baltimore. Two
weeks later he speaks in New York On the of
the Republican National Convention, Mr.. Roose
welt will speak at Dallas Tex, and then at Vim
cenneS, Ind. Probably he will make a personal ap-
pearance before the Democratic National Convention
as he did in 1882. White House word is that he
poets to engage in travelling campaign as in 1882.
1t won't be any fireside fight as far as he is con-
cerned
ONCE the war we have had two White House
- incumbents up for e-election-Coolidge and
Hoover Both sought to maintain the fiction during
their reelection campaigns that they were not wag-
ing aggressive campaigns. Coolidge stayed in the
White House most of the time, conspicuousy attend
ing to business-without, of course, deprving him.
self of his customary afternoon nap Hoover tried it.
too but toward the end of the campaign his advisers
had panic and in the final few weeks they chased
him around the country like tired rabbit, from
platform to another, with way station rear end ap-
pearances in a frantic effort to check the oncom-
ing tide.
Jokes have been made about Republican Chair
j man Fletcher's new brain trust But they are
beside the point At last Republicans have discov-
cred that the times have changed politics. Political
questions are now saturated with economics They
can not be handled any simple fodder for
cracker barrel hokum The average politician is lost
in the issues of the day. He can't dispose of them
by telling about home and mother. The politician
founders around and makes himself ridiculous He
has TO call in an economist to keep from making
fool of himself.
MO clearer instance of the average politicians
/ y helpessness in dealing with current issues is
at hand. than the quarrel inside the Republican
Party over the Hull reciprocal tariff policy The
Administration had sense enough to see that tariff
making a matter vitality concerning foreign
trade, and proper subject for international nego-
tiaton rather than cloakroom rolling by Sena-
tors and CongreSsmen-"You give me tariff on
artificial eyes and I'll vote for your tariff whorte
berries"
A MOTHER reason why the politicians have had
to call in brains to help them with their cam
paign is that the public has lost confidence in the
feels confidence in what is told him if it bears
the imprint of some study and thought
Thousands of persons listening weekly to the
Town Hall of the Air, to hear public questions dis
cussed by persons who know something about them
Local forums springing up in many cities
New Public Affairs Committee endowed by the
Maurice and Laura Falk Foundation, has corralled
a group OF experts TO prepare series of popular
pamphlets on economic questions. The foreign
Policy Association is popularizng international oues-
TONS Organizations like the League of Women
Voters are conducting study classes more largely at
tended than ever before There is every indication
that have not only a deep popular interest in
political questions, but a intelligent interest
than ever beforea desire to know the facts without
the hokum