Evening star., 1935-09-11
LONG LEAVES 1886
SCENE UNCHANGED
Influence in Presidential
Race Held Puny, With
Big Issues Same.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


as only incidental so far as the presi-
dental race is concerned. Had he
lived, he would not have been pivotal
factor anyway.
The Louisiana Senator might have
been, of course, a trouble maker in
certain sections of the South in the
primaries, but nobody who knows how
presidential nominations are made
has ever for moment doubted that
Mr.. Roosevelt could bring about his
own denomination without so much as
the raising of finger politically.
AS for the possibility that Senator
Long might have set up third party
and thus threatened Mr.. Roosevelt's
reelection chances. it has never been
taken seriously by competent observers
of national politics in any party. The
reason is that Huey Longs strength in
the South could not very we'll have
altered the electoral vote of any State
except his own, while in the North
his appeal would have been of doubt
full value His influence In national
politics has always been exaggerated,
due to his unique personality.
Conservative Choice Vital.
The opportunity to defeat Mr., Roose-
eelt has not been and Is not to be
found in splitting of of an extreme
radical wing, for the radicals certainly
will not desert Mr.. Roosevelt in order
to make easier the election of Re-
publican standpatter. The 1896 cam
paign will probably be fought as
battle between radical and conserva-
tive groups in American politics and
the only question really to be de-
termined Is what wisdom and states
Ynanship will be exhibited by the
leaders of conservative thought in
America in affording the people
medium through which all anti-New
Deal votes can be transmitted
To this correspondent, it seems
ebundantly clear that mere cam
paign between the nominee Of the
Republican party, as hitherto consti-
tuted, on the one hand. and Mr.
Roosevelt on the other. cannot but
result in the triumph of the PreSi-
dent by a comfortable majority of
electoI al votes. The fusion or coali-
tion of all conservative elements op-
posed TO Mr.. Roosevelts policies, If
brought about either under a re-
organized Republ blican party or
through the formation of a really
liberal conservative party with
name that would bring Republicans
and Democrats into the fold, must
constitute the only formidable threat
TO Mr.. RooSevelt's reelection that
can be devised today. Such a COM
bination could defeat Mr. Roose-
Selt by close margin.
If 1t is inferred from the fore
going that the writer believes Mr..
Roosevelt will be reelected. it Is be-
cause those who disagree as to the
proba abilities of a fusion are not suf-
ficiently. convinced of its necessity
to join in it as policy Of practical
politics.
Issues Cut Deep.
The issues, to be sure, have cut
deep but perhaps not deep enough
TO disturb SNUG Republicanism or to
drive independent Democrats from
forecast made IA months ahead of
election, and discounting the possi-
bility of the Republican leadership
acquiring any new point of view in
that period. the outlook Is for the
reelection of Mr.. Roosevelt but with
greatly reduced majority in both
Houses of Congress. Individual con-
eressmen will find grievance groups
due to the New Deal, quite numerous.
1t was the late President Coolioge
who said it was sometimes important
to lose a national election in order
to vindicate principle or lay the
foundations for the reinVigoration Of
political party. Abraham Lincoln
in 1856 saw the need of a reorganized
party, but IL was not until 1850 that
his countrymen agreed with him.
Quite a number Of suggestions have
been made that the Conservative Re-
.publicans and Independent Democrats
should merge, but, at the present
writing, the Independent Democrats
have no organization of their own nor
do they command political strength as
group. Under such circumstances,
the Republicans are tactfully welcom-
ing Democrats irto their dwelling. but
this is not sufficient any more than
are promises of coalition rule If the
Republican nominee Is triumphant.
What the Independent Democrats
would prefer is the making Of new
party in which they would play an
important, and not incidental, part.
Nominee Must Attract.
To support the nominee of such a
merger would be a different thing
from being asked to abandon the
Democratic label and tradition for a
lineal descendant Of Warren Harding,
Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover,
whose Republicanism made no fervent
appeal to the Byrds or the Cores or
the men of the Carter Glass school of
politics, or that band of Wilsonian
Democrats like Bainbridge Colby, New
ton Baker. John w. Davis and others
who have long since condemned the
Republican party to the fate of the
old Whig party of century ago.
The Republican party has, to be
sure, the largest number of conserv-
atives gathered together in any one
group, but this is all the more reason
why it should make concessions in
party label and platform to bring all
the other conservatives in the country
together into one party instrument II
there is to be any chance Of defeating
the socialistic laws and proposals of
the New Deal. What the American
people are entitled to have in 1886 is
q clear-cut cleavage between radicals
or Socialists, on the one hand. and
liberal conservatives on the other, so
as to be able to chart the future course
of the Nation on the all-important
issue Of changing or preserving the
present form Of constitutional govern
ment in America.
Copyright. 1a35)