The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1932. AMERICAN POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1932. AMERICAN POLITICS.

The United States, is now in the midst cf party dissensions the parties being busily engaged in preparation for the coming election of Pi esldent. A wlellknown American author, Mr Jay Franklin, declares that at the present' time there is very little difference between the Republicans and Democrats. This fadinr; of party lin.es or cleavage is no doubt, duk to the fact that the grave difficulties now confronting the country must necessarily bring both Republicans and Democrats on common ground'. The big job to be tackled is the rehabilitation of thie national economy, a task that manifestly calls for co-operation. / During President Hoover’s present- term of office the country has ■ crashed from dazzling prosperity to acute adversity. ft is very rarely that a political party, however capable, has survived a similar strain on .the confidence of thn electors. . in present circumstances the American elector ace is not likely 1 reflect, very deeply upon the fundamental principles upon which'the Republican and Democratic narties profess to function. Its in W diate anxiety is to get out of a domestic mess, and whichever of the parties can bring the most convincing arguments as to its. ability to accomplish this miracle will sway the njost votes. As one writer- puts it, the issue is so simple that.the professional politicians of both parties will be baffled by it until tbe morning after e’ecti-on day. At the same time the fundamental princinles of the rival parties are of considerable significance to the outside world. These are simply stated. Tim Republicans’ politml gospel js sound money and protection to American labour and industry; the Democrats’ “equal and .exact justice to all men, of whatever state of persuasion, religious j and political..!’. According to ■ the | Democratic... 'leaders, the Republican I principles are essentially materialist’c, as scon in “exorbitant and destructive tariffs that have weakened initiative at home and evoked reprisals abroad to such an extent as to render uhex--1 portable the. large trade surplus of our peop’e.”! The Republican reply to this is that the tariff rates upon,- which American labour and industry rely for protection must not fils made the foctbfflll of International pnlities. The Democrats retort that the- tariff hn,s been made a device for the ’enrichment of the few at the expense of the many. Here emerges the broad distinction that Republican po'-fey is an appeal, to self-interest, while that of tbe Democrats is an appeal to sentiment. The latter was deafly expressed in the late President Wilson’s policy and ideals at. the Peace Conference, but it Sent the Democrats into- the wilderIfiess in 1.920. With tbe present more or less common alignment, of the parties, forced upon them by the depression, there is always the possibility of a movement outside the parties along national lines supported by American electors anxious to try the experiment of a new political dispensation. But that is not considered likely. .The fight is by no means over with the nomination, of the Presidential candidates. What merely happens is that the stage is set for the contest, the platforms are adopted, and the interplay of political interests in the individual electorates begins,