Evening star., 1936-07-11

sent a more progressive document
than has been their custom Tor
decade or more, while the New Deal
would not show its radical teeth, but
would insert here and there conserVa-
lively written phrases that seek 10
reassure. rather than disturb.
Both parties express their opposi-
tion to war.
Both parties are against monopolies
and trusts.
Both parties are against unhealthy
working conditions and sweat shops
and child labor.
Both parties want to help agricul-
ture; an fact, to subsidize it.
Both parties want to bring about
a system of old-age pensions and un-
employment insurance.
Both parties express themselves IN
favor of the merit system in public
service.
Both parties say they want to en-
courage legitimate business ana IN
dustry.
Both parties pledge themselves to
maintain freedom of speech, press,
radio, religion and assembly.
Both parties say they want SOUND
currency and both favor stabilization
of international currencies at the
earliest practicable time.
Both platforms declare for an en-
iargement of foreign trade.
Both say they want to eliminate
unemployment and both promise relief
for the unemployed till private in
dustry can absorb the idle.
Why All the Shouting?
What, then, is all the shouting
about? Why have a campaign? Why
not toss coin and pick candidate
or a party? The answer is that the
platforms look alike. but they do not
mean the same things. Likewise, even
II they meant the same things, they
would not be carried out in the same
way by the Republicans as by the New
Deal Democrats.
But how would the platforms be
carried out? What do we know about
each party? The New Deal points
to its record and the Republicans
likewise point to the same New Deal
record as an example of what would
happen if the New Deal were given
larger powers in the Federal mechan-
ism of Government.
The New Deal speakers on the other
hand, refer critically to the Republican
record of II years and insist that the
depression was caused by Republican
policies. This is rather reminiscent
of the old cry the Republicans used
TO have, which is that the Democrats
If elected would bring panic.
What, then, is the average man to
do? Certainly he cannot get very
much enlightenment out of the SINH
larity of objectiveS as expressed in the
two platforms Nor can he assume
that a depression which swept the
whole world was just brought on by
one political party in the United
States especially when other nations
in the world have cut down their un-
employment in the last three years
and made rapid progress, as has Can
ada, without adopting New Deal
measures.
Candidates, Probable Answer.
The probable answer to the dilemma |
is a study of the character and pur- |
poses of Franklin Roosevelt and Alf |
I.andon When Senator Borah said |
that the candidates were the real |
party platforms, he spoke what-to |
borrow a New Deal phraSe-might be
called self evident truth
Of what avail, then, are party plat
forms? Many a student of politics
has asked that question for many |
years. The platforms could be of the |
greatest value and accomplish a truly |
useful purpose as an integral part OF |
the American system of Government |
There are two ways in which this |
could be achieved.
One would be to let the party con-
ventions nominate their candidates
first and then take counsel with the |
successful aspirant for the nomination |
so that he might shape the platform |
to meet his concept of the campaign |
that should be waged. Such meth |
cd would increase interest in the pre-
convention speeches of the would-be
nominees.
The other way would be to require
each State delegation at least 80 days |
before the national convention to
name a member of the platform COM
nittee and to hold meetings for 80
days prior to the convention so that |
all interested persons or groups could
be heard and so that the party leaders
would have ample time for conference
and consultation and for the drafting
of a platform of principles upon which
legislation actually conforming to those
principles could be based.
Copyright. 1850