The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-11-23
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National Topics Interpreted - fTYTT7TTN&
by William Bruckart @snF1r1T
National Topics Interpreted
by William Bruckart


Election of an analysis and
Analysis already there is
general conclusion
discernible as to two things:
~ The Republican party must un-
dergo complete reorganization. com
plete elimination Of the old line lead
ers and the assumption of power by
virulent forward looking men and
women Of the newer generations.
(2) President Roosevelt, accorded
the greatest vote Of confidence ever
given a Chief Executive, is confronted
with the greatest responsibility ever
laid on the lap Of one individual in the
history of this nation.
Thus, there can be no doubt, accord
ing to astute judges, that Mr.. Roose-
welt and his administration are in real
danger because he has too many blind
followers. 1t seems to be generally
agreed among political leaders and OBJ
servers-that is, all political leaders
excepting those who refuse to believe
change has come-that the Republican
party went into the recent campaign
and finished that campaign without
any kind of program. Some critics
are saying that Henry P. Fletcher, the
Republican national chairman, Is to
blame. I do not find that criticism sup.
ported generally. But in politics some
one always must be the goat and ap-
parently Mr.. Fletcher is to be made
the goat by those Republicans who
have been unable or unwilling ito
take it."
Mr.. Fletcher and his co-workers, Sen
ator Hastings Of Delaware, and Repre-
sentative Bolton of Ohio, are known to
have pulled back in their criticisms OF
the administration. The consensus
seems to be, however, that this alone
was not sufficient to have resulted in
the overwhelming defeat which the
party suffered. 1t was, rather, an en-
tire lack of definite proposals from the
Republican leadership, and throughout
the country, according to well anthem
ticated information, the younger crowd
of Republicans was apathetic. They
had nothing to encourage them and
nothing to offer in argument in the
place of the things the New Deal was
preaching. a,
In some quarters it is emphatically
insisted that the New Dealers, theories
and all, amounted to light in the dis
NAL darkness Of the economic depres-
sion. This school of thought argues
that it does not matter whether success
has crowned the Presidents recovery
efforts. He at least has maintained
a forward-appearing movement and in
the absence of anything constructive
from the other side, people down
troaden and with resources exhausted
look to him with a hope which they
could not pin to any other flag staff.
But, as said above, Mr.. Roosevelt has
his problems. They are more danger
Gus than when ne
Presidents took office. With
Problems more than two
thirds majority in
each house Of congress, the President,
it is held generally. must guard himself
against too many friends.
The two-thirds majority always has
been regarded as fine asset for an ad-
ministration in forcing through legisla-
tion where it is necessary to apply a
gag rule. This is particularly true in
the house of representatives which has
a tendency to become maelstrom on
too many occasions. Many new mem
bers, embued with the idea of a New
Deal mandate, will swallow the Presi-
dents legislative proposals without
question. History shows this to be
most dangerous condition for the Chief
Executive. He has no opposition to
call attention to mistakes, weaknesses.
or vulnerable spots iu the programs
which he offers. l.s
One official, and rather high Off
cial at that, suggested the other day
that he was in favor of organizing" an
opposition bloc in the house and sem
ate. 1t was his conviction that If there
were critics among the Democrats, they
would constitute something of leader
ship for the Republican minority and
that, by these two groups, valuable
criticism Of administration policies
would be available. All through the
last session of congress numerous con-
sentative Democrats, mainly from the
South, were working under cover to
hold the brain trust programs within
bounds. Many of the senator's. and
representatives as well. went about
their work quietly but none the less
effectively and. think it is conceded
by most persons in a position to know,
that these men kept the. New Deal
from going too far to the left.
One other phase of the Roosevelt
problem deserves consideration. The
campaign showed
Ultr0-K0dIc0l any number of men
Threat seeking election on
the Democratic ticket
to have ideas far beyond the New Deal
program. In fact. some of them are ul-
tra-radical. Observers here contend