Evening star., 1936-10-19
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. COULD LINCOLN.


was as unexpected as was his trip to
Maine Immediately before the September
election In the Pine Tree State. 1t was
the kind of thing needed to put pep"
into the Republican campaign in the
West. The Republicans in California
have been going through the motions,
but without much snap to them. Lam
dons visit to Los Angeles may wake
them up. It is what the leaders have
been praying for. Whether it will stir
the President and make him change
his mind about going to the coast re-
mains to be seen. The Democrats have
been cock-sure about their chances OF
success in the States of the Pacific
Coast-and seemingly they still are sure
of victory.
It looks as though the chief purpose
Of the Senate Campaign Investigating
Committee, dominated entirely by Demo-
Gratis, is to sit on the lid and to see that
there is no public investigation Of the
many charges that relief money and
relief workers are being used to further
the election of President Roosevelt. For
weeks and months, now, the charges con-
corning the use of the w. P. A. money
In Pennsylvania by the Democratic Or
ganization there have been before the
public and the committee itself Nothing,
apparently, can shake the determination
of the committee not to hold q public
hearing on the subject. Whether public
opinion will be able to force the COM
mittee to action before election day, now
only two weeks of, is doubtful. The
committee, it seems, would rather take
the blame than let the light of day shine
upon the doings of the Guffey machine
in the keystone State It's not a pretty
picture. And the Senate committees
attitude is making real issue for the
Republicans.
In 1926, when former Senator "Jim"
Reed OF Pennsylvania was the principal
inquiSitor for the Senate Campaign In
vestigating Committee of that day, there
was never any talk of secret inquiries.
The committee held public hearings. The
result was that William S. Ware, elected
to the Senate in Pennsylvania, and Frank
L. Smith, elected from Illinois, were
never permitted to take their seats. In
1880 when Senator Nye of North Dakota
was chairman of a Senate Campaign
Investigating Committee, there was never
any question raised about holding public
hearings. The Nye committee went
thoroughly into the Illinois primary cam
paign of that year and in charges of
the use Of money on large scale in
other States.
1t has remained, however, for the New
Dealers to tie up a Senate Campaign
Investigating Committee While the
Democratic orators from the President
down are shouting from the house tops
! about what the Republicans are doing
in the way of campaign contributions,
and Senate committee makes all the
play it can of the contributions by men
of wealth, including the du Points, the
Morgans and others. it seems impossible
to get public hearing on matter that
assuredly is the publics business.
**
The publication of the fact that the
du Points have contributed together with
| their associates, nearly 100000 to the
| Republican campaign fund does no good
| to the Republican cause out in the West.
| The Democrats are seeking in every
way to convince the voters that big
interests are back of the G. o. P. cam
paign and that they will control the
Government in the event Of Landon'S
election. The effect on the voters of the
West, however, of disclosures showing
that Federal money was being used to
corrupt the electorate of Pennsylvania
might be even more severe If an investi-
cation by the Senate committee turned
up such a state Of affairs.
The attitude of the Senate committee
toward the Republican campaigners in
Pennsylvania is something else. 1t has
sought to smear the G.. o. P.
X = X
The Negro voters of the Middle West
are turning out in large numbers to hear
Jesse Owens, the Negro sprinter and
broadjumper who holds three Olympic
championships, campaign for Landon
He addressed q meeting in Kansas City
Friday night, when !, 900 persons crowded
into hall that seats only 600. The
sprinter appears to be quite a speaker on
the stump. AS election day approaches,
there is a growing doubt that as many
| Negroes will vote for Roosevelt as had
been earlier expected. Says Jesse Owens
| in his speeches: ANY Negro who votes
the Democratic ticket is just crazy"
In fact, as the election day draws
closer, the battle seems to be far closer
| than few weeks ago. The Republicans,
led by Landon himself, have undertaken
| final wind-up of the campaign that is
causing Democratic worry. There is no
more pretense by the Democratic high
| command that President Roosevelt is
| making political speeches" There
| is no more suggestion from the Presi-
| dent himself that his first political speech
will be made when the new Congress
| opens in January. The President is
| fighting with all the power he has to
| bring about his own reelection. His
| speeches are becoming more and more
vehement in attack upon the Republican
| foe.
In addition to the Republican on
slaught, the New Dealer President is
under attack by the old-line Democrats,
including AL Smith, and it is less easy
to laugh off the speeches Of the former
| New York Governor. He further has
| to meet the criticism of DR.. Townsend
and his old-age pension organization.
| Where the Townsendites are not sup
porting Lemke for President they are
supporting Landon. And to this list of
| attackers must be added also the Cough
| linites, who are backing Lemke. 1t looks
like real battle from now until No
| vember 3.
Never before has the Democratic party
had such strong organization through
| out the country as it has today. And one
reason for this is found in the very eff