Evening star., 1933-12-21
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

The upshot Of a number Of Repub-
lican pow-wows held in Washington
within recent days is that the G. o. P.
leadership is to continue a prayerful
and watchful waiting, leaving the future
to determine the issues OF the coming
campaign. At the most recent Of these
meetings luncheon held at the home
of former Senator Walter Edge of New
Jersey yesterday, plans for the Repub-
lican party were discussed but seemed
to get little beyond the stage of waiting
to see how the Democratic program
works out. Those Republicans who be-
lieve that the Roosevelt program is full
are confident that shift in public
sentiment Is, after all, just around the
corner, although they admit that SO
ton of the people. At the luncheon
with Mr.. Edge yesterday were Senator
McNary of Oregon, Republican leader;
Senator Reed Of Pennsylvania, Senator
Walcott of Connecticut and former
Senator Sackett of Kentucky. Former
secretary Of the Treasury Ogden Mills
OF New York was in conference with
Senator McNary earlier in the day.
talking over Republican prospects and
plans, but was not at the luncheon.
n \ Il
Several Of these gentlemen had conf
paratively recently been in conference
with former President Hoover 1t was
gathered that the former President be-
lieveS that the Democratic program will
produce all the grief for the Democratic
party needed to cause a change in pub
lie sentiment, and that all it needs is
time to prove the unwisdom of many
things the Democrats are doing.
So when the Congress meets, while
Republicans will attack, they will attack
as individuals various items in the
Roosevelt program and the administra-
ton of that program. Senator Borah
OF Idaho, for example, is expected to
crack down on that prince Of crackers,
Gen. Hugh s. johnson, and the N. R.
A., which the Idaho Senator has held
70 be unconstitutional and harmful to
the American farmer, since it advanced
the prices OF those things the farmer
had to buy. Others will attack the
monetary policy. Another group will
and the increase in the pubic debt by
many billions of dollars. Amendment
of the national recovery act, so that
cities and communities under $4,000 III
population and concerns employing not
more than SO men will be exempt from
the N. r. A. will be sought by some
Of the Republicans who hold that the
plan is all very well for the major in
dustries and for the big cities, but that
it is impossible to apply to small towns
and small factories with success and
without making it impossible for small
merchants to continue in business. 1t
is forcing, If strictly adhered to, further
huge combinations in trade.
When the American people have t.
foot the bill for all the big outlays now
being made by the Democratic ad-
ministration they will see matters in a
different light, the Republicans say.
More taxes. monetary imitation or re-
pudiation will be the result. It is not
a pleasing prospect. If the Republicans
are right.
The Republicans in the Senate are
| divided in thought, however, on many
Of the subjects that are to come up for
consideration. Their leadership does
not propose, therefore, to seek to line
them them up up as a party group; % p which 1ic W would
| public Of merely partisan political
move. Rather the warfare will be OF
the guerrilla kind For example, II
Senator Robinson Of Indiana wishes to
attack the administration because of
| its reduction of compensation to dis
| abled veterans or because of inter-
nationalSm or whatnot, no effort will
be made to halt him.
X y 4
There is considerable discussion as to
whether the Republican party can ever
come back, whether II Is on It's way
| into history with the Federalist party
and the Wing party of other days.
However. the two major political parties
of the last IS years, the Republican
and the Democratic parties, have shown
surprising ability to come to life when
| it looked as though they were down
and out forever. The Democratic party
survived the Civil War, the Republican
; party came back after its most dis
astrous split in 1912, and the Demo-
Gratis. after being sunk" in 1928, gave
the Republicans a terrible beating in
1882. 1t is urged: however. that the
G. o. P. is now thoroughly in eclipse
and that it is so divided between con-
servativeS and liberals it can never get
together again to become a dominant
| force. Some of the politicians see new
alignments. with conservatives of both
the old parties perhaps going into a
new party-call 1t the American party
! demanding a return to old American
ideals of life and government. Such
party, it IS urged would gain many
adherents in the present Democratic
solid South" men and women who
never would reconcile themselves to
| joining the Republican party. The title
Republican smackS too much Of Sher-
mans march to the sea and recon-
struction days to these people of the
other thing
The death of Representative James S
Parker of the twenty-ninth congress
sional district in New York takes from
the House a veteran Republican legis-
lator, formerly chairman of the i'm
portant Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce. Mr.. Parker had
made an enviable reputation for him
self in his long service in Congress
His death marks the passing of another
strong conservative. He hailed from a
district upstate" which has been
strongly held by the Republicans. and
even in the landslide year of 1882 Mr.
Parker'S lead over his Democratic
opponent was $4,000 votes.
X y X
The Republican party in New York
State, which seemed to be coming to
life again with the overthrow of the
Democratic organization in New York
City by Mayor-elect Fiorello La
Guardia and Fusion" is in the throes
of party row again, with w. Kings
| land Macy, Republican State chairman
fighting it out with the Republican
leadership in the Assembly. Mr.. Macy
declared that the leadership in the
Assembly should be changed. that it
was dominated by the public utility
interests. Whereupon the Republican
members of the assembly, considering
themselves insulted, put through a
resolution for the appointment of a
committee to inquire into the charges
| made by Macy. This inquiry Mr.
Mary claims is merely a whifewa shipo