Evening star., 1934-04-22
Ply MARK SULLIVAN.

" DuI Wf1tIl
President Roosevelt says
that all of us must come
to "a permanent readjustment of
many of our ways of thinking and
therefore OF many of our social and
economic arrangements" so must
some OF the Republicans, in a quite
different sense, of course, modify some
OF their thinking. However. what /
am saying deals with an opportunity
which is probably water over the dam.
might have been"
My main point is this: II would
have been better had the organized
opposition to the radical portions of
the new deal come from the Democrats
rather than from the Republicans. l
need hardly prove that the radical
portions of the new deal land l speak
mere only of the radical portions) are
as contrary to Democratic principle
and tradition as to Republican. Rather
more so, for one of several radical
possibilities within the new deal is
Fasclsm, and FaScism favoring great
organizations of business, would be
more offensive to Democratic principle
than to Republican indeed, the fact
is that the Fascist possibility inherent
IN N. R. A. constantly appeals to big
business, constantly causes big buSi-
ness to toy with the notion of en-
bracing the new deal as a whole in
Guiding the radical portions. in the
hope that out of it. by natural evo-
luton, will come permanent advan-
tage for big business. such as has
come in the Italian cooperative
state" Since a portion (but only a
portion) of the new deal holds out
the lure II think the lure will be
delusion) of advantage for big busi-
ness; and since a large part of big
business is traditionally Republican it
follows that the social and economic
innovations inherent in the new deal
as a whole are really less r2pugnant
to the Republicans than to t, Demo-
Gratis.
Fascism W Id Be Brief.
But all 1 have said so far has mean
ing only for the moment. If the radi-
cal portions of the new deal should
lead to Fascism, that phase would not
last long in the United States. The
spirit of our politics is prevailingly
hostile to big business. Consequently
FasciSm, if it should come, would have
brief life. and would be followed by
something very different
In what am trying to say. my first
assertion is that it is pity that oppo
sition to the new deal in an organized
way should begin with Republicans
and be confined to them. My second
is that it woud have been, and will
yet be, much more desirable that the
opposition should start from the DEM
ocrats. My third assertion is that et-
fective resistance to the radical por-
tions of the new deal can not be con-
fined to either the Republicans or the
Democrats. If the resistance is to be
effective, if it is to give adequate op-
portunity to all who now find or will
later find the radical portions of the
new deal unacceptable-in that event
there must be some kind of union or
cooperation between large groups OF
persons who are now in both the Dem
ocratic and the Republican parties.
In short, opposition to the radical
portions of the new deal, if it is to DE
effective must either take the form of
a new party or of an arrangement
which provides cooperation between
large numbers of people, some of whom
are now Republicans and some now
Democrats.
For the present the idea of new
party must be dismissed. AS to the
future, the more extreme portions of
the new deal are so revolutionary in
their implications that it is impossible
to predict what will happen, either in
carrying the new deal out or in oppo-
sition to it. But for the immediate
purpose it is too late for a third party
We are on the eve of a congressional
campaign which will come to its cli-
max in the election of a complete
House of Representatives and one
third Of the Senate in November. For
taking an effective hand in this con-
greSSional election it is obviously too
late to organize a third party that
could reach down to the local polls
and set up candidates in each con-
gressional district.
G. o. P. Attack Expected.
For saying it is not best that opposi-
ton to the radical portions of the new
deal should begin with and be identi-
fled with Republicans. my reason is
this: Everybody knows that the ad
miniStration in power would be at
tackled by Republicans under any con-
dition. If President Roosevelt were
as conservative as his Democratic
predecessor, Grover Cleveland; or had
as reverent regard for the ConStitu-
ton as his other Democratic predeceS-
sor, Woodrow Wilson, he would be
opposed by the Republicans anyhow.
Even if the administration in power
did not include any new deal, even II
it were the most normal Democratic
administration, in that event the Re-
publicanS would oppose it. Conse-
quently when Republicans attack the
administration many average voters Of
the independent type are not moved.
They take it for granted that this is
just an ordinary case of Republicans
opposing Democrats. and consequently
their minds are dulled to aWarenesS
of the extreme and unprecedented
changes in social organization which
the new deal leads to. Also opposition
by the Republicans has the effect OF
consolidating Democrats in support
of the new deal.
If, on the other hand, the Demo-
Gratis should begin the opposition to
the new deal, the startling quality of
that act would wake the country up to
what the radical portion of the new
deal means. There was time, few
weeks ago, when it was distinctly pos
sible that the Democrats would take
the lead. Many Democrats in Con-
gress had become deeply concerned
about the radical part of the new
deal. Just at that moment came the
sensational charges made by DR.. Will
liam A Writ. At first the impulse
of some of the Democrats was to
support DR.. Writ and to make use
of this opportunity to make the pub
lie aware of what the radical part of
the new deal means. In the end.
however, the Democrats decided to
cry DR.. Writ down and to minimize
his charges. AS the net of the Writ
incident, and because the congress
sional elections are so close ahead,