Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-05-13
BY NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT,

EHgtuHQ! ELc.
rs the Republican Party MORALLY
i'll, as its opponents claim, or
may 1t recover?
i The answer to this question will
be found in the capacity of the
party's present leaders for self-sacri-
flee and for learning the lessons of
the past.
The present prospects of accomplish
ing this soon are not encouraging. The
chief reason for this is that the man
agement of the party remains tightly
IN the hands of the Old Guard, most
of whom believe that they have mere
ly to wait until the Democrats make
enough blunders and the country will
then turn again for salvation to the
G.. o. P. as it did after the World
War and Wilson.
Little is heard of the need of I'M
derstanding the changed temper of
the American people. Many leaders
are deaf to the cries of the hundreds
of thousands of normally Republican
young voters who are disguised with
Old Guard leadership. They are blind
to the writing on the wall, which in
language SO plain that all but them
selves understand, reads that they
have been weighed in the balance and
found wanting.
Only Two Sustained Veto.
To those among the leaders who
seek to belittle these statements as
mere congratulations I point to the
vote in Congress to override the Presi-
dents veto Of the independent Offices
bill. All the Republicans in the Sen
ate and 81 Republicans in the House
voted down the President. Only two
had the courage and foresight to sus-
tain his veto.
This action was correctly accepted
by the country as proof positive that
the present leadership of the Repub-
lican party is bankrupt. And no
amount of explanation on the part
of those who voted against the Presi-
dent can change this opinion. The
country does not care that the vote
was not the result of a caucus. 1t is
not interested in whether 100000 900,
or $50 ,000, 900 or only 100000 of the
s228, 100000 involved was for the vet
Grams of the Spanish and World Wars.
1t does not care whether this be mis-
called bonus" or a gift under any
other name
What the country saw was that the
Republicans almost to a man voted
to support bad bill which the Presi-
dent had courageously vetoed, and did
this for partisan purposes, just as the
Democrats had overridden the vetoes
of similar measures by Messrs. Hard
ing, Cooling and Hoover Some, I'M
doubtedly, voted sincerely. Others
feared the veterans Hobbies. But 1t
was plain beyond mistaking that,
as the spokesman of the Old Guard
in the House put it. they saw the
chance to give the President the worst
licking any President had had in years.
Hence their almost unanimous vote.
Country Has No Illusions.
Is this leadership? Some of the
gentlemen in Congress believe it is.
But the country has no illusions.
Put bluntly, the party is disorgan-
lied and has few leaders worthy of
the name. Many in power are in
| terested rather in place than in
strengthening the party by making
way for young blood and fresh ideal
ism and energy. AS if this were not
enough. there is still a deep cleavage
in the party which at the same time Is
sectional and involves fundamental
questions of principle. The radical
Westerners and the conservative East
ernerS are at opposite poles. In the
/ West the radicals control many of
the State machines, and in the East
the machines are in the hands of
the Old Guard. The resulting incom-
patibility not only makes cooperation
| between Westerners and Fasteners
difficult. but alienateS locally the
more moderate elements in the party
who in the East resent the domina-
ton Of the reactionaries and in the
West dislike and distrust the profess
sional extremes of the radicals. In
this great group of more or less like
minded men and women is the real
backbone of the Republican party.
And yet this is the group which. be-
cause for the moment inarticulate, is
ignored by the leaders. Unable to in
fluence the leaders, its only recourse
is to repudiate them.
Spirit of Revolt.
These men and women of moderate
views are filled today with a spirit OF
revolt. They revolt not only against
the seifishness. greed and stupidity
of the old party leaders, whether
Eastern conservatives or Western rad
icals, but also against the cynical
indif of the leaders to prin-
ciples and ideals. Too wise to be-
lieve that Franklin D. Roosevelt as
a man or the Democratic party as an
organization has a monopoly of all
idealism, and convinced that the new
deal contains many Objectionable and
even dangerous features, nevertheless
these revolters are determined to pre-
vent return to power of the same
old gang with the same old policies.
These revolterS realize that a con-
structive opposition is absolutely in
diSpensable if the country is to be
saved from the errors of the mis-
guided theorists surrounding President
Roosevelt. The only audible opposi-
ton is pettily. partisan, personal and
purely negative.
Who are the party's leaders?
They may be divided into five gen.
eral classes: Cd The former President
| and his high appointees, together
with former cabinet members Of
earlier administrations; ca the mem.
beers in the Senate and House; 90 the
few high State officials: "a the men,
| bers Of the national committee and
the State party chairmen; (5) a small
group Of persons out of Office inter-
ested in party reorganization.
Few Outstanding individuals.
In these groups only a few individ-
ualS are outstanding. Mr.. Hoover has
correctly abstained from comment or
participation in party affairs. OF the
rest of his cabinet only Ogden Mills
has been active. His contributions
have been thoughtful, analytical and
constructive. But Mr.. Mills, whose
ability is exceptional, is handicapped
by his close identity with much that
was unpopular in MIR. Hoover's admin
istration.
In the Senate and House only a