Evening star., 1934-12-05
When Progressives Fall Out.

w Hell 1IUS lCSS1FSS GAL
Senator Borah's demand for reor-
ranization of the Republican National
Committee has so far merely served
to emphasize the demoralized state
OF the G.. o. P. Not only has the
Borah proposal brought an emphatic
mo" from Chairman Henry r.
Fletcher Of the National Committee
and other regular Republicans, but IL
has demonstrated the fact that So
called insurgent progressives 90 not
have hearts that beat as one. 1t was
IN be expected that Mr.. Fletcher ana
the other dominant regular Repuo-
,,cans in the National Committee
among them Charles D. Hilles OF New
York. would resent and oppose the
Borah plan to throw these old Wheel
horses of the party into the ash can
While it has never been any secret
that the progressive Republicans IN
the Senate are as temperamental ana
Jealous of one another as pack OF
school girls, the bitterness with Whlch
Senator Couzens of Michigan has as
sailed the Idaho Senator and his pro-
nosal comes as a surprise. And where
are the other progressive Republicans?
Have they ranged themselves on the
side of Mr.. Borah in his demand Tor
a quick reorganization or revolt? IL
thev have they have been very quiet
about it.
One thing may be said OF the
conservative, regular Republicans.
They know what they want and for
what they stand, as general thing.
The progressives, on the other hand'
do not always seem to know for what
they stand, and usually some OF them
are quite certain that they do not
stand for the things which an indi-
vidual in their group advances. The
sighting attitude Of many OF the pro-
eressives toward the Borah demand Is
a case in point. Their trouble, as
group, Is that, while they may dislike
the regulars, they do not like each
other.
OF course, some of these progressive
Republicans may be perfectly content
with the New Deal party Of Roosevelt,
and for that reason may not be able
to arouse much enthusiasm over Re-
publican reorganization. Not only
have these Progressives stood by the
President, but he has stood by them.
However that may be, difficulty
which the progressives have always
faced in the past lay in the fact that
they we're in a decided minority in
the G. o. P; it has been impossible
for the tail to wag the dog. And now
that the day seems to have dawned
for them, with many Of the old guard
disastrously defeated at the polls, the
progressives are unable to get together.
Senator Couzens' caustic remark
that the Borah plan would fail be-
cause it was, "as usual, nothing but
words brought a sharp retort from
the Idaho Senator. The argumentum
ad hominem arouses the interest of
the crowd, but does not get far. Mr..
Couzens challenged Mr. Borah to take
the Craftsmanship and announce
program, and see what he could do
with 1t. Senator Borah's reply was
that he would include in his program
a tax on the present large number Of
tax-free securities, of which Mr..
Couzens' large fortune Is supposed to
consist. All Of this has little to do
with the rebuilding of the Repub-
ncan party.
II the progressive leaders Of the
G. o. P. are unable to get together
and to stand together on principles
and program, what would it avail the
Republican party to have them take
control Of the party machinery?