Evening star., 1934-08-19
HAS ROOSEVELT FINALLY
FOUNDED A THIRD PARTY?
Election Contest Between New Dealers
and Conservative Democrats Sug-
gested as Timely Issue.

has seized their name. Would that
be enough to satisfy conservative
Democratic voters throughout the
country? Many. no doubt, would be
satisfied.
Another Speculation.
There is another possibility. II
Sinclair wins in California, and II the
national Democratic leaders do not
repudiate HMM that event the
coming congressional election might
take on a change of direction and
vitality 1t does not now have. Great
numbers Of conservative Democratic
voters, and independent ones. might
feel that a paramount issue has en-
tered the situation. Feeling that, they
might vote in large numbers for Re-
publican candidates for Congress, in
way that ordinarily they never
would.
For such favoring turn of fortune,
the Republicans would be grateful.
They need 1t. AS of today, the Re-
publicanS are at a somber disadvan-
tage. utterly outclaSsed by the Demo-
Gratis as respects organization and
funds, and also because of the pres
ent popularity of the President, who
occupies the White House under a
Democratic label. AS of today, the
Republicans do not seem likely to win
more than, at the outside, so seats
from the Democrats-which would
not be terrible loss to a Democratic
party which now has $40 out of a
total House membership of ABS.
But realization by the country Of
what is really under way, whether by
the sight of Socialist Sinclair winning
the California Democratic nomination
for Governor, or by some other cause
might readily start a deep current in
favor of Republican candidates for
the House. Decidedly and overwhelm-
ingly, America is not a Socialist
minded country. True, at the mo-
ment and since 1892, it does not seem
a Republican-minded country. But
as between Socialist and Republican
there is not the faintest question.
Roosevelt Still Popular.
That the new deal is not the his
toric Democratic party is undeniable.
One of several questions is: What will
the Democrats do about it? Many
Democrats, not much concerned about
party principles in this chaotic time,
and seeing Mr.. Roosevelt as an ex-,
tremely popular figure, prefer identif1-
cation with him to any sentiment or
conviction about party tradition. To
this group politics is a method of
getting elected to office, and there
fore association with Mr.. Roosevelt
and the new deal is the easy way.
But a considerable number of Demo-
Gratis, having a sense of trust about
party principles and about the party
as a going concern on a longtime
basis, are seriously disturbed. At least
nine very prominent ones have spoken
out, either in direct and forceful
speech, or by their votes in the Sem
ate, or otherwise. They are: Senator
Glass Of Virginia, Senator Byrd of
Virginia, Senator Bailey of North
Carolina. Senator Gore of Oklahoma,
Gov. Ely of Massachusetts,, ex-Gov.
Smith of New York, former Demo-
cratic Presidential Candidate John w.
Davis, Chief Justice Pattangall of
Maine, and cambridge Colby, who
was Secretary of State in the cabinet
Of Woodrow Wilson.
Woodrow Wilson's Secretary Of State
has expressed his disquiet about the
trend of the Democratic party in two
speeches which rank with the most
forceful made in America in recent
years. Paragraph after paragraph, by
their forensic quality, cry out for
quotation. I reprint a few sentences:
What Colby Says.
Gas a Democrat I propose to take
the time necessary to get my bearings.
Belonging to a party which, through
out our history, has jealously resisted
every undue extension of govern
mental function at the expense of the
individuals liberty, feel entitled to
ascertain what has happened to my
party that its present leaders should
be so intent upon crushing every SEN
timent and garroting every principle,
regarded heretofore as characterizing
the Democratic party"
Alluding to pamphlet written by
Secretary of Agriculture Henry A.
Wallace, Colby says:
I'VE are Sternly admonished that
America Must Choose'-choose be-
tween our inherited and deeply In
grained faith in freedom and indi-
vidual liberty endeared to us by time
and the triumphs we have won under
their banners, and this un-American
alternative called RECOMMENDATION, or,
as 1t is sometimes described, planned
direction Of all our actions to which
the new control can be applied"
Administration Is Target.
Colby aims some of his remarks
directly at the administration:
Gradually it has dawned upon the
country, and it is now quite plain,
that recovery is only partially the aim
of the administration. A great part of
its interest has been in radical insti-
tutional overturn and the new model
ing of the Government, which has
moved toward it's detectives at times
I regret to say, with a certain indi-
rection, avoiding admission of its de-
signs until it was found convenient to
lay aside concealment."
In Colby's resentment, there is no
difference between the term admins
tration," as he uses it, and President
Roosevelt personally. Colby replies to
Mr.. Roosevelt's suggestion that there
should be no criticism except what
the President would regard as Con
Structive." Colby answers:
at is clear that an administration
harboring such thinking will have to
meet America at the crossroads and
sustain a vast amount of criticism.
I mean criticism which will
pluck of masks, face unpleasant facts
and uncover them, reach down to the
vitals of covert design and unavowed
purpose and exhibit to the people in
clear outline and Ineligible terms
the changes sought to be impressed
upon their Government"