Evening star., 1934-07-15
RY MARK SULLIVAN.


President RooseveltS depart
ure for Hawaii. newspapers
- having Washington corre-
spondents carried dispatches
TO the effect that Mr.. Roosevelt wishes
to see Progressive Republican Senator
Robert NJ. L La Toilette Of Wisconsin
reelected AS it was put by Frank
Kent In the Baltimore Sun.
The best guess is that he tPreSi-
dent RoosevelO will give his personal
Endorsement to Mr.. La Toilette. There
is no doubt he wants to. He so indi-
Gated at a recent press conference and
efforts are being made to get the
Democratic candidate 0or Senator in
wisconsin, to withdraw
This information can be accepted
by the public as accurate. Mr. Roose-
welt wishes Senator La Toilette to be
re-elected-even though necessarily
he must hesitate TO formally and pub
licly ask the Democratic organization
In Wisconsin not 10 put up candi-
date against Mr.. La Toilette. Prevent
ing the Wisconsin Democrats from
having a candidate is a thing the
President cannot openly do-presum-
ably that chore will be for some one
acting for the President.
Bv the dissemination Of this In
formation about the Presidents attl-
tude a large part Of his purpose Is
achieved. The Democratic voters oil
Wisconsin know. indirectly but accu-
rately. that Mr. Roosevelt wishes them
to vote for Senator La Toilette. THIS
information about the Presidents at
titude presumably will be reinforced
and made conspicuous by the speech
he is expected to make IN Wisconsin
in August.
The newspapers which have com
mented on this information, treat II
as a political incident having major
meaning. They are right cannot
recall any former President Of either
partv who directly or indirectly gave
public support to the election OF a
senator belonging to another party
Of my recollection about this is IN
correct. perhaps some reader with q
better memory will check me up
make the generalization oft-hano
without reSearch)
The incident evokes many Specula-
tions. raises many questions, to none
of which can the answer be clear at
the present time. Does it mean. as
some newspaper comment suggests
that Mr.. Roosevelt will later, in 1885
head a new party to be made up OF all
who believe in the new deal? douo1
whether Mr.. Roosevelt has this In
tention at present.
Does 1t mean, regardless of whether
President Roosevelt may take the inl-
tiative in forming a new party on MS
side-does it mean that those who
oppose the new deal will form a new
party? There is not, as yet, any sign
of this. either.
What effect will Mr.. Roosevelt S
support of La Toilette, the discourag-
ing of a Democratic candidacy against
Mr. La Follette-what effect will that
have on Democrats throughout the
country. outside Wisconsin, Demo
Gratis who are Democrats first and
new dealers afterward?
If Mr.. Roosevelt is not Democrat
in WiSConSin--or in New Mexico
where Progressive Republican Senator
Cutting is up for re-electionfl or in
Minnesota, where Farmer Labor Sen
ator Shipsted is up-if Mr.. Roose-
velt Is not a Democrat IN these states
and in other parts of the West is
he then a Democrat in the South
and the East?
How About Pennsylvania?
What position will Mr.. Roosevelt
take in Pennsylvania If 1t should
happen that the Progressive Repub-
lican Pinchot should run as a third
candidate for Senator against the
two men who have already been nom-
mated by the Republicans and DEM
ocrats, respectively. Senator David
A. Reed running for reelection, and
Joseph M. Guffey?
What effect will the episode have
on Republican party strategy, in the
State affected and out? Will they
conclude that Senators and Repre-
sentatives, anywhere and everywhere,
who are indorsed by Mr.. Roosevelt
are by that fact not Republicans?
To none of these questions is the
answer apparent yet. Perhaps by
November we may know better what
realignments or other changes in
American politics are likely to ensue
from the present situation. We know
that American politics is in a state
of fiux. Within the general fiux Is
at least one concrete condition: The
new deal cuts at right angles across
the lines of the old parties.
There are Democrats who, by in
stinct, conviction and principle, dis
trust the new deal. l should say,
with much confidence, that more
than half the Democrats in the Sen
ate and in the House are opposed
to the new deal. or to parts of it.
They have supported it, so far, only
from the feeling for party regularity.
And since Mr.. Roosevelt now absolves
himself from the obligation Of party
regularity. are these Democrats who
do not like the new deal-are these
now similarly relieved from the OBJ
legation of regularity?
Perhaps Mr. Roosevelt's action
about La Toilette may make the
existing f1ux greater yet. 1t may
open the way for, and give justi-
fication for, the vision David Law
renee has-a Constitutional Demo-
cratic party" in 1886, to be led and
manned by Democrats who do not
like the new deal, analogous to the
gold Democrats" who in 1896 de-
parted from the party when William
Jennings Bryan took it to free silver.
Republicans at a Disadvantage.
For leading the public toward thor
ough understanding of the new deal,
and decision upon it, the Republicans
are at a disadvantage This is inher-
ent in the nature of things. Every
body knows that if some other Demo-
crat were President, any other Demo-
crat, and if that Democrat we're man
aging the country along the lines of
traditional Democratic and American
principIes-in that case the Repub-
licans would be engaged in a cam
paign to elect Congressman; and being
so engaged. they would criticize the
Democratic President and his deeds.
Because everybody knows that no
body is as deeply stirred as might be