Evening star., 1936-06-26

e2gal I1Es w. ~ eral Government
shall assume
concurrent, If not
dominant position, with respect to
virtually all the powers that have
hitherto been lodged exclusively in the
States.
AS pointed out in these dispatches
yesterday, the declaration of the mini
mum wage which the Republicans in
itiated at Cleveland gave the New
Dealers their chances to bring in the
constitutional issue as they have
longed to do for some time But the
New Dealers, while using the consti-
tutional amendment if necessary
strategy, can, if they are successful
in the Autumn election, contend that
they have a mandate from the people
to change the Constitution. Instead
of avoiding the constitutional issue,
the Democrats have thrown them
selves into it headlong.
In sense this is a break for the
Republicans because, while Gov. Lam
don did not come out for a specific
amendment. if necessary, to assure
minimum wages for women and chill
dren, he wanted this to be an amend
ment enlarging the powers of the
States, and that is far more limited
position than to advocate, as do the
New Dealers, an amendment to en-
large the powers of the Federal Gov
ernment at the same time. Indeed
States rights vanish if the New Deal
platform is ever carried ont
Nothing Said About Idle.
Not a word is said in the new
platform about the 100000 who con-
tinue to be unemployed, notwithstand-
ing the boasts that recovery is here.
But it is the habit of platform makers
to claim everything and concede moth
ing.
incidentally, the whole purpose here
seemed to be to regard seriously the
attention the radio audience was CIV
ing to the proceedings, something that
at times reached the point of amusing
innocence. Thus Immediately after
the platform was adopted, pre-ar-
ranged series of one-minute comments
by cabinet officers and other celebrities
told how wonderful the platform was,
and Jim Roosevelt, the Presidents
son, when asked by the announcer if
his father knew anything in advance
about the platform, replied: mo, not
thing"
There are two distinct aspects to
this convention-the external. which
has put on great show of confidence
and enthusiasm, and the internal,
which betrays no small amount of ap-
prehension that the forthcoming
presidential contest will not be the
walk-away it appeared to be few
months ago.
In addition, there is a sentiment
about this convention which cannot
be underestimated. 1t is that the
delegates are Democrats in fact as well
as in name, and they have no more
sympathy at heart with the Tugwells
and the Wallaces and the Ickes and
the so-called radicals than has AL
Smith.
Southerner Is Quoted.
Sitting alongside Southern business
man, a lifelong Democrat, and man
who is considerably anti-New Deal in
his point of view, I was interested in
O spontaneous comment that came
from his lips:
Look at them, just like any other
group of delegates I've ever seen
and as I look at them they don't
seem to be at all the kind who would
want to change our form of Govern
ment."
And he was right. There isn't any
radicalism in the rank and file of the
delegations. Left to themselves, they
would this year write a liberal con-
servative platform and nominate a
man like Cordell Hull for President |
But this is not to say they are disloyal
to Roosevelt. Far from it. They rec
ognize in him the best vote getter the
Democratic party has ever had.
Most of them do not understand
Roosevelt reforms but they accept |
them on faith. If they thought the
Roosevelt program really meant de-
stroying the capitalistic system, or
limiting freedom of opportunity, or
dictatorship, they would be up in
arms.
Fidelity Their Forte.
But with true political fidelity, the
delegates assume that much of the
Roosevelt radicalism was necessary
for the emergency period and that as
recovery comes back, much Of it will
be dropped, too.
have been surprised to find GER
tain amount of criticism of Postmaster
General Farley. One United States
Senator, for instance, who is loyal
Democrat, told me he doubted whether
Farley had as good an organization
for the campaign as he ought to have
and that the Republicans might pos
sibly have a much better one this
year. He pointed out that the Repub-
hcans have the intensity and fire Of a
crusade-something they have rarely
had in their campaigns.
In talking with other prominent
delegates found a tendency to think
ahead as to what the future Of the
Democratic party might be in 1910 or
possibly in 1888 when some of the
Senators come up for reelection. The
subordination of the words Demo-
cratic party" and the overemphasis on
the words New Deal' goes against
the grain of the oldtimers who know
that, In the past at least. the name
Democrat has had associated with it
some great traditions and some re-
markable vote-getting strength with
the common people.
React Alike to Restrictions.
1t would be mistake to report that
this convention has anything in 1t
that could be called anti-New Deal
In the sense of those elements which |
have been fighting the Presidents pro- |
IL Alaok laa L