Milford chronicle., 1935-05-24
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN BUILDERS
N By JULIAN MAsO YeePEsdent Na0naI Repubean Buderg

The current of thought upon Re
publican doctrine for 1896 is cen.
tering upon the coming conferenc,
OF mid-Western Republicans, fol
which William Allen White, the kan
sas philosopher, is picked as chair
man Of the platform committee.
Such platform is facing two prac.
tical criticisms; first, that It would
have no leader to adopt it and make
it real; second, that It might por-
tend split in the party.
Before going into these questions,
it may be well to consider some OF
the opinions Mr.. White is getting.
First, his own: at (the declaration
of principles) should include econ
omic security, which means insuT-
ance against the uncertainties Of i'll
health, the degradation of unem-
ployment and poverty in old age. "
As Mr.. Roosevelt has returned from
Florida to announce his intention
of drumming these intricate mea-
sures through Congress, all in a
lump, without lengthy investigation
or consideration, l cannot see why
they should be emphasized in an al
ternative program.
Walter Lippman writes that lit
will be interesting to see whether
men like William Allen White take
a stand on the tariff and on mon
OpOly which will give them firm foot
ing from which to attack the New
Deal" do not see why something
along this line could not be done in
a Republican way. Certainly the
party has done it in the past, when
it has stood for tariff revision
and antitrust" laws.
Mark Sullivan yields reluctantly
his hopes for a union of constitu-
tional Democrats and Republicans,
and hopes that the Kansas City Con-
ference will make plain its fight for
against collectiVism.
[ think 1t should. / believe that it
ought to use the phrase employed
q year ago by Ogden L. Mills when
be said that we should not stand
either for collectivism or the old
rugged individualism, but that we
should stand for regulated individ-
lalism." That seems to me the key
lote of American progress.
Frank Kent, Of the Baltimore Sun |
makes a vital contribution when he /,
iays of the Democrats hope for VIC
0ry at the next election: "Their |
'eal reliance. of course, is upon the I
of the Republicans, who,
lnder the proddings of the so-called |
liberals may be deluded into pre-
ienting a weak imitation of the New
Deal in 1886" For a Liberal for
nula, by the way, a leading anti
Roosevelt Democrat has said to me-
md meant it seriously: why don't
he Republicans take for their 1886
platform the Democratic platform OF
932 which Franklin Roosevelt kick
d into cooked hat?"
-
From the standpoint of the two
arty system. from that of the work
bleuess of representative democracy
nd for the sake of accomplishing
necessary duty TO the people, / be-
eve that Mr.. Kent's warning should
G needed. The Republicans owe it
. the country to give it a chance
} choose. Its platform, / believe,
1ould be conservative; ii should ,
ertainly be American.
As to the possible effectiveness of ;
ny covenant with the people" !
hich William Allen White suggests !
n a Kansas City declaration, it is
Undoubtedly true that the chances
re lessened by the absence of any ,
spired candidate to preach and .
Implement" such doctrine. A Presi-
sntial candidate often makes his !
Vn platform; at least he has,
rough emphasis, the power to make
S own issues. And, until he does,
e platform is just so many words
campaign handbook. What, for !
stance, has happened to the dec
ration of principles adopted by the
epublican National Committee. at I
Chicago meeting last June? The =
ongressiOnals," each intent on
inning his campaign on the poll n
es potent in his own district, ig- e
red it. c
-
But, while it is true. that no lead
now appears as the evangel of t
e coming mid-Western platform. il p
also true that the National Conn b
tteemen from these ten or twelve s.
ites might have an enormously II
pOrtant influence upon the Reso- p
lions Committee of the Republi- is
n National Convention a year from 6
IS summer. They well might i'm A
ess upon the party's platform some
the ideas to be formulated AZ
-nsas City under Mr.. Whites guild
ce. '-U
rhls' rather than a party split"
II probably be the final outcome
this Republican gathering. Ac-
u bolts" rarely occur. We have
Z the Gold Democrat profit of
- and the Bull Moose revolt off
=, where rebellious factions ac-
MY set up independent tickets.
usually these threatened revo-
ions do not occur. Usually a COM pl
mise allows all save the extrem- Ia
10 stay in the party aud present Al
all4y united front TO the enemy. er
'tadnly this should be a task no n,
DER Tor the present-day ReDubIi- II
IS than for the present-day DEM Fl
ats. Ne''i- =, z,
sss -
iy best hope, for the sake of the -
ntry and Republican party. is NJ
neither the mid-Western Re- as
lhcans nor any of the other sec m