Evening star., 1936-09-25
Once again the horny handed tille'

Once again the o[ny.n2noeo tiIe1
Of the soil IL the object Of the tender
affections Of the politicians. Twas ever
thus. The current Roosevelt-Landon
competition for the favor Of the farmer
duplicates strategy as old as American
party battles. This year the contest
is Of unusual importance because. by
general admission, the Midwestern States
hold the balance of power and will decide
the issue in the Electoral College. Gov.
Landon owes his nomination primarily
to the fact that the G. o. p. believed
him the most available man to induce
the agricultural ny to walk into the Re-
publican spiders parlor. Against the
Kansan's geographical background as
the Governor Of . typical prairie State
Is his Eastern rivals record as the Santa
Claus Of the agrArian community Tor
three years. Landon has laid his cards
on the table and presented an alluring
program. Not until r. D. r. trots out
his trumps will 1t be possible to Judge
whether New Dealers or Republicans
have Q stranglehold on the corn-hog and
wheat belts, which are 20 essential to
the success Of either Of them on No.
vember ).
Those who labored under the delusion
that the 1896 presidential fracas was
destined to be more or less Of . pink
tea affair are revising their judgment.
Undoubtedly the party Is getting rough
H<xkt~ tn InnkQ.
as If Jim Farley's prophecy Of q dirty
campaign" is going to be realized aIter
all, with indications piling up that IN
both camps the sky may presently be
the limit in fighting tactics. The Com
munist charges hurled ut President
Roosevelt typify the stun with which
q section Of the anti-New Dealers Is
operating. Little birds hint that some-
thing supposedly as damaging to Gov.
Landon, though Of entirely different
nature, is about to be sprung from
anonymous opposition quarters. Besides
open innuendoes, there is, as usual, .
whispering campaign, Of which both the
Democratic and Republican nominees are
targets. Some Of it has racial prejudice
and international aspects and malicious
personal smack. Most Of the dirt, when
the mud singers are pressed for cor
roborative details, turns out to be IRE.
sponsible gossip and slandefous hearsay.
In addressing the New York Current
Problems Forum this week, Mr.. Roose.
velt thrust at this type Of electioneer.
ing when he expressed the hope that
the Nations policies might be deter
mined with serenity and logic" instead
of "rancor and temper"
++%%
In the newest G. O.. P. campaign
pamphlet, "LAndon-What He Stands
For"-the voter, is invited to consider
the cigarette and how It's smoked Is .
useful method of comparing the
strangely opposite characters" OF the
President and Gov. Landon. The
booklet quotes Malcolm w. Bingay, .
writer In the Detroit Free Press, ~ fol-
lows: when Roosevelt smokes q cigar
ette, It Is an act. He waves his arms
above his head IS though the thing were
:. conductors baton. He puf1s out his
cheeks, throws back his head and blows
the smoke toward the ceiling, then
laughs. and smirks and winks: waves
his arms and blows again. One moment
he has q cigarette holder and the next
his cigarette Is held in his fingers. The
ashes are constantly being ficked even
when there Is no ash. Landon smokes
. cigarette with the air Of man who
enjoys smoking q cigarette. He lights
Il and holds It with Q minimum Of effort.
You are hardly conscious Of the fact
thAt he b Medng. h handles casar