Evening star., 1935-03-01

cent tour and in the Autumn OF
1898.
BY NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT.
Politically the Middle West is full
Of apparent contradictions.
President Roosevelt is overwhelm-
ingly popular. But many of his poll
cies are unpopular. The radicals are
theoretically strong. But they are
divided as to leaders and objectives.
In Minnesota Gov. Floyd Olsen, who
ran last Autumn on an ultra radical
State-socialistic platform, is losing
ground-due in part to the strikes last
year, which he had to put down with
force. In Wisconsin the La Follettes
are popular, except among conserva-
tive business men. Everywhere Father
Coughlin Is regarded as an oracle.
Even the redoubtable Huey is begin
ming to arouse interest-apparently
for the reason that of all the alluring
economic gold bricks yet offered to
the American people none has been
so ingeniously designed to appeal to
the economically uninformed as his
suggestion that the topmost limit of
personal fortunes be set at $1,000, 900,
but that everyone be assured of
minimum of at least $4,000. This
knocks Townsendism and the forced
distribution Of wealth into q cooked
hat.
Conservatism Coming TO Fore.
But even If the prophets of radical
ism still have their millions Of fol-
lowers, there are signs that the basic
conservatism Of the land-owning peo-
pie is again coming to the fore. I
had an interesting discussion on this
point with one Of the local leaders Of
the Progressive machine in Northern
Wisconsin. He was small business
man who had never been in politics.
He said that he had come to the con-
ciusion that the salvation Of America
lay in the active participation Of the
small town business men and farmers
in the political life of the country.
He saw on the one hand the danger
from the great corporate interests and
on the other the dangers of State
socialism. The only defense against
these dangers was, in his mind, the
organization Of the men and women
of small property to protect their own
interests against these two threats.
With this as an appeal he had built
up q machine which not only had
been instrumental in selecting and
electing better types of local political
leaders, but which was also carrying
on a process of political education
through bi-weekly meetings in differ
ent parts of the State to discuss cur
rent political and economic problems
of interest to the local community.
Feeling Widespread.
The feeling expressed and trans
lated into action by this man is wide
spread throughout the country. 1t is
basically O conservative movement,
even though it may prefer radical
candidates like the La Follettes to the
representatives Of the old parties.
These people, many of whom were for
merly Republicans. and would be glad
to support moderate. conservative
party. have the feeling that the pres
ent Republican party is the party not
of moderate conservatism but of re-
action. They are particularly dis
trustful Of its Eastern leaders-so
much so that for an outsider merely
to mention such names as Henry
Fletcher. Ogden Mills or Dave Reed
is to risk unpopularity. Vandenberg
of Michigan is regarded as more "rea-
sonable," and reorganization under
his leadership might we'll meet with
a larger favorable response. but the
Middle Western Republicans demand
Western leadership, not Eastern: pro-
gressive. not reactionary.
Finding Leaders Is Problem.
The great problem of the Repub-
lican party in the Middle West, as
elsewhere, is to find men to take the
lead. The issues will ultimately be-
come clearer as the New Deal be-
gins to crystalline and it will then
be easier for the Republican party to
create an effective opposition. For
the present, however. opinions differ
so sharply as to what the party
should stand for that personalities
inevitably are very much to the fore.
The old familiar leaders are, for the
most part. In bad odor. In Wiscon-
sin and Illinois important groups OF
younger Republicans are hoping to
obtain q larger share In the direction
of party affairs. They cannot, how
ever, dispense with or completely sup
plant the old leaders. But they feel
that most of these leaders have been
so frequently and effectively de-
nounced as blind and reactionary
during the last few years that they
have come to be regarded as dam
aged goods" and as such must be
gradually replaced by other men.
Democrats Seize Opportunity.
The Democratic party, Of course. Is
making the most of its opportunity.
It has captured States, counties and
towns in districts which for genera
tions had been solidly Republican. Mr..
Farley Is not o man to let the grass
grow under his feet. As q result he
has extended the Tammany system Of
and assistance through
out all of these Republican strong
holds. His task has been facilitated
by the tendency Of business leaders
to support the successful Democratic
machine instead of the Republican
party, to which, while it was in power,
they usually contributed literally. The
are thus not only with
out leaders. but also without funds.
and, into the bargain, are believed
to be the party Of reaction.
Roosevelt Insures Supremacy.
The unknown factor in this situa-
tion Is how strong the new Demo-
cratic machine in the Middle West
will be when Franklin Roosevelt is
no longer In the picture. So long as
he is in the White House his great
r,on,Ilaritv and uresti1e in.