Evening star., 1934-11-08
c. 0. P. DECLARED
AT CROSSROADS
Fletcher Attacks Task of
Rebuilding Toward
Liberalism.
(Continued From First Page.)

more liberal lines and at the same
time stand as the rallying post Tor
conservative thought? Can 1t do
this in the light of the fact that
considerable proportion of the Repub-
licans left in the Senate are any
thing but conservative. Mr.. Fletcher
has a rough job on his hands, any
way you look at it.
Senator Hastings OF Delaware,
whose State stuck to Republicanism
Tuesday and who is chairman of
the Republican Senatorial Campaign
Committee, insists the New Deal is
merely a dangerous disease that must
run its course. A lot of other Re-
publicans take the same view. They
may be entirely correct in their eSti-
mate that it must run its course, al
though the Democrats, except the
very conservative Democrats. will dis
pute the suggestion that the New
Deal is a dangerous disease.
1t is not unlikely that several i'm
portant Republican leaders will coun-
sci the party to play waiting game,
in the hope that sooner or later the
new deal will become unpopular. Sem
ator McNary of Oregon, Republican
leader of the Senate. who took prac-
tically no part in the campaign just
closed, was one of those who believed
in such waiting game and so ad-
vised his colleagues last Winter
Some Cling to Old Issue.
The more aggressive anti-New Deal
"a ~
campaign now closed the Republicans
have laid the ground work for better
success in 1886. They feel that their
efforts have not been wasted, despite
the decisive defeats of anti-New Deal
candidates. They are beginning to
measure the size of the popular vote
to compare it with totals cast In 1892.
The proportion of the total vote cast
this year for G. o. P candidates is
considerable greater than two years
ago.
RECOMMENDATION" Of industry and
the farmer, Government in business,
and too much spending are still relied
upon as issues by some Republicans,
and they hope to be able to bring
these matters home to the people as
the months pass by, particularly if
the Federal Government finds 1t
necessary to impose heavier taxes.
The rout of old guard Republican
Senators in Tuesdays election has left
G. o. P. regulars in the Upper House
with scarcely more than a corporalS
guard. They are however more nu
merous than the progressive Repub-
lican group, which so often has been
insurgent in Republican administra-
tions. But these progressives are
much larger proportion of the whole
Republican membership of the Senate
only "a or IS, depending on whether
Cutting of New Mexico is finally
elected or not-than in the past.
McNary Has Difficult Task.
The Republican leader, McNary,
still has the job Of reconciling as far
as possible the conflicting views of the
two groups. Among the Progressives,
Borah of Idaho johnson of California
and Norris of Nebraska are the out
standing figures, with Nye of North
Dakota a more youthful but agrees
sive figure The Old Guardsmen left
in the Senate have no powerful figure
or voice among them.
Vandenberg, who belonged to the
young Turk" movement in the Sem
ate of a couple of years ago, and
McNary are the principal figures
among the regulars. 1t is not clear
now just how far the Progressive Re
publicans will get in their plans to
seize. if possible, the control of the
Republican party. There seems little
doubt they will try to get the upper
hand and that they look upon the
present as an ideal time, when there
is talk of ''liberalizing" the Repub
lican party. They prefer to do the
iiberalizing, however. rather than to
leave it to the hands of Chairman
Fletcher and Senator Hastings.
Some Democrats in Dilemma.
In their opposition to parts of the
Roosevelt New DIAL and its more rad
ioal extension the Republicans are
hoping for aid from the more con-
servative Democrats. The huge sup
port given by the voters 70 the New
Deal program. however. NAV give these
Democrats pause before they oppose
the administration. They may, how
ever. be found with the Republicans
fighting plans that go beyond the
recommendations of the President.
If Cutting of New Mexico is re-
turned to the Senate the number OF
progressive Republicans will be eight
and there will be IT Republicans con-
sidered liberal. although many of
them are by no means of the old
guard stamp Men like McNary. Cap
per. Vandenberg, while usually en-
tirely regular, are more liberal than
Hale of Maine. Hastings of Delaware
and Barbour of New Jersey
Vanderberg and McNary have both
been mentioned as Republican presi-
dental candidates for the 1886 cam
paign. Vandenberg's reelection is
likely to give him boost as ma
tional contender. How we'll this pair
of Republican Senators will get along
in the Senate during the next year