Evening star., 1935-06-15
MIDWEST c. 0. P.
) REVV|F|ES PARTY
Democrats, However, Are
Inclined to RidiCuIe
"GraSS Rooters."
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The Grass Roots" Conference OF
the Republican party has certainly
put new life into the Republicans
here. They have been amazed at the
vitality shown by their own brethren.
AS for the Democrats, they are in
clined to ridicule the idea and give
the impression that they are not TAX
ing it seriously at all. When you use
the term Democrats" however, it is
important to distinguish between the
old-line members of the party and
the New Dealers. For it is apparent
that the organization men are some
what perturbed to discover that the
Republicans are active again.
Politics is the life and substance of
Congress. and hence the Grass
Roots" Conference occaSioned conSid-
cradle comment here. The feeling
was quite general, of course, that the
principles adopted by the conference
were largely preliminary and that
they represented in the main the
views Of the Midwestern Republicans.
Conference Plan Endorsed.
Just what the national party Or
ganization would do later about a
platform might or might not be in
f1uenced by the Grass RooterS."
The most important result of the
Springfield conference, however, was
the decision to hold State and re-
gional conferences elsewhere. There
can be no doubt that the national
party organization is going to en-
courage such meetings. They have
publicity value and organization value
far greater than the handing out of
mimeographed sheets of views" from
party headquarters. Also, they tend
to bring back into the fold some who
have strayed away. especially party
workers.
1t is curious how much conversa-
ton there is about Herbert Hoover S
part in the party councils. The opin-
ion prevails that he will not be a
candidate but that he wants to play
a role in the selection of nominee.
Some Republicans are outSpoken in
their suggestion that Mr.. Hoover
ought at this time to renounce all
claims to the presidential nomination
and work for the best interests of the
party on matters of principle.
Others, and these are friends of
Mr.. Hoover, think he would lose his
influence altogether if he made a
statement about his own candidacy
and indicated that he would not be
q candidate.
1896 Campaign Is On.
Among disinterested observers, es-
pecially among newspaper men, the
view is held that Mr.. Hoover ought
to eliminate himself from considera-
ton and in doing so point out that
principles were far more important
than personalities, and that he was
prepared to support the man who
best expounded and cryStallized be-
hind his leadership a series of sound
principles.
1t is significant that the 1886 CAM
paign has really begun. The party
conferences of the Republicans are
being paralleled by party gatherings
among the young Democrats such as
was held in Texas last week.
The issue of States rights and q
possible constitutional amendment is
being soft-pedaled by the old-line
Democrats here as calculated to split
the party, but various New Dealers
are making speeches about it just the
same and it is quite probable that
whether the Democratic platform does
or does not contain any specific pro-
possl to change the Constitution, the
Republicans are going to contend just
the same that the objective of the
New Deal is to Europeanize the insti-
tutions Of America. The keynote
speeches at the Grass Roots" confer
ences in that respect represented the
trend of Republican policy in so far as
members OF Congress here reflect that
trend in national affairs.
(Copyrisht. 19350