Evening star., 1940-08-20
Cannot Challenge President
To Transforming Debates.

Cannot Challenge President
To transforming Debates.
If Mr.. Willkie spoke honestly
on that occasion, and one of his
boasts is his frankness, is he by
any chance running for President
of the United States in order to
do what I (he) can for the
preservation of public utilities,
privately owned?"
Mr.. Willkie loves to boast that
he learned his liberalism at the
feet of the elder La Toilette Here
is what La Follette's Progress
sive." a publication which con-
tinues to carry on the fight of the
great Wisconsin liberal has said
of him:
There is one thing about it.
If Willkie should be
elected, the country would then
have a President who could teach
the American farmers how to
water the stock and shear the
sheep"
In his speech of acceptance,
Mr.. Willkie challenged the Presl-
dent of the United States to a
series of joint Debates,
One cannot challenge the
President of the United States to
go about the country narnstorm-
ing. after the pre-laGio fashion
of the past century, without lay
ing himself open to the charge
that he is indulging in cheap
bravado. The gravity of Mr..
Wilkes offense consisted OF the
fact that he was rejecting upon
the dignity and striking at the
prestige of an office which, as
candidate himself for the presi-
dency. it ought to be his ZEAL
Gus duty to uphold and defend.
The President cannot adjourn
the Battle of Britain in order to
ride the circuit with Mr.. Wlllkle.
The presidency is not a job for
a mountebank.
At that, Mr.. Roosevelt has been
effectively debating the Wendell
WILKES of this country for years
and will continue to do so.
Suggests Debates With
Running Mate McNary.
If Mr.. Willkie is so eager for a
debate in order to hold his audi
ence. I suggest that he challenge
his running mate, Senator NC
Nary, with whom he is at greater
variance on domestic and foreign
issues than his speech o. accept
ance shows him to be with The
President.
The Roosevelt record Of the
last seven years is an open book.
The people know what President
Roosevelt has done, and they
know what he will do.
For a time, Mr.. Willkie thought
and spoke like a lion then the
weasel. which has replaced the
elephant as the Republican SYM
boil asserted itself. Like any
other professional politician, he
twisted about awkward issues by
the use of glittering generalities.
He talked about wider horizons"
"a new championship in indus
trial society,"" unlimited produc-
ton" full production and re-em-
ployment by private enterprise"
Hardship, sacrifice and suffer-
ing" Here he seems to have got
ten his bottles mixed. UP to this
point he had been talking about
regaining prosperity, increasing
relief and reducing spending.
Mr.. Willkie talked like the Re-
publican platform until it seemed
to those who heard him that the
Republican party had better
change its tune from God Bless
America" to Pop Goes the
Weasel!'
When the meandering plat
form of the Republican party was
promulgated. we were assured
that Mr.. Willkie would clarity it.
If that gentleman's speech in Ell
wood means anything, it means
that it is now necessary for some
one to clarity Mr.. Willkie.
The only clarification so far
offered is the personality and
record of Mr.. Willkie himself. He
talked about free enterprise and
finding jobs for every one. Yet
his whole history negatives any
interest in free opportunity. The
country knows him as a holding
company executive. The oppor-
tunity that he has given to free
enterprise has consisted in cut
ting the throats of small inde-
pendent power companies. This
has meant less economic oppw-