Evening star., 1934-12-09
BY NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT,


~e selves with the fact that As
per cent of the votes cast in the recent
election were for Republican candi-
dates.
On the face of it, this does not seem
to be bad showing. The Republican
headquarters in Washington proudly
points to the fact that the Republican
vote in 1884 was nearly Sc per cent
of the vote for Hoover in 1892.
whereas the Democratic vote in 1884
was only II per cent of the vote for
Roosevelt in 1882.
The ract remains. however, that in
the great strongholds of the Republi-
can party the Republican machines
underwent almost complete defeat.
New York not only reelected Demo-
cratic Governor with larger ma
jority than in 1882. but it reelected
Democratic Senator with a larger
majority than in the last election, and
into the bargain the Democrats cap
tured both houses of the State Legis-
lature In Pennsylvania the Demo-
cratic candidate for Governor received
nearly so per cent more votes than did
Clifford Pinchot in his last election.
The Democratic candidate for the
Senate received almost 100000 more
votes than the corresponding candi-
date two years ago and defeated the
Republican Senator by upward OF
10000 votes
The Republicans lost half Of their
seats in Congress In Ohio the Repub-
lican candidate for the Senate, Simeon
Fess, was defeated by 100000 votes
|. and received nearly 800 900 votes less
than the Republican candidate in
1882. In Indiana the Republican can
didate for the Senate was defeated by
nearly $4,000 votes and received 15O,-
600 less than the corresponding candi-
date in 1892 In Connecticut the story
Is about the Same-the Republican
candidate for the Senate was defeated
by substantial majority and polled
fewer votes than did Mr. Hoover two
years ago In New Jersey the "Old
Guard" candidate for the Senate was
beaten, but a young Republican was
elected Governor.
Liberal Gets BY.
While it is, Of course, true that in
most States the total votes were smaller
this year than in 1882. the lesson of
these defeats is obvious. Among the
Republicans defeated for the Senate
we're Messrs. Reed. Fess. Robinson of
Indiana, Kean and Walcott-all of
them identified in the public mind
with the most reactionary type of
Republicanism. Even in Michigan the
more liberal Republican candidate for
the Senate. Mr.. Vandenberg. got by
with narrow margin and polled only
about so per cent of his previous vote.
Even though the country over
whelmingly Endorsed the policy Of
spending, it is not enough to say. by
way of explaining these terrible losses,
that you cannot beat Santa Claus"
At the same time it is obviously not
correct to say that the country is
more than ever in favor of the NeN
Deal Rather does it favor support
ing the President and giving him a
free hand There are signs. however,
of increasing dissatisfaction with
many of his policies. not only in the
South, but also in the West As
matter of fact, the only important Re
publican gains were made in some Of
the Western States notably in Kansas,
Oklahoma and the Dakotas. Even in
Iowa, Nebraska and other Middle
Western States the Republican losses
in the total number of votes cast were
not as great as the losses Of the Demo-
Gratis.
How, then, can the Republican fail
ure in the East be explained?
Less Faith in Leaders.
Only by the fact that the large body
of independent voters in the country.
even though increasingly distrustful of
the New Deal, have still less faith in
the old Republican leaders than they
have in the New Dealers. THE Old
Guard Republican leadership is bank
rupt" is the remark commonly heard
throughout the country. THE leaders
are without vision. without ideas. with
out a sympathetic understanding of
the Nations problems. They are liv-
ing in an age that is past. They have
not caught up with the world"
These and similar sentiments are
to be heard on every hand And they
contain fair measure of truth. The
party has offered no constructive pro-
gram. Most of its leaders have fol-
lowed the old tactics of vilifying and
misrepresenting the opposition. Worst
of all, the Old Guard element, with
SNUG complacency has assumed that
all they need do is to sit back and
wait for the tide to turn. The voters
have no place else to CO." is their
usual remark; "they have got to come
back to U.s."
What the Old Guard refuses to
realize Is that although the country
may be slowly swinging back to con-
servatism. the people are through with
the old reactionary leaders.
Take the situation in New York
State. The last liberal Republican
Governor in this State was Charles
Evans Hughes. from 1906 to 1910.
Charles S. Whitman was machine
man. and Nathan L. Miller was a
conservative. The State machine,
throughout nearly all this time was in
the hands of ultra a-conservatives-me
like William Barnes, jr.; Charles D.
Hilles, James w. Wadsworth, jr.;
Machold and others. In the United
States Senate since the days of Root
and Depew there have been but two
Republicans from New York State
Wadsworth and Calder-both of the
Old Guard. In the House of Repre-
sentatives the majority of the Repub-
licans in recent years have been ma
chine men of the old school.
Helped Defeat Moses.
These leaders as a group resisted
the efforts of the elder Theodore
Roosevelt to liberalize and modernize
the party quarter century ago. Many
of them have resisted all similar
efforts since that time.
Some helped to defeat Robert
Moses this year because they knew
him to be fearless and independent.
In the State Legislature the party
organization played the game in the
tradition of the Pennsylvania Repub-
licanism of Quay, Penrose and Ware.
Above all, the leaders clung to their
own personal power and patronage,
regardless of the interests of the