Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-26
The G.. o. p. Problem.

The meeting of the Executive Com
mittee of the Republican National
Committee to discuss campaign plans
disclosed, with other things, that the
conservatives in the organization have
caught their second wind Ana the
conservatives occupy dominant posi-
lions. The change in the sentiment
throughout the country toward Presl-
dent Roosevelt and his New Deal, of
which reports and evidences have been
supplied in considerable quantity. has
encouraged these leaders of the G. o. P.
to believe that they can win in 1896
with a conservative ticket and more
than less conservative platform.
There is one fly in the ointment, how
ever, for these conservative Republicans.
They recognize that the great States OF
the Middle West and the West must
swing to the Republican column next
year if Republican President is to be
chosen. The progressive Republicans
are found in large numbers there. And
further, the farm population in those
States must be satisfied to vote for the
Republican ticket and against RooSe-
welt, who has been showering it with
Government checks through the A. A. A.
program. 1t becomes essential, there
fore, in the opinion of many Of the
Republican leaders to pick ticket that
will not offend the progressive Repub-
hcanS of the West, and particularly
essential to write a farm plank in the
party platform that will appeal to the
farmers as good substitute for the
A. A. A.
These are tough jobs for conservative
Eastern Republican leaders. Obviously
some of them are so far encouraged as
to believe that the tide has swung
against the New Deal; that any one
the Republicans may nominate for
President will be elected. But the major
ity of the Republican leaders are still
anxious about the farm problem in the
West. And yet they do not see just
now they can bring themselves to sup
port, for example, the farm debenture
or export bounty plan suggested by Col.
Frank Knox, one of the candidates for
the Republican nomination. Nor do
they regard with anything but discom-
fort and diStrust the possible candidacy
of Senator William E. Borah of Idaho.
Other progressive Republican POSSIBLE
tiles exist for these conservative Repub-
lican leaders only in varying degrees of
unavailability.
Much will depend upon the turn OF
the Republican leadership, not only for
the Republican party, but for the coun-
try. Apparently the tendency is for
a swing to the right as the Roose-
welt New Deal lags in popularity.
There is however such a thing as
OVERRIDING the conservative position.
The American people may turn their
backs on New Dealism, planning and
RECOMMENDATION, not to mention spending
and taxation, but will they follow the
conservatives of the East? s.
The farmers of the West might be
willing to 'let nature take its course"
provided the industrial East was also
willing The industrial East, however,
has been bolstered by the protective
tariff from the ravages of nature in the
shape of world competition for the
American markets. The farmers of the
West insist that what is sauce for the
East is also sauce for the West. If the
industrialists and the workers of the
East are to be protected artificially, then,
they say, the farmers of the West are
entitled to artificial protection The
Roosevelt administration has under
taken to give the farmers that artificial
protection through the A. A. A. What,
the West says, will the G. o. P. do for
the farmers?