Evening star., 1934-11-25
LIBERALS IN c. 0. P.
FIGHT OLD GUARD.
Adoption of New Name and
Policy Urged by One
Faction.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


The builders and rebuilders Of the
Republican party are not getting
along at all we'll or together.
The builders are those Republicans
who wish to go right ahead building
up the G. o. P. on its present foun-
dations That means with many OF
the old guard leaders still in COM
manding places.
The rebuilders are those who desire
to throw out all the old guardsmen-
at least all those whom rebuilders re-
gard as representatives of wealth and
the interests. They are those who
wish q reorganization of the Repub-
iican national organization. They
demand a major operation.
The hue and cry has gone up from
a lot OF Republican throats that the
party must be "liberalized" as well as
rebuilt. The proposals range all the
way from a complete change in the
personnel of the Republican National
Committee to the adoption of a new
name for the party.
Whether the Republicans will ever
be able to get together on a party
program in view of the wide ano
diverse opinions as to what should be
done it is difficult to prophesy.
Leaders Back Here.
A number of outstanding Repub-
licans have filtered back to Washing
ton since the recent elections Sc
disastrous to the Republican forces
Among them are Senator Borah of
Idaho, Senator Fess of Ohio, Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan, Senator
Dickinson of Iowa and Senator Norris
of Nebraska The last. who has grown
more and more non-partisan with the
passing years, Is not so much inter
ested in whether the Republican party
lives or not as he is in the advance
ment of progressive legislation and
government.
Senator Borah has demanded 9
complete reorganization of the party
This necessarily would mean the elm
ination of Henry p Fletcher of Penn
sylvania as national chairman. While
the Idaho Senator has gone into nc
details yet Of his reorganization plans
complete reorganization woulc
necessarily eliminate from leadership
of the party in New York. for exam
pie, of Ogden Mills and Charles D
Hilles: in Connecticut, of J. Henry
Roraback; in Oregon of Ralph Will
liams; in California of Mark L. Requa
1t is the opinion OF Senator Borat
that the people will never rally tc
Republican leadership until all those
leaders whose names have come In
the past to be considered synonymous
with the old guard and. back of the
old guard, big business and the inter
ests so-called, have been dropped
This does not mean elimination of all
conservative Republicans. The people
however. visualize party through it:
| leaders. 1t would be idle to adopt q
liberal program and to dub the G. 0
P. a more liberal party while mer
who have come to be considered the
personifica ton of conservatism ant
standpatism remain in leading posi-
tions in the party.
Question of Salvage.
The question whether the Republi-
can party can be salvaged as a vigor-
Gus, going concern, standing in opposi
ton to the New Deal Democrats, a!
long as it continues to- bear its ole
name, has been raised by some Repub
licans who have held important public
office in the past. Frankly, their ide;
is to keep the party as conservative
bulwark against the radicaliSm OF th'
New Deal. Their hope is to persuade
conservative Democrats to abandon
the New Deal and to join with them
The Republican party would, undel
their guidance, become the "Libera
party" perhaps, in an effort to stane
forth not as an old-guard, stand-pa
political party, but as a more middle
of-the-road organization, combating
the Democratic party in its new guise
The abandonment of the name
Republican" and the inclusion oi
conservative and anti-New Dea
Democrats would virtually mean, moi
a rebuilding of the Republican party
but actually new party.
Such a suggestion-the abandon
ment of the Republican name-makes
no hit with Senator Borah. Nor, or
the other hand, does it make favor
able impression on Senator Fess OF
Senator Dickinson, both of whom
have been tied in closely with the
present Republican national organiza-
ton. Senator Borah frankly declare!
that to give up the Republican name
would be a great mistake.
Senator Fess, one of those who wen
down to defeat in the recent elections
fighting vigorously against the New
CONTINUED on PaSe 3, Column g.