Evening star., 1936-11-22
Future LOOKS GLOOMY
TO C.. o. P. CHIEFTAINS
Admit They Will Have Very Little Upon
Which to Build if Roosevelt
Rides Prosperity Wave.


War of 1912.
The older Federalist leaders during
these years were passing away and
the younger men, aspiring to political
position, were repelled by the shifting
that governed the Fed
eralist tactics.
The Democrats Of those days. in
had q leader In Thomas
Jefferson who far outmatched the
opposition in political astuteness. 1t
was not until Jefferson passed from
the political stage that clear.
cut party division again was created,
and then 1t came about through a
factional division Of Democrats which
in 1924 placed John Quincy Adams,
q minority candidate, in the presi-
dency.
wings Came In in 1S30s.
The Whig party came into being
in the ls30s as an expression Of the
conservative opposition to the policies
of President Andrew Jackson. 1t had
able leaders. especially Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster, and 1t won the
presidency in 1910 and l84S. Strong
chiefly in the North, but with sup
port also sufficient at times to carry
a number of Southern States, it relied
on compromise to settle the slavery
issue.
But, by the fifties, compromise no
longer appealed to the country. The
Whig party divided as between its
northern and southern elements. Also,
its earlier leaders were dying of and
no new leaders Of ability appeared.
In the campaign Of 1852, the party
straddled in an effort to win both the
North and South, and lost in both
sections. After that defeat. most Of
the Southern Wings went over to the
Democrats and the Northern Wings
joined with the Western Anti-Slavery
Radicals to found the Republican
party. In 1852, the Wings polled more
than As per cent of the total popular
vote, but they won only AZ of the 296
electoral votes. and, by 1856, there no
longer was Whig party.
There are several points of COMPARE
son between the present Republican
situation and that which brought
about the downfall of the Federalist
and Whig parties.
The Federalist party was PECULIARLY
representative of the ''haves," as
against the "have-nots." 1t remained
only for leader to arise in the person
Of Jefferson, capable of rallying the
masses, to put the Federalists out OF
power. And, once he attained control
Of the Government, Jefferson was suf-
ficiently astute to maintain it for his
party for the remainder of his life
time.
President Roosevelt similarly rallied
the "have-nots" in this years cam
paign to win an unparalleled victory.
1t remains to be seen whether his use
of the great power with which he has
been vested will enable him to match
Jefferson's record Of "a years Of un-
broken domination.
Have Changed Places.
Just as the Federalists forsook their
nationalist position in opposing the
Louisiana Purchase, the Republicans
recently have changed places with the
Democrats in their advocacy Of States
rights. II there was one thing more
than another demonstrated in the re-
cent campaign, it was the failure OF
the electorate to rise to the Republic
an demand for restoration of the van-
ishing authority OF the States.
Similarity in the positions OF the
Republican and Whig parties is not so
definite, but. in some respects, they
are alike Gov. Landon, in his cam
paign. sought a position Of compro-
mise between the conservative repub-
licanism, as exemplified in the East.
and the progressivism of his own
Western school, with the result that
he largely failed to win either Of
these sections.
The Republicans this year displayed
also the same dearth of effective lead
ership exhibited by the Wings in 1852.
The old leaders were gone or discred-
tied and there was a great lack of new
Aside from the candidates
for President and Vice President, the
party committeeman here this week
say, the only available speakers for
whom there was anything approach
ing q general demand from State
were John D. M. Hamil-
ton, national chairman; Senator Van
Theodore Roosevelt, jr., and
Clifford Pinchot. Only Hamilton and
Of this group are likely
to figure prominently in American
politics of the future. Pinchot is past
70 and young T. r. is out Of office, and
likely to remain so so long as his fifth
cousin occupies the White House.
Lost Caste in Urban Areas.
Another factor, and perhaps the
most important Of all, initiating
against a Republican comeback Is the
degree to which that party has lost
caste in the great urban population
centers of the North and East.
The beginning of its downfall there
was its persistence in support of the
amendment. Because CT
this issue, 1t lost Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island to Alfred e. Smith in
1928, and the collapse thus begun has
now extended to all industrial regions
of the country. The Democratic hold
on the cities was consolidated this year
by group of the most powerful polit-
ical machines the country has known
and, allied with these machines, which
of themselves come very close to ma
tional domination, the Democrats still
have the solid South.
So long as this combination of forces
is maintained, 1t Is difficult to conceive
how any opposition group could be as
sembled capable Of winning . national
election.
tcopyrisht. 1885, By the north American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)
RooI Mochofhss Esfo+o