The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1928. AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17407, 21 May 1928, Page 6

The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1928. AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

The Presidential election of the United States is to afford the world a first-rate sensation, and by the time it is concluded a good many people will know- more about American politics than they ever knew before. We are told now that. Wall Street, the great, financial centre, is still longing to bring out President Coolidge as a candidate for the reason that, he is the only "man who has any chance of defeating Governor Smith, and that his chance of doing so is not particularly good. If it be true that there is small chance of anyone defeating Governor Smith wc must have been much misinformed in the past. The Republicans are supposed to be a majority of the people and if they could agree on a candidate he should have a very good chance. Then again, there is the personal record of Governor Smith. He is opposed to prohibition and is a Roman Catholic. So much has been written about the Ku Klux Klan that most people must have thought the association had some importance, but as animosity to Roman Catholics is the chief plank in their platform their opposition cannot be serious. Again, prohibition was supposed to be the chief interest in several States, but this must be doubtful if the prophecies about Governor Smith can be relied on. Mr Hoover was supposed to carry the support of the Republican party, but there would appear to be some personal objection to him, for nothing else would aocount for the lukewarm attitude of the party. A tale was put forward that he had been married in a Roman Catholic chapel, and an explanation was made that no other place of worship was available. The story is one which no one would dream of taking up except at an election, and if the country can accept Governor Smith, an avowed Catholic, it should not object to Mr Hoover, who was merely married in a Catholic chapel. It would appear that the constituencies are not concerned with these trivialities. The agricultural States have been suffering for three or four years, and are bent on obtaining from the Government some assistance towards a Marketing Board. The assistance asked runs to an enormous sum of money—some £80,000,000 — and the scheme as described is sufficiently wild. The idea is to buy the wheat from the farmers when the price drops below what they consider to be a remunerative figure, and sell it again when the price rises. What is to happen if it does not rise has apparently not been considered. The scheme is another attempt to corner wheat, and to do it on a bigger scale than can be done by any individual or syndicate. Such attempts have always failed in the past because a rise in price leads to the production of wheat in much larger quantities, and wheat is always ripening and reaching the market from some quarter of tbc world. It is not strange that the threat of such a scheme should disturb the levelheaded men of finance, but they have neglected politics aud are likely to pay the penalty. The Republican Party is discredited because of the many scandals which have been brought to light in the last year or two, and the utter impossibility of securing any conviction of the offenders has disgusted the public. The leaders of the business world were not connected with flic party beyond securing such legislation as they wanted. It' they had exercised some authority these corrupt proceedings would probably not have taken place, and now they have done great damage to the chances of the party. Whether Governor Smith would be willing to sanction such legislation as the farmers want is not known, but he will probably try to avoid committing himself. By a curious convention the candidates for the Presidency arc not supposed to canvass the constituencies or make public speeches, and it becomes therefore easier to avoid declaring a policy. There is no indication that the people are taking an interest in foreign affairs or Nicaragua, in the League of Nations or in treaties to abolish war. Their interest is concentrated on domestic

questions. One of the curious features of the situation \s the animosity expressed towards the candidates by men of their own party. One prominent. Democrat threatens to leave the country if Governor Smith is elected. Mr Hoover has me| with similar opposition in his own party. The questions that, divide the parties are personal, not political. There is no mention made of any definite policy to Im' carried out. by either party. The farmers may hope that Mr Smith will consent to their Marketing Board; the unemployed may hope that he will be able to revive business. No statement of his Intentions is likely to be made. There are only two par-

ties and uo hope u!' u third making its appearance, and neither of those parties make any announcement of what they intend to do. The constitution seems to us to be very rigid and to give no scope for any reform. The powers of the President are. very great, and the influence of the machine is equally strong. In business matters the American is a pronounced individualist, but in politics he appears to have the very smallest chance of bringing any ideas to bear on the situation.