Evening star., 1936-08-10


with this Thus the Democrats have
a factional fight and good deal Of
political handicap in the recent mis-
takes of the Democratic mayor. Pub
lie resentment against the mayors
group is such that it will hurt the
national Democratic ticket.
The trend began to be noticed in
November, 1885. when the county
went Republican by $4,000 while just
year before Gov. Lehman car
ried the county for the Democratic
ticket by about $4,000. This is quite
a reversal in a single year and it has
stimulated the Republican organiza-
ton to preserve that same tide for
Gov. Landon this year.
This is one of the places where the
new Republican party is more than
a hope-it is a reality. Edwin F.
Jackie, the county chairman, was one
of the first to declare for Gov.
Iandon Notwithstanding the hesitant
attitude of the Down East bosses. And
as reward Jackie has the honor of
welcoming Gov. Landon here later
this month in his first speech in the
East.
Coughlin Active.
Father Coughlin has been here in
behalf of the Lemke ticket and, while
he has a substantial following, the I'M
preston gained in many quarters not
hitherto friendly to Representative
Mead, Democrat, is that the attack by
the eminent radio priest actually made
votes for Mead because of the extreme
nature of the verbal assault.
incidentally, there is very little in
common between the Townsendites
and the Lemke ticket, and it is begin
ming to look as if a merger of the two
elements is not as simple as it has
been reported.
But whatever the final lineup of
these third-party groups, it seems
clear that they will take away more
votes from the Roosevelt ticket than
from Landon.
AS for issues being discussed, find
on almost every side an emphasis
on New Deal spending together with
the growing belief that much of it,
especially in the w. P. A., was waste
or political pap. The Democrats real
ize they are on the defensive and are
endeavoring to point to some of the
worthwhile w. P. A. projects as evi-
dence of the fact that the people have
gotten something for their money.
Business Fears Taxes.
What is impressive here is the at
titude of the small business man.
They recall with some degree of Bit
terness their experiences with the
N. R. A. They talk of present i'm
provement in terms of future tribute
to the tax collector. There is a
deep-seated feeling that while busi-
ness profits are better, the Govern
ment is going to take a much larger
slice of those profits through the new
tax bill. and hence the merchants
aren't looking at what has happened,
but at what is coming.
The business elements, large and
small, are almost unanimous in their
opposition to the New Deal. While
the rank and file of the voters do
not express any such depth of feel
ing one way or the other, still it is
significant that questions are being
asked as to the why and the where
fore of so much business opposition
to Mr.. Roosevelt. Curiosity on the
subject has been aroused and it has
made August much more political
month than any August that I have
ever observed in the last six presi-
dental campaigns.
houa had occasion n interyipuu
persons sympathetic with the New
Deal. persons who have absolute faith
in Mr.. Roosevelt and who believe that
whatever his mistakes he should be
forgiven because he at least tried to
do something" Their principal point
Is that the voters will cast a gratitude
vote.
Looks Like 1916.
1t is clear that much of the labor
vote here has always been Democratic,
so the pro-labor issues are not suf-
ficient to give Mr.. Roosevelt the edge.
AS for party lines, they seem to be
about as they have always been here
about, with the single exception that
the word Democrat" has received a
black eye because of the charges
against the city hall Democrats, who
appear to have earned the castigation
not only of the Roosevelt spokesmen
in the Democratic party here, but at
national headquarters, too. Anyway,
the Democratic leadership, encour-
aged by Chairman Farley, has nomi-
mated county ticket that is expected
to bolster up the national cause. Gov.
Lehman seems stronger in this section
than Mr.. Roosevelt and will run ahead
of the President. Western New York
looks just as it did in 1916, when the
Republican national ticket carried
Erie County by substantial majority.