Evening star., 1936-06-29
Four Long Months.


The tumult and the shouting of the
political conventions dies and the cam
paign begins. For four long months-to
follow formula lately made vocal at
both Cleveland and Philadelphia-the
country will go through the stress of
battle, on Nationwide front. 1t is
not a long period, in the life of nation,
but while it lasts it seems very pro-
tracted. There will be mass meetings,
smaller gatherings, with speakers ring
ing the changes on the issues Of the
campaign. There will be a continuous
din in the air as the radio carries the
words Of spellbinders to the multitudes.
There will be acres upon acres of printed
matter as the text Of these speeches and
the synopses of campaign deliverances
are laid before a patient public.
1t has been forecast that this will be
q dirty campaign, that charges of mis-
conduct and deceit, malfeasance and
scheming are passed back and forth.
Already the spirit of the intense rivalry
that assumes the aggressive is manifest.
Each side will, through the mouths of
its chosen agitators, impugn the good
faith of the opposition and assail the
repute of the enemy.
This is no new phenomenon. 1t has
been presented in this country for more
than a century and quarter. The
party system which is the characteristic
of a free government has worked through
that process with few exceptions each
uuadrennial period, with no lasting harm
TO the foundations of the American in
ktitution Of political self-determination.
These four months will be ample for
the thorough debating of the questions
now before the electorate. In fact, the
issues are already as well understood as
the country needs for its declaration OF
will in respect to the single question of
continuing the New Deal or quitting it.
Whether many voters will be changed
in their present attitude by the clamor
and the eloquence and the statistical
demonstrations of the proponents and
the opponents of the administration
which seeks continuance is question
that cannot be answered now.
To win the election the Republicans
have to convince several million people
who voted Democratic in 1882 that they
erred. On their side the Democrats
must persuade those millions that they
voted right In 1882 and should vote the
same way this year. 1t has been fire.
ouently observed that Mr.. Roosevelt was
elected by Republican votes. That is
undeniably the case. Are those Repub-
lican votes to be recaptured by the Re
publican candidates? Or is the equation
complicated by new factors which OBJ
scure the old party lines? A third party
IS in the making, which may have an
effect upon the final reckoning. 1t
would seem to be impossible to predict
its effect or the degree to which the Re
nuhlican shift to the Democratic side
four years ago will be reversed this year.
Optimism may inspire predictions on
both sides, The old law of reaction may
have a determining bearing upon the
matter. Not all who voted Democratic
In 1882 after years of Republican voting
will remain Democratic, nor will all
return to their old lines. And further
more there is in the field today new
generation of voters, become Of age since
1882, whose Affiliations are unknown and
virtually unknowable. With them may
rest the decision.
Four long months hence and the re-
suit will be known. Not until then.