Evening star., 1934-11-07
Which Way?

Which Waya
yesterdays elections has placed leader
ship and power in this Nation in the
hands of one political party and one
man, the President of the United
States, to a greater degree than ever
before in the history Of the United
States. The full significance OF the
election returns is yet to be deter
mined.
The candidates of the Democratic
party for congressional and State
office sought election in the name OF
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Not all OF
these Democrats are agreed as to the
course which should be pursued by the
Chief Executive in the conduct Of the
Government or in the program which
Is to be carried forward. There are
those Democrats who will insist that
the huge outpouring of voters for the
New Deal was declaration Of the
country's belief in the soundness Of
Roosevelts guidance. There are others
who will assert that the President has
been given a mandate by the people
to go to new and more radical lengths
than anything hitherto undertaken by
the Roosevelt administration. 1t is
clear that a vast difference will be
found existing among the Democrats
themselves in the new Congress, with
the radical element probably pressing
for legislation which may be opposed
by the more conservative Democrats.
In which direction will the President
lead?
The defeat Of Upton Sinclair and
his Utopian plan TO end poverty In
California cannot be hailed as a Re-
publican victory, although it was ac-
compliShed through the instrument
tality of Gov. Frank F. Merriam, who
in the past has been 4 conservative
possible only by the cooperation of
Democrats who were unwilling to
follow the erstwhile Socialist Sinclair
1t was sign that there are limits to
which people are unwilling TO 60
in the breakdown of traditional Amer
ican institutions.
There were plenty Of signs however,
Of radical swing in the country.
The Farmer-Labor party, with . plat
form more socialistic even than the
E. P. I. c. plan Of Sinclair. carried
its ticket to victory in Minnesota.
The new Progressive party in Wis
consin, which holds that the President
and the New Deal have not gone
far enough" has not only reelected
Senator Robert M. La Toilette but also
has returned former Gov Philip La
Toilette to be chief executive of the
State. In Washington, Schwellenbach,
radical Democrat, who claimed that
the Sinclair plan originated with him,
has been chosen to represent the State
in the Senate.
The rout OF the Republicans has
been almost complete. The G. o. P.
membership in the Senate has been
cut to an unprecedentedly small
figure. Reed of Pennsylvania, Fess
of Ohio, Robinson of Indiana have
been toppled in the dust, all strong
and open opponents of the New Deal.
Only once before in . hundred years
has the political party in power and In
control Of the White House sue
ceeded in making gains in the House
ing in the middle of a presidential
term. That was in 1902, when the
Republicans increased their lead in
the House. Theodore Roosevelt was
in the White House then. Today it
appears that the Democrats have per-
formed in similar style. What will
become of the Republican party is a
moot question. Which way it will
turn and to what leaders remains to
be seen. 1t is inconceivable that the
country will 60 to one-party system
for long. The sooner q strong mi
nority party develops, the better for
the American people. Too much au-
thority lodged in one group leads
frequently to abuse of power.