Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
BY JOHN MARRINAN.
y RESIDENT HOOVER is about to
overhaul the executive machin-
cry Of the Republican national

cry Of the Republican national
Il committee. Problems of organi-
zation. of function and Of effec-
tivenesS confront him. 1t is the PreSi-
political aspect of his job. How will he
likely go about it?
In these days of power, speed, eco
nomic preoccupation, what Is becoming
Of our political parties and of our polit-
1cal leadership. In business, industry,
finance, transportation, amuSementS,
sports and home life we have new yard
STICKS. Are we approaching a new
n1Gasuring rod in politics?
We read Of extraordinary coalitions
Of unnatural allies in State politics.
We observe strange bedfellows occupy
ing the same mattress In the halls Of
Congress. Democrats and men whose
party afiliAtion Is obscure appear IN a
Republican cabinet.
Politics on Front Page.
Trained political observers dish up
our politics In as appetizing newspaper
fashion as ever. All the elements that
ordinarily claim attention are there
struggle, strategy, stubbed political toes,
intrigue, new political idealism, re-
formed bosses, mysterious departures,
predictions and hopeful promlseS-ali
the winning and losing tricks in the
conventional political hand.
But somehow the stuff Is unimpres-
sive. Save only with the fellows who
have to get themselves reelected, the
average good political yarn today does
not penetrate nor circulate in the way
that once, it did. It cannot compete
with sports. With the average reader
. good business story, new application
of science, radio, aviation, q score of
general news classif1cationS will relegate
the latest political sensation" to the
unfamiliar obScurity Of inside pages.
Such apathy during the first few
months of a new administration is ex-
traordinary. What does it mean?
The Democrats and Harmony.
Some few weeks ago group Of prom
inent Democrats staged a harmony"
dinner here In Washington. Such har-
mony as was realized proceeded in the
Russian motif with heavy minor effects
Gov. Al Smith, titular head Of the
Democratic party, did not attend. Mr..
Raskob made a speech, with certain
vicarious implications. But when it
was all over there remained lingering
suspicion that Gov Smith, even within
Ms own circle, has not yet achieved the
status of reclamation and that the
Democratic party is without accredited
leadership.
On the other side Of the political
fence President Hoover finds 1t dif1cult
to retain the unreServed allegiance of
several Republicans who were outStand-
ing figures in the last campaign. The
President, unusually well informed
about the latest thing In backbiting-
and by no means imperturbable where
conflicts are involved-does not appear
70 be giving much heed to the political
consequences of the seeming riffs which
have developed in Republican ranks.
Nor is there any manifest public clamor
that he conform to the traditional con-
Ventions OF party politics.
Regularity" Is Becoming Legend.
The tradition of party regularity. for
example, seems passing to legendary
status. Party discipline, too, is not
what it used to be. Insurgents are not
read out" of association with the
faithful, as once was the rule. The two
dominant parties are really not what
they used to be.
American life is rapidly becoming
more complex and its reflection in the
conduct of government is becoming
equally complicated. More work, larger
authorities are being delegated, and
there is more vital need for their intel
1igent delegation.
Geography is losing its significance
in party politics. It is becoming in
creasingly more difficult to reconcile
within any one political fold elements
which heretofore have been meaSurably
constant In their afiliation and in their
allegiance. The manufacturer no longer
is an unreServed protectionlst. The
banking community Is no longer content
with assurances Of common sense" ad-
ministrations. The creditor position of
the country in international finance
has breathed vitality into hitherto
largely academic questions Of foreign
policy.
Farmer Is More Of Skeptic.
The farmer becomes q more confirmed
political skeptic. Organized labor de-
mandS more than the comradeship OF
pedantic liberalism. It wants employ
ment, wages, savings and leisure. Or
ganized business has outgrown its con-
tent at merely being protected and
otherwise left alone. 1t demands con-
structive and promotive services from
the Government. The independent voter
is no longer a hereto or one lacking in
conviction. He has become a respected
member of the community.
It Is difficult to h1tegrate the con-
Ventional party politics of other days
into these modern specifications for
government which have been crystalliZ-
ing with some definiteness in the last
decade. Right now they make for a
period of confusion In both Republican
and Democratic ranks. Eventually and
inevitably they must lead to new politi-
cal ine-ups created through the merger
of harmonious elements drawn from
the older parties. Meantime we are
likely to have both Republican and
mere sponsorship Of dominant person.
alities who give promise of accomplish
ment-and without much regard to the
partisan book Of rules.
Hoover's violation" Of System.
Indeed, we had an introduction to
this political phenomenon in the last
ceeding further. No Republican candi-
date before Mr.. Hoover dared to disre-
gard the dictates Of partisanship SO
flagr2ptly as did the incumbent Of the
Vcete 1Souse And no Republican
President NOT even Roosevelt - be-
fore has dareN to go shopping for pub
lie service talent without the Republic
can "woh's Who at hSi elbow and
select group of senatorial counselors do
ing a good deal of the picking.
1t might be adduced that President
Hoover is skillfully taking advantage Of
the inherent weaknesses and disaffec-
tions in Republican and Democratic Or
sanizaticns to create q political struc-
ture of his own. Plausible whispers OF
this already are heard in circles given
to political cyniciSm. Moreover, 1t Is
quite possible that the Republican party
will in time become somewhat Hoover
tied.
But II this transpires. 1t will come
not in consequence Of political manipu-
lation: 1t will be realized not through
carefully measured dispensations OF pa
tronage; 1t will be achieved not through
scheming and trading with the powers
-Aann Drneida,,f EYn0vor