Evening star., 1936-06-08
WASHINGTON, D G. MONDAY JUNE 8

leaders, and the presidential nominee
will hope that Senator Borah will be
satisfied, If not completely, at least
enough. They will hope that he will
support the ticket in the campaign.
They will hope that he will run again
for Senator from Idaho and be re-
elected. They will hope, too, that
Senator Borah in the campaign will
make speeches, giving unStinted sup
port to the Republican nominee. But
they will hope this for sentiments
sake and out of regard for Senator
Borah, as much as for any definite
group Of voters he can command.
Led Progressive Thought.
Just how much following does SEN
ator Borah now have? For 80 years
the area of thought with which Sen
ator Borah has been identified has
been that Of the Western Progressive
Republicans. During three decades,
this area has expressed itself in the
leadership of group of Senators
varying from to IA or so. In recent
years the principal Progressive Repub-
lican Senators have been Borah,
Hiram johnson, Norris, La Toilette,
Cutting, Brookhart, Norbeck, Frazier
and Nye. In the 1882 presidential
election, five of these, including three
of the strongest, went over to the New
Deal-Johnson, La Toilette, Cutting,
Brookhart and Norris. Senator Nor
ris had already gone to the Democrats
in 1929 Only one really important
Progressive Republican Senator has
remained even nominally with the Re-
publicans, and he was Borah.
The question now is about the
voters who for 80 years habitually fol-
lowed the Progressive Republican Sem
ators as group. To what extent did
they go over to the New Deal with
Norris, johnson, La Toilette, Brook
hart and Cutting? How many of
them remained Republicans? How
many of them this year would follow
Senator Borah in support of the Re-
publican candidate If, as is commonly
assumed, Senators Norris, johnson
and La Toilette will be telling them to
vote for Mr.. Roosevelt?
Farmers Important Factor.
The voters, mainly Midwest and
Western farmers, who for 80 years fol-
lowed the Progressive Republican Sem
ators, are an important factor in the
coming campaign. Most of them in
1882 followed the Progressive Repub-
lican Senators who went into the New
Deal. Will these voters this year come
back TO the Republican party? Gov.
Landon's friends think that in large
numbers they will. These farm voters
in the West and Midwest have a
strong Republican tradition. Other
things being equal, they tend TO follow
the Republican party. This year,
assuming Gov. Landon is nominated,
they will have Republican presiden-
tiai candidate from their own section,
one who was able to carry his State
even when most of the country was
going New Deal In addition to a can
didate from their own territory, they
will probably have in the Republican
platform a farm program at least as
acceptable as the New Deal one. The
real hope OF the Republicans carrying
the West must rest on Gov. Landon,
assuming he is the candidate, and on
the farm part Of the platform
Nevertheless. Senator Borah's sup
port of the Republican ticket in the
coming campaign would be valuable.
The value would not rest merely on
his strength with the Progressive Re-
publican voters in the West Quite
surely in this campaign the Constitu-
ton will be an issue and few can ex-
pound and defend 1t as well as Sem
ator Borah. There would be a ma
terial difference between a Republican
campaign with Senator Borah making
several vigorous speeches. and one
with Senator Borah mute.
(Copyrtght l936)