The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-10-16
PUBLIC INTEREST BEST SERVED
BY REELECTION OF PRESIDENT

BY REELECTION OF PRESIDENT
The New York Times long known
as an independent newspaper, in an
editorial published Oct. l, sponsors
the Roosevelt Administration by de-
claring public welfare will be best
served this year by the continuance
of the Democratic party in power,
and by the reelection of the Presi-
dent. The editorial says in part:
The New York Times has long been
known as an Independent Demo-
cratic newspaper. 1t has always
placed chief emphasis on the word
Independent" Never having fol-
| lowed in blind faith any political
leader or party, it has exercised the
right to express it's sincere convic-
lions on all public matters without
fear or favor. During the past three
years it has felt compelled to oppose
various policies, acts and utterances
of a Democratic Administration. Not
one word of this criticism does it re-
gret or would now wish to with
draw. Yet the larger question of
preference between parties remains;
and at this point in the Presidential
campaign it is fitting that the reasons
for that preference be frankly dis
cussed.
In gratifying way the progress of
the political debate which has been
engaging the attention of the country
has cleared away great deal of rub
! Dish which encountered it at the be-
ginning. No responsible Republican
any longer froths at the mouth in
charging that President Roosevelt is
setting out to be a dictator after the
style of Stain or Hitler. The wild
assertions that he intends to tear up
the Constitution and destroy the Su-
preme Court are not heard today
from any serious speaker. The Dem
ocratic platform by it's silence really
put a quietus upon the excited ora
tors who were saying SUCH things.
| Equally, on the other side of the
party fence, ridiculous personal ac-
cusations have fallen to the earth
No open-eyed man speaks today of
Governor Landon as hopeless re-
dictionary. To call him a creature of
Hearst now provokes only smile.
| That he will be willing tool of
Wall Street" and the big corpora
tons is believed only by those who
believe anything that they hear said
in loud voice. The two candidates,
Roosevelt and Landon, stand as party
leaders today free of all this political
mummery.
This leaves the way open for an
estimate of the issues as they exist
at this time between the two parties.
Discussion has increasingly shown
that at many points the lines are not
sharply drawn. If the Republicans
originally intended to attack the Ad-
ministration and all it's works, they
have since dropped that strategy.
Governor Landon has openly adopted
several Administration policies. He
would use every dollar of Federal
money necessary to care for the
needy. He finds fault with the Ad-
ministration's farm policy mainly on
the ground that it does not go so
far, or spend so much money, as he
proposes to do. Other adaptions or
combinations of the Roosevelt policy
respecting drought relief, soil ero-
sion, the prevention of foods, strong
Federal protection for the investor
and penalty for the reckless or crook
ed promoter, Governor Landon quiet
ly makes his own.
One outstanding argument, how
ever, runs heavily against the Repub-
lican party and its leader in this cam
paign. They have advocated, even
! if only half-heartedly, a policy of
aloofness and isolation for the United
States. They would make protective
tariffs more prohibitive of foreign
trade than ever before. They would
at once abrogate the existing recipro-
cal trade agreements, and repeal the
very law which gives the President
power to negotiate these agreements
"a law long endorsed by eminent
Republicans. Those treaties already
in effect they attack as destructive to
the true interests of American farm
ers. After thus proposing to do all
in their power by legislation to shut
foreigners out of our markets. the
Republicans proceed to the pitch of
absurdity and effrontery by demand
ing that foreign nations pay us the