Evening star., 1934-11-12

Election post-mortems are the order
OF the day and probably will be
until the new Congress convenes and
speculation is succeeded by action.
Whether the New Deal will turn right
or left and the future of the Repub-
lican party are. the themes around
which gossip and guessing mainly
revolve. Opinions on both subjects
differ widely. There are about as
many who think Rooseveltism is
bound to trend radical as there are
who believe F. D. r. is destined to
become a Gibraltar of conservatism.
The G. o. P. has reacted promptly to
Jim Farley's taunt that the elephant
is dead. Chairman Fletcher's figures,
showing that Al per cent of the total
vote cast on November was Repub-
lican and that, as compared with 1882,
the Democrats lost 100000 votes,
against 100000 lost by the Repub-
licans, are designed to prove to the
latter that their cause, while wrecked,
is not eternally hopeless.
Senator Borah'S opening gun in the
revived battle against the New Deal
demand for investigation of relief
funds-synchronizeS with the revela-
ton that the Democrats have al
ready singled out the celebrated
Idahoan as target for defeat in 1896.
The fact that the father of the Senate
is the only Republican left in the
Idaho delegation, both of the States
House seats having now been captured
by the Democrats, evidently en-
courages Messrs. Farley, Hurja ct al.
to think they can take" the veteran
progressive as soon as they get the
chance. Borah's friends reveal no
anxiety on that score. They say he's
an institution in Idaho and far more
difficult to uproot than big potatoes,
the States other speciality. Realizing
that Democratic guns are to be
trained on him, Borah is sure to be in
the opposition front line during the
next two years. At the end of that
timas he may not seem quite so vul-
nerable as some Democrats now think.
Gov. Ben Ross is the man they've
picked to beat big Bill"
X X
Warren r. Austin, Republican, Of
Vermont, who survived a terrific
Democratic attack, is expected to
lead the onslaught on the New Deal
in the Senate, now that Dave Reed
is gone There's no thought that
Senator McNary will be supplanted as
official G. o. P. leader, but his mod
| crate opposition to the Roosevelt
program, like that of Senator VAN
denberg Of Michigan, opens the way
for militant captaincy of anti-admin-
! istration forces Austin was marked
for slaughter, among other reasons,
because of his fight on Postmaster
General Farley's airmail policy. He
| is sure to come back more belligerant
] than ever.
Republicans who will be missed on
both sides of the House are that pair
| of veterans swallowed up in the
recent typhoon - Representatives
Robert Luce of Massachusetts, and
Clyde Kelley of Pennsylvania. Luce
was the acknowledged House parlia-
mentary authority. He will be sue
| ceeded by a man of distinguished
Democratic ancestry, Richard M.
Russell, heir of a one-time Governor
of Massachusetts,, William E. Russell,
who in the gay nineties rated as q
future President of the United States.
In Clyde Kelly's disappearance, postal
i employees lose their most ardent cham
pion.
X X \ \
Mrs. Roosevelt's announcement
that wine is to be served at White
House dinners rejoices the California
wine growers, who are about to
| launch a Nationwide drive to speed
up wine-drinking. Since repeal, wine
has not kept pace with hard liquor
in the taste Of the American public.
California thinks that's all wrong,
and seeks to remedy matters through