Evening star., 1933-04-18
BY DOLLY GANN.

This country is normally Republican
by 100000 or 100000 votes AS our
party's ticket lost in 1882 by more than
$500 900 votes, the obvious query is,
"Why?"
The devastating defeat was brought
chief among them the depression. When
the Republican party could no longer
produce bumper crops and busy fac
tories. or guarantee free flow of credit
and growing foreign markets, the people
felt its wizardry had gone. When the
financial markets crashed in 1929 con-
ditions were created which could not be
overcome in the short interval before
the national campaign of 1882.
President Hoover and his cabinet
worked out relief programs without re-
gard to the effect upon their political
fortunes For time the Democrats
went along with the Republicans but
the opportunity to play politics was too
alluring. They determined on a pro-
gram of their own. If any program
was ever decided upon however, they
kept it deep secret until after election.
The administration waS the target for
criticism from farmer. laboring man.
merchant and manufacturer Each felt
AAAo IlCSu hdS lAlc
problem. Each insisted his difficulty
should be solved first. When the solu-
tion could not be found the support he
had given the Republican party melted
away.
The Democrats were quick to take
advantage, and they made the most of
1t. They had improved financial as
sistsnce, and for four years maintained
a high-powered publicity bureau which
lost no opportunity to point out any
thing that could be called mistake by
the Republican party and its leaders,
particularly those connected with the
national administration
1t was charged by some that the pur-
pose OF this bureau was to smear
Hoover" Whether this be true or not it
Is certain the barrage Of unfriendly
criticism aimed at the Chief Executive
and nearly all the other high officers
continued to be laid down by the chief
publicity writer and his assistants. In
contrast. the efforts of the Republican
Publicity Bureau was so feeble as to be
almost non-eXistent An improvement
was made by the addition Of Charles F.
Scott to the publicity staff of the Ma
tlonal Committee few months before
the active campaign. but the handicap
OF long inactivity was too great for even
80 experienced a rewsp PEI man to
overcome.
Took Roosevelt Lightly.
Unfortunately the Republican Com
mittee changed its chairman twice
authority was divided and interest
Jagged. Added to all this was over
confidence, difficult to avoid after the
party had been so long in control.
From the heads of Government down,
for some reason which now seems i'm
possible to explain, the feeling was that
Franklin D. Roosevelt would be the
easiest man to defeat among those the
Democrats might nominate. I shared
this delusion. Many observers were
confident his talk about the forgotten
man." with its implication of radical
leanings and hostility toward business,
would wreck his chances.
One of our heaviest blows was the
RECONCILIATION" between Roosevelt and
Smith. We had counted on Smiths
silence and the consequent support of
the Smith followers. 1t seemed. until
these forces joined heartily in the
Roosevelt campaign during the closing
weeks, that our strength had been vast
" increased by the breach at the DEM
ocratic convention. where the Hearst
McAdoo- Garner alliance against Smith
suddenly effected Roosevelt's nomina-
ton.
1t is no wonder, with the party In
mental state part depressed and part