Evening star., 1935-12-22

Southern Democrats to pre-
vent Mr.. Roosevelt from being Presi-
dent again, to prevent the New Deal
from going on to its logical conclu-
sion-which would be a changed form
of society merged with changed form
Of government. The Southern Com
mittee to Uphold the Constitution, or
Southern Jeffersonian Democrats"
headed by Mr.. John H Kirby of Hous-
ton, Tex. will meet at Atlanta during
the last week of January. This COM
mittee so far is made up mainly of
leaders of thought, lawyers, other pre-
fessional men, and some business men
and farmers. 1t now has the active
sympathy of Democratic Gov. Eugene
Talmadge Of Georgia, who calls him
self and his followers the true Demo-
Gratis"
Some of the point of this movement
lies in the old Democratic "two-thirds
rule" In a national Democratic con-
Nentlon 1t requires a two-thirds vote
TO nominate the presidential candi-
date. In other words, one-third, if
sufficiently determined, can block a
nomination. One-third of the coming
National Democratic Convention is
367. In the Southern and border States
are about $50 delegates.
Strength in Agitation.
To suggest that the true Demo-
Gratis" could assemble all, or even an
impressive fraction, of the Southern
delegates would be going much far
ther than present facts warrant. But
the weight of this movement does not
necessarily depend on preventing the
denomination of Mr.. Roosevelt. Much
of its force would lie in the commo-
ton it would stir up in the conven-
ton, the public attention it would call
to Mr.. Roosevelt's conspicuous de-
parture from Democratic tradition.
If sufficiently impressive the move
nent would form the basis for re-
volt and third party. Any one IA
miliar with the profound distrust of
Mr.. Roosevelt and the New Deal en-
tertalned by a majority of Demo-
cratic leaders, use the word ina
jority' deliberately-must understand
that sufficient material exists for a
split s'Nch as took place in the Republi-
ean party in 1912. The distaste, the
indignant repugnance of Democratic
leaders to the New Deal is not con-
fined to the South. Actually there is
more of it in the North It merely
happens that to the South Mr.. Roose-
Velt's innovations stir concrete opposi-
ton. For a first principle of the
Democratic South is States rights
and a first principle of the New Deal is
to wipe out States rights. to make
the whole country what Mr.. Roose-
velt calls seamless web"
Leaders Are Determined.
Everything depends on how much
steam the Southern committee can
get up between now and next June.
The leaders Of the movement are deter
mined and able men. Gov. Talmadge
will undoubtedly offer himself as a
candidate for the nomination against
Mr.. Roosevelt. He is a dynamic per-
son, he really understands the con-
trast between Jeffersonian Democracy
and the New Deal and he is very much
in earnest.
ent facts a recent inStallment of the
Literary Digest poll shows four South
ern States voting rather heavily yes"
on the question, do you now approve
the acts and policies Of the New Deal
to date?" True, one Southern State,
Florida, and one border State, Okla
homa, seem opposed.
The unknown factor" in next
years election is the extent to which
beneficiaries Of relief, recipients of
Government checks, will vote for Mr.
Roosevelt without regard to their pre-
vious political affiliations. Bearing
this qualification in mind we can ap-
proach an estimate.
Every Republican will vote against
Mr.. Roosevelt. To that statement the
only exception is the one have
named, the beneficiaries of relief. All
the Republicans will vote for the Re-
publican candidate regardless of who
that candidate is Assertions by a few
stiff1y orthodox Republicans that they
would not vote for this or that Repub-
lican candidate, assertion by any Re-
publican that he would not vote for
some one or another of the aspirants
for the Republican presidential nom
ination-all that can be dismissed.
When the election comes there will be
two candidates. Mr.. Roosevelt and
the other one. All the Republicans,
all the conservatives and many liberals
will vote against Mr.. Roosevelt, with
out primary thought of who the Re
publican candidate is. How conserva-
tives will feel is put in terse words
by Editor Harry Nimmo of the Detroit
Saturday Night: The sole issue is
stop Roosevelt; sanity urges it, life
requires it, freedom demands it,
Normal MAI ajority" Party.
With the heat as it will be by elec-
ton day, all the Republicans will vote
for the Republican candidate, and "all
the Republicans" are majority of the
voters. Ever since the Civil War the
Republicans have been the majority
party, the Democrats the minority
party. Only through some kind Of
extraordinary situation, such as tile
depression in 1882 which elected Mi
-N~NS~'~ASf NAAN VAC GbCpuOAlSdL1 OR-IO
Of 1912 which elected Woodrow Will
son-only under such conditions do
the Democrats become the majority
party.
All the Republicans, subject to the
possible exception of the benefciaries
of relief, will vote for the Republican
candidate. In addition, many Demo-
Gratis will Vote for him uISt &c D.
publicans in considerable numbers
voted against Mr.. Hoover in 1882, so
will Democrats in many numbers vote
against Mr.. Roosevelt in 1885. How
large the number is cannot be estimat-
ed with any worthwhile accuracy. If
as many as two or three million
Democrats vote for the Republican
candidate, that should assure his win
ming.
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