Evening star., 1936-10-02

his opponent.
Perhaps the most interesting devel-
opment in this respect is the remark
Sble editorial in which the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch, supporter of every
Democratic nominee for the presidency
for so years, now has come out for
Gov. Landon.
The Post-Dispatch has made war
on the special interests and the
princes of privilege" and no news
paper or individual in the liberal
camp in America has been so out
spoken in its attacks on blind con-
servatism or entrenched greed. The
record of the Post-Dspatch as an
honest and conscientious servant of
the peoples interest is well known far
beyond the borders of Missouri. 1t
has been quoted again and again from
coast to coast in fighting against the
power interests, for example, and in
its Staunch defense Of what has often
been termed radical as well as liberal
policies. Nobody in the New Deal
can, with justification, yell "du Pont
Liberty League" or Hooverism at this
new opponent Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Fought Federal Empire.
But the Post-Dispatch is consistent.
1t has all along fought against what
1t has described as the march of
Federal empire" Back in 1922 the
Post-Dispatch published a famous
editorial calling on the Governors of
all the States to prevent the growth
OF Federal bureaucracy. This at
tracted Nationwide attention Today
the Post-Dispatch reaflrms its tradi-
tional position in favor of State
sovereignty and local government,
which it considers to be in danger
under Mr.. Roosevelt's regime. The
Post-Dispatch editorial incidentally,
does not indulge in fulsome praise of
Mr.. Landon, but emphasizes that a
continuance OF Mr.. Roosevelt'S regime
is a menace to American constitu-
tional Government. Somewhat diff
ferent from the attitude of another
great Democratic newspaper, sthe
Baltimore Sun, which recently came
out against Mr.. Roosevelt, but said it
was not prepared as yet to support
Mr.. Landon, the Dispatch goes a
bit further, saying on this point:
I'VE believe profoundly that the
welfare of the country would be best
served by the defeat of Mr.. Roose-
velt Manifestly, the most useful
weapon Of all for all who so believe
S vote for his opponent, Gov.
Landon"
The Post-DiSpatch editorial will
have widespread effect in St. Louis
and envlrons and may make the race
in Missouri much closer than has been
anticipated. But even though Mis-
souri, is inclined to place its electoral
vote in the Roosevelt column because
Boss Pendergsst has enough controlled
votes in Kansas City to put it there,
1t is significant that the Post-Dis-
patch here, like the Baltimore Sun in
Maryland, has not been swayed by
the consideration that its own State
might be found in the Roosevelt
column on election day.
Bold Editorial Stand.
The Baltimore Sun, for instance.
knew that its own poll was showing an
overwhelming result for Roosevelt, but
this did not prevent the publication
of its editorial announcing that
though it has been supporting the
Democratic nominees for generations
1t could not now support Mr.. Roose-
Velt for reelection.
All this merely means that inde-
pendent newspapermen prefer to be
right in the long run than to sur
render to considerations or immediate
expediency which so often governs
the decisions of politicians and their
ilk.
Back in July, 1885, less than two
months having elapsed since the Su-
preme Court of the United States by a
vote of 9 to o had declared the N. r. A.
unconstitutional, Mr.. Roosevelt wrote
Congress urging adoption of the Guf-
fey law, expressing the hope that
the legislators would mot permit
doubts as to constitutionality, how
ever reasonable, to block the sug-
eested legislation" The Guffey bill
contained some of the same pro-
visions which had been declared in
valid in the N. r. A. case. On the
day after the Presidents communi-
cation appeared this correspondent
wrote that this letter would be an
important issue in the 1886 campaign.
Disregard of the Constitution has
cost Mr.. Roosevelt the support of the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch and other
1ndependent-minded newspapers of
hitherto Democratic leanings who
speak for citizenry that does not
hesitate to abandon party ties when
fundamental principles are at stake.
(copyrisht, 1936,)