| Show Between B tween You and Me r t. t 6 0 O. p Its Ifs Me the Skin Roosevelt G. G Forgets P. Message sage t V Alive M Movement vem t.- t. l j j t 1 B By Raymond Clapper T The The purpose of oC calling the h. h Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican national executive com committee corn corn- om- om meeting in Washington this week was to consider expanding ex ex- and financing mac machinery to carr carry the thc party's message to the country between now nowana the time the nominations are made next summer Less attention will wilI be paid to the tho more important question which is What should th the party's message be S For instance Harrison E. E Spangler Spangler Span Span- gler of ot Iowa brings a briefcase full ull of oC plans for a Chicago headquarters head head- quarters from which the party fight In the farm belt could be waged agg aggressively It is comparative comparatively com easy to decide on a budget for tor the offices field workers work work- work ers literature radio speakers speakers' ers ers' and publicity p agents which constitute the physical machinery for carrying carrying carrying car car- the message to the farm belt Garcias The hard p part rt is Ii deciding what to put into th the thein in message And nobody knows like Mr Spangler how hard it is for he was one of the organizers of or the tho June grass roots conference at Springfield Ill which aft after r exhausting exhausting ex ex- the dictionary in de denouncing denouncing denouncing de- de Mr Roosevelt and the administration was obliged to draw up such a vague set of reso resolutions about the farm problem that Republican members of oC congress stood up in the house a afew afew few days later and championed the A A A amendments on the ground that they carried ed out the sentiments expressed In in the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican grass roots meeting The Th farm relief issue is the he hardest nut the Republicans have to crack Thus far tar they have propos proposed d no alternative to A A A which has aroused any noticeable farm belt enthusiasm And it is obvious that anything which will look as good to the average farmer as an A A A government benefit check will have to be a very fancy plan indeed The nearest that thaI Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans have come to offering an an acceptable alternative is the suggestion suggestion- of an export bounty plan thrown out by former Governor Governor Gov Gov- Frank O. O Lowden and Colonel Colonel Colo Cob nel Frank Knox principally This proposal was intended to awaken the enthusiasm which the farm belt once had for the Mc- Mc Nary-Haugen Nary and the export de debenture debenture debenture de- de bills The Tho former was twice vetoed once by Coolidge and once by Hoover Overlooking I th that t bit of history ry Republicans have thought to revive that enthusiasm en en- of the previous us decade which was frustrated by bYI their own administrations in the White Ho House s Though they cranked the engine I hard th there re was was Jl yio sp spark rk Instead some Kansas Republican leaders snapped back that that the export bounty plan Cn good had been outmoded by by changes change which wiped out in large measure the hope of Ie revival val of oC exports on l anything like bike the tho r basis Even such a conservative writer AS s Samuel Crowther In the i W Washington Post recently said saidI l I that realities block such propos propos- als also F Foreign reign governments have I raced toward self-containment self by developing their own production and introducing import quotas quota prohibitive tariffs and subsidies idles He added that a parity between farm arm incomes and industrial in incomes incomes incomes in- in comes is necessary to promote proper exchange of f products products' in inside inside in in- side such a great economic area as the United States but that to attempt to tie any large section of our econom economy to foreign economies economies economies mies is a movement away from and not toward such a balance A A A may not be the best hole holo for the farmers to take refuge in nor economically so sound md according according accord accord- ing to the economics textbooks Eastern Republicans nay ma consider consid consid- er r it an undemocratic Infringement infringe Infringe- infringement ment on the farmers farmer's God given liberty yet such as it is the farm farmer er is snugly tucked away vay In that hole comforted by his hrs government government govern govern- ment meat benefit checks If our grassroots grass grassroots roots spies arc are not kidding us hes he's inclined to stay y in that hole until tho Republicans can show him a IL better one That's what the Republican party will vill be up against even after it has Its Chicago farm belt headquarters all aU furnished with pictures of ot Hoover and Coolidge on the walls and its mimeographs mimeograph oiled and its speakers speaker all set and rolling melting lozenges on theIr tongues tongue The farm problem Is only one special problem although a a 8 major major ma ma major jor one because of the pivotal character of the farm country Inthe in inthe inthe the coming election Equally important is the character character character char char- acter of the general party message message message mes mes- sage for transmission of which the machinery m is being expanded Roughly two approaches are arc de de- de One is the Skin Roose Alive velt movement Republican can missionaries of this school clothe themselves with the garments garments gar gar- ments of oC righteousness With the vehemence of the Rev BI Billy ly Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day they warn the people to lo de desert desert desert de- de sert the devil and vote the RepUblican Republican Republican Re Re- publican ticket They dont don't know who or what is going to be on the ticket and they dont don't care Anybody Any Any- body would be better than Roose velt He is against God country home and the constitution Out with him That's Thal's n not t tion lion Here is Arthur Arlhur W. W Little a aNew aNew New York publisher whose sole claim to political mention Is is that he appeared mysteriously as a potential potential potential po po- po- po presidential candidate in inthe inthe inthe the recent Republican Republic n poll poli of Rob Rob- ert eit H. H LucasI Lucas I think your group Mr Little says in a a message message to the Y Young ung Republican national committee as a crusading group is something something something some some- thing that must have been sent by God as it is arousing a spirit which in my ray opinion Js is s going to save the country So much for the God issue The Tho opposite approach h pitched to more intelligent cars is that of oC Governor Landon of Kansas He also sends a message to the Young Republicans He Ho is is' is just as anxious anxious ious bus for Republican victory as Mr Little In fact it is likely to mean a great deal more to him because of all the potential candidates candidates candidates candi candi- dates circumstances circumstances' have given him in this horse race for the pres- pres nomination uon th the jNo No o. o 2 fence position which Is h s where the best bestold bestold bestold old runners would rather be I Governor L London Landon says say Of toot course we must preserve democracy democracy rac racy at at the grass roots That can can be accomplished by retaining j 4 and arid developing sound and efficient effi effi- dent state and local governments We Ve must make certain social adjustments ad ad- insure e a proper b balance Jance between our farm and urban centers centers cen cen- and overcome the blight of unemployment No governmental tal problem is of greater importance importance tance to the Young Republicans an and t all young voters than th that thai t of building a sound economical and efficient national as well as local gove government rn m caL caLIn In other words if the Republicans cans would stop yelling and consider consider con con- sider aider what they should say they might be able to compose a a. constructive constructive constructive con con- mes message mesge ge to give the country At the rate some of oC them are shouting now they will all be laid up with laryngitis at the crucial moment Some of or these hot words ought to obe be saved for next year year Copyright 1935 by the Washington Washing Washing- ton Post |
