Evening star., 1934-03-11
POLITICAL REALICNMENI
MOVEMENT IS GROWING
Roosevelt's Domination of Congress
Expected to Be Increased-Partisan
Politics Not Emphasized.

Oll lilC SlOullu llldO lllCy 1llNOlNC
schemes of RECOMMENDATION of the pub
lie which are like those of the Rus
sian Soviet; that they involve a
breaking down of the American
theory of government and the de-
strIction of the Constitution. just as
was foreshadowed by minority OF
the United States Supreme Court in
the recent dissenting opinion in the
New York milk case.
But from a practical political stad
point there arises the question which
phase of the picture will allure the
most votes. AS to this question, there
can be no doubt of the answer in
the light of present conditions. All
testimony is to the effect that as
things stand now, President Roosevelt
continues to have the backing of the
large majority of the public for his
program. 1t may be added that this
is the view in both houses of Con-
gresS and that it is not because of
personal regard for the President that
House and Senate back up the legis-
lation he proposes. but because of a
feeling that he still has the country
WIN AiAiii'
The clear objective of the Demo-
cratic congressional campaign. as it
will be guided by President Roosevelt,
who is looking ahead to 1886 and be-
yond that. will be to win the support
of the millions of more or less in
dependent voters of the United
States. Those millions today are
more numerous than ever before. 1t
is conceded on all sides that party
ties never sat so lightly on the great
mass of voters as they do today. What
may be called the independent or
non-partisan vote was never SO nu-
merous as in these times.
Appeal to independents.
The objective of the Democratic
congressional campaign, or more cor
rectly, the Roosevelt campaign, will
not be to gain the support of the
dyed -the-Wool Democrats of the
country. Their support, with the pos
Sible exception of some extreme con-
servatives, who foresee a supplanting
of the Constitution with dictatorship
or Sovietism, is an assured fact.
1t Will be an appeal for the sup
port Of the millions Of independent
and near-independent voters, the in
surgent Republicans and those ele-
mentS in the Republican party that
nave generally been regular, but are
disposed to go along with an admin
lStratiOn that is able to show it has
a constructive policy to the advantage
of the country. This. the real cam
paign, the Democratic committees will
ostenSibly conduct. but President
Roosevelt actually will guide.
In a sense. this is not a new pro-
gram. 1t is in line with the program
carried out by Mr. Roosevelt in the
1882 campaign. 1t is in harmony
with his course in appointing such
progressive Republicans as Henry A.
Wallace and Harold L. Ickes to the
cabinet. 1t is in harmony with the
administration support of Senator
Hiram johnson for denomination and
reelection and the friendly attitude
taken toward Senator Robert M. La
Toilette of Wisconsin and Senator
Bronson Cutting of New Mexico. The
Roosevelt program is to reach out
and draw in the support of the vast
body OF more or less independent
voters and annex that support for
years to come to the principles and
policies of the new deal.
Old fashioned DispIeased.
That the Roosevelt political pro-
gram does not take well with many
old-fashioned Democrats need hardly
be said. They do not like it and
grumble about it. but for the most
part they will swallow their wrath.
They did not like the appointment of
progressive Republicans to the cabi-
net. They have complained that too
many Republicans got jobs or we're
kept in Office.
The administration disposition to
back Senator Johnson in California
has brought forth many vehement
protests from California Democrats
who insist this is not the way to build
up the Democratic party Democrats
IN Wisconsin and in New Mexico rebel
at the idea Of supporting Young Bob
La Toilette or Senator Cutting.
Conservative Democrats like SEN
ator Carter Glass of Virginia have
lnveighed bitterly against phases of
the administration program. 1t was a
Democrat, Associate Justice James C..
Reynolds OF the Supreme Court, who
wrote the dissenting opinion in the
New York milk case and who foresaw
IN the doctrine of the maiority-the
administration doctrine-that the
public welfare is paramount to the
letter of the Constitutional virtual
revolution in America.
But only few of the old-fash-
Toned Democrats are going to be so
stirred by the revolutionary aspects
OF the new deal that they will refuse
to vote the A'ket. On the other
hand, what of the future of politics
IN the United States if the admins
tratlon achieves its objective of unit
ing with tie Democratic voters many
millions of independent or near-inde-
pendent voters? Plainly the regular
Republican organization faces an up
nil task not alone in this campaign
but in 1896 if the Roosevelt grand
strategy succeeds.
Lain ID lcdlu Vi IllrQ party
movement. but it is apparent that
if the President should succeed in
large measure in holding the support
of a vast body of independent and
semi-independent voters, no third
party effort at this time or in the
near future could get anywhere.
Bearing on the situation is the fact
that many Republican leaders are by
no means blind to the Roosevelt pro-
gram. They perceive the vital neces-
sity on the part of the Republicans
of making a successful appeal to mil
lions of voters who may be said to
be in the middle of the road or veer-
ing over toward the left side of the
highway.
Senator Charles L. McNary, Repub-
lican leader of the Senate, is one Of
the Republican chiefs who has dis
cerned the Importance of such a
course on the part of the Republic
ans. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg
of Michigan is another. The same is
true of some of the leading insurgent
Republicans in the two houses, and