WHEN NOVEMBER COMES

Scouting around the outskirts of authoritative information, Robert Choate of the Boston Herald has been able to ascertain the general reaction among Democratic senators and congressmen to the approach of the mid-term elections. Although many men of influence, Senator Walsh among them, preferred to hold their peace, a number of lesser lights revealed a divergent drift under cover of a common watchword.

The Pronouncements tend to show that "big business" will be served up as the piece de resistance next fall. The alleged laxity of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, and the protectionist bias oft Tariff Commission provide traditional issues with social implications wider than the mere corruption charge of 1924.

But although all seem to anticipate the slogan, "big business," as the main dish, there are open differences over the fixings. Senator George of Georgia stipulates that the Democratic Party shall "refuse to make any alliance with radical forces." Senator Bruce of Maryland concurs with him that the confidence of legitimate business must not be sacrificed through compromise with the "creak-brain economic vagaries of Bryan west". On the other hand, Senator King of Utah, conservative but none the less western, reminds his party that they must provide "a wise farm policy". Further in this direction, Representative Howard, significantly from Nebraska, stresses the necessity of an out-and-out liberalism with particular reference to "the agricultural zone". He goes on to commit himself to an agrarian platform by requesting for 1928 "a presidential nominee from the agricultural west and a vice-presidential nominee from the agricultural south".

Unity of party policy and promise is not required in congressional elections to any degree that a general outcry against "big Business" will not satisfy. Yet the definite disagreements as to where and how liberalism should be applied suggest that the Democratic party still faces its traditional urban-agrarian division; that its only solidifying element is opposition to Republication excess.