Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-02


paign the resentment provoked by
the Presidents Intervention made
votes for the candidates he didn't
want to see nominated. But, in a
contest between the parties, the right
OF a Democratic President to inter-
vene is not SO unfavorably regarded,
though, in 1918, it was said to have
been one of the reasons why Presi-
dent Wilson lost control of both
houses of Congress.
Precedent and tradition are i'm
portant in American politics, how
ever, only up to certain point.
When other issues dominate or COM
pletely blanket the precedent. the
election is likely to turn on how the
electorate feels on the new issues.
Wilson Misunderstood.
Ordinarily, it is doubtful whether
the electorate would be disturbed
when a President makes a plea for
the election of his party members
to Congress. The true objection in
1918 was not to Mr.. Wilson'S plea
for the success of his party COL
leagues. but that he should have
made it in the midst of wartime
when national unity had been the
underlying feeling Of all political
parties. Disturbance of that unity
by cries about alleged political use
of patriotism for party ends was
unjust, because Mr.. Wilson had no
such purpose. Yet it was so con-
strued by many voters.
Some of us never did accept the
theory that the election turned on
that particular point, but believed
at the time that dissatisfaction with
wartime restrictions and an anti
war feeling by certain foreign-born
groups held the balance of power.
Today a somewhat analogous sit
uation exists. The objection is not
so much to Mr.. Roosevelts natural
desire to see Democrats reelected,
but to the widely held belief that
his personal intervention is a form
of dictatorship which tends to break
down the institutions of democracy
as expressed in the separation of
powers idea under our Constitution.
Other issues May Decide.
Again, if the elections go against
Mr.. Roosevelt, it will, in my judg-
ment, not be because he made an
appeal for the election of governors
and Senators and Representatives,
but because there are other issues
which influence the negative voting
far more.
Economic conditions may have
much to do with the adverse vote to
be cast on November 8, and not
such debatable points as to how far
the head of the Democratic party
may 60 in supporting his own party
members. Then, too, resentment
against the fragrant use of the ad-
ministration of the W. P. A. and the
P. w. A. in political campaigns may
be reflected in the vote polled
against the Roosevelt regime. For
1t is a we'll understood character
istic of American elections that
anything which savors of unfairness
or immortality at the polls is deeply
deplored.
In Pennsylvania the efforts of the
machine there to squelch investiga-
ton and to prevent exposure of
scandal is in line with the behavior
of political machines in other
States which a Democratic commit
tee of the United States Senate in
vestigating the congressional cam
paigns this year has denounced as a
pollution of the ballot.
Question of Degree.
Out in California the issues are
somewhat different The $30-a-week
pension plan Is live question there
largely because hundreds of thou
sands of voters do not see any diff
ference between the administration s
idea of subsidy for individuals and
the Townsend plan. One merely
promises more than the other. If
the Federal Government can hand
out public money, the States may
feel they can also devise plans which
seek to benefit the individual fnan-
cially.
Mr.. Roosevelt, by his Endorsement
of Mr.. DoWney in California, who
won the senatorial nomination by
substantial support from the s30-a-
week pension planners, has in mind,
Of course. that the people of Cali
fornia will remember his objections
to the scheme as expressed in q
recent press conference. Republi-
cans in various States of the union
also have been flirting with Town
send plan support, and, in some
cases, have actually obtained it. But
that's nothing new in politics. The
old, old game of promising every