The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-06-19

Constitution Issue
 DOdged F. D. R. Tunes
 Up for Mighty Effort in
 Speech at His Notification. Washington, June 17.-Democrats are all set to cut loose on Governor Landon at Philadelphia.
 Admitting that Jim Farley's first blast at the Republican candidate was somewhat uffortunate-at least in It's effects-they insist they have q tale to unfold which will assure Airs permanent residence on his be- loved prairies.
 Effort will be made to paint Lan- don, in the words of one party | strategist, as Q "hypocritical op- | portunist" who has no fixed prin- | .ciples, but who is willing to aban- | don or espouse any position when 1t | will aid his political advancement. | (lf this has familiar ring, you're | referred to the record of what Roosevelt's enemies have been Say- ing of him ever since lo3l.) A booklet entitled "Landon, the Man Nobody Knows" will serve as a textbook for New Deal orators. For months, ever since 1t became | evident that the governor would be nominated, one of the democratic | national committees bright boys has been proving through Landon's record for material.
 
 Slaps at Landon's Record Here are some sample charges: | Landons message to the Cleveland | convention called for state mini- | mum wage laws even if Q consti- tutional amendment proved neceS- sary, But in four years as gover- | nor he has failed even to suggest | Q minimum wage law for Kansas.
 Landon came out at Cleve- land for sound currency and the Ruld standard. But during the
 farm holiday hysteria of 1883 he
 ioined with other western gOv- renOrs in urging payOf4 of the
 Fourth Liberty Loans in greer-
 backs.
 Landon also told the cOnven.
 tlon he stood for . drastic fed-
 ersl civil service law. But Kan- sas also has . civil service law,
 passed when Senator Capper
 was governor, and 1t is now de-
 Rnnct because Land0n hasn't
 aaled for appropriations for 1t
 ~ tried to carry it out.
 Many quotations from Landon are cited, including one in which he is said to have complained that state commissions were hampered by "the almost scandalous inter- ference of the lowed federal courts" Platform Is Evasive
 First tentative draft of the dem. ocgatic platform, recently passed around under the heading Strictly Confidential" ran true to the worst platform traditions of Stodginess, evasion, and tinidity.
 Some hope for . bolder and more statesmanlike document arose from the fact that the draft was cer- tain to be changed considerably and that practically everybody in Washington seemed to be working on one or more pet blanks which he hoped to get wangled into the statement.
 The preliminary draft, however, was largely Q spectacle of the ad- fninistration batting itself on the back and promising, rather cau- tiousiy, to go right ahead with It's various programs for creating pros perity and making everybody happy. Dodge Constitution Issue
 No mention of possible consti- t,itional amendment was included and the idea was advanced that necessary social and economic re- forms can be achieved within lim- It's of the Constitution.
 Chief difference between 1t and the republican platform was that it recommended federal as well as state wage, hour, and child labor legislation.
 Failure to distinguish be.
 tween the Constitution and the
 Runreme court would be one of
 the most conspicuous omissions
 of . New Deal platform. In all
 minds, democratic and repubh. can, Is the probable chance that
 Roosevelt would have in . sec
 ond term to name new members
 of the supreme court and elim-
 mate It's conservative majority
 But politicians shy away from making the point that Q s to { su- prenae court vote isn't necessarily an infailible interpretation of the Constitution.
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