Evening star., 1936-06-13


on Wednesday evening when Herman
M. Langworthy, chairman of the Res
olutions Committee, presented the
1886 platform and John Hamilton
moved the nomination of Gov. Lam
don and received the unanimous in
dorsement of the convention for the
candidate of the Young Turks of the
party. In that moment the Western
progressives took over the leader
The preamble of the platform Wig
ofously repudiated the New Deal,
which from the auditorium rostrum
had been denounced in the last days
as fascistic, socialistic, collectiviStic,
an attempt to set up tyranny over
the American people, usurpation of
power, menace to constitutional
government an alien importation and
an instrument to set class against
class.
New Deal Effected Platform.
Nevertheless, the mark of the New
Deal is all over the Republican plat
form. While it was being written and
rewritten, clipped, pasted and modi-
fed by the Resolutions Committee, the
convention, to the tune of Three
Blind Mice" was jeeringly singing
'Three Long Years" But without
those three long years this platform
would never have been written.
These three long years, however, 1t
Is now clear, established certain prin-
ciples which have become common
to moth major parties. They have es-
l. \
responsibility of Government to care
for the aged INDECENT and under
privileged, as part Of Governments
normal function. They have estab-
lished that there is an agricultural
crisis which demands drastic and
radical governmental action. They
have established that 1t Is the func-
tion of Government to regulate busi-
ness to prevent the abuse of economic
power. They have established that
1t Is necessary to keep free mind and
a free hand on the matter of cur
rency, while working continuously for
international stabilization. They have
established that the practice of Gov
ernment must again be lifted, as it
once was, to the top of the list of hu-
man activities. These principles are
recognized by the whole generation,
liberal or conservative, that came of
age during and after the war They
will no longer be debated in American
life. And that is fine long step for
ward.
Fight Was Necessary.
Even these principles. apparently so
obvious, were not established in this
convention without a fight. Even
these principles would not be clearly
established in this platform had it
not been for Gov. Landons telegram
setting forth his Interpretation of
what three non n-committal planks
might mean. The plank giving the
States power to pass minimum wage
and protective legislation for women
and children did not include a posi-
bic constitutional amendment until
Gov. Landon so interpreted it. The
civil service plank was just another
civil service plank until Gov. Landon
made it comprehensive and specific,
pledging himself where the platform
would not go. The Governors ex-
pressed determination to return to
gold whenever possible or feasible was
a statement Of opinion that left his
hands free. The conventions ac-
ceptance Of the Governors interpre-
tation puts its imprimatur upon the
young mems program. Thursday was
certainly their day.
The Republican attack upon the
New Deal is dual On the one hand
the New Deal is assaulted for its
wastefulness, incompetence, for the
introduction of partiSanship where
partisanship is out Of place, and for
Its usurpation Of executive power.
Solid Lumber introduced.
The Republican platform, thanks
TO Gov. Landon and the Young Turks,
puts solid lumber under this criticism
and proposes constructive counter
measures. The Young Turks saw per-
fectly clearly that it would be futile
to attack Farleyism in the Democratic
administration unless they were pre-
pared to go on record for a pro-
gram which would guarantee non
partisan administration. That is there,
IN the Governors Interpretation of the
civil service plank. They have at
tackled the relief administration as
Wasteful and incompetent, and rightly
propose its return to the States while
promising Federal grants in aid. They
have attacked to social security bill
rs half baked and probably uncon-
Stitutional measure, and propose in
its stead a more comprehensive bill,
to be financed not by the present
contributory system, but by direct
taxation. This makes the proposed
Republican measure both more
humane, more extended, and more
courageous than the bill Of the ad-
Eninistration. They have proposed a
program of public works, but de-
clared for its divorce from the relief
administration. In all these matters,
the resuscitated party stands on firm
ground, and will be able with this
platform TO make a spirited, reason
able and convincing attack.
But Then 1t Founders.
But in its philosophical attack on
ti1e New Deal, in its attempt to VEN
ture into the field OF larger states
nlanship, the platform founders help
lessly. 1t can be said of this docu-
n1ent, as it can be said of New Deal
practices, that no consistent philoso-
ply ties it together
There was one attempt during this
convention to establish for the Re-
publican party theory Of govern
ment and economics. That attempt
was made by Herbert Hoover. His
3gpeech was. essentially, plea for a
eturn to nineteenth century economic
nara 1icy,o y~soliHaJ ard vnaA~