Evening star., 1934-10-07
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

TINE only discussion of current
American politics that gets
below the surface is that which
L watches the ebb and tide of two
forces-one pulling America to-
ward a new form of society and Gov
eminent, the other holding US to our
traditional form. That is the real
conflict of tides. Discussion in terms
Of Republican versus Democratic Is
superficial.
AS bearing on the deeper contro-
versy, let us observe what has hap
pened about Mr.. Upton Sinclair and
the Democratic party.
When Mr.. Sinclair was In Washing
ton last month he volunteered to an
swer questions at luncheon given by
the National Press Club. OF all the
questions, the most pertinent and
penetrating was one asked by Mr.. Jay
G.. Hayden of the Detroit News-I
quote 1t from memory:
Mr.. Sinclair, you have four times
run for Office on the Socialist ticket,
and today you are running on the
Democratic ticket. Now, will you tell
us just what is the difference between
your views when you were running on
the Socialist ticket and your present
views when you are running on the
Democratic ticket?"
Tried New Technique.
In reply, Mr.. Sinclair was candid, as
he was to most of the questions. In
effect he answered-again I quote
from memory:
II found was not getting anywhere
as a Socialist, and SO decided to try
to make progress with one of the two
old parties. I haven't changed
my ideas; I have merely changed my
technique
We hardly needed that assurance
from Mr.. Sinclair himself TO know that
in principle. in purpose-in what he
wants to bring about-he is just as
much Socialist now. when he has
the letter ID" for Democrat after his
name. as he was when he had the let
ter IS" for Socialist.
Here, then, We have a landmark.
For the first time in American history
Socialist has been nominated for
Governor of State by one of the two
major parties. The significance is en-
phasized by the rank of California
among the States-it is seventh in
population and it has an importance
rather greater than is indicated by its
rank.
This indisputably is a sign Of the
times. 1t does not matter in which
party the incident arose. In its bear
ing on the national trend. the heart of
the matter is that one of the two great
parties took measurable step in the
Socialist direction. I can imagine some
future historian putting it something
like this
In the year 1884. in a period of
political chaos brought on by five years
OF depression. one of the two parties
which had provided America with its
political machinery for some 80 years,
took the first recognizable turn toward
Socialism"
I have spoken of the nomination of
Mr.. Sinclair as a measurable step. -
1t is more than measurable, it is SEN
sational. And it is more than one step,
1t Is one Of a series, the sum Of which
composes, it is fair to say, sign of a
trend.
TugwelI's Appointment Cited
The first formal action marking the
trend occurred on June l3. 1884. when
the Democrats in the Senate confirmed
the nomination of Prof Rexford G..
Tugwell to be Undersecretary of Aeri-
culture. In saying this, in the present
connection, seem to imply that Prof.
Iugwen is a Socialist. That is not
technically accurate. And it is Pc
culiarly important in the present state
OF American politics that we should be
accurate and not use such words as
Socialist" loosely, nor as mere epi-
thets. 1t would be both unfair and
misleading to group Prof. Tugwell. who
has an exact mind. with Mr.. Sinclair,
who has an erratic mind The true
definition Of Prof. Tugwell's position
is that, as Mr.. Walter Lippmann puts
it, Prof. Tugwell may. l suppose
fairly be called a collectivist." In the
terminology of this sort of thing
which Americans will need to learn
"Collectivism" is a broad term which
includes Socialism" The distinction
will not matter much to the historian
who reviews this period of American
politics in the light of 20 years after.
That historian will write, imagine,
something like this:
In June, 1884, one of Americas two
great historic parties, acting through
its representatives in the Senate, know
ing Prof. Tugwell to be a Collectivist,
confirmed his appointment to a high
public Office in which he would have
opportunity to put forward his doc
trines."
Sinclair Seen Popular.
The confirmation of Prof. Tuewell
by the Senate in June was less signifi-
cant that the nomination of Mr.. Sim
clair by the California Democrats in
August. While 43 Democratic Senators
voted to confirm DR.. Tugwell with
only 6 voting againsD that might be
explained as merely confirmation of a
presidential appointee. The nomination
OF Mr.. Sinclair, on the other hand, was
an action by the rank and file of Demo
cratic voters. BY vote of more than
two to one, with substantially half the
registered Democrats voting, they
named the most prominent Socialist in
the country to be their candidate for
Governor.
The period following the nomina-
tion OF Mr.. Sinclair by the Democrats
Tor Governor Of California was, by the
nature Of things, momentous. The
nomination could have been an &C.
centric incident-or it could be an in
disputable step in a trend. The de-
cislon lay with the Democratic lead
ers, both nationally and locally in
California. The Democrats who are
not Socialists and do not believe in