Evening star., 1936-12-19
Hamilton Retained.

Incipient revolt against the chairman
of the Republican National Committee,
John Hamilton of Kansas, seems to have
been nipped in the bud. Hamilton sub
mitted his resignation to the National
Committee, and that body, by a vote of
IA to 2, declined to accept it and ex-
pressed its confidence in Hamilton's
leadership.
The Republican party is in a tough
spot. Its future will scarcely be made
easier by intraparty rows. If the party
fails to hang together. if it splits into
more and more factions, chances for
victory at the polls will be DINNER and
DINNER. Representative Hamilton Fish
of New York, backer first of his own
presidential candidacy in 1896 and then
of Senator Borah's, demanded the scalp
OF Chairman Hamilton, declaring that
the G. o. P. must liberalize or die"
His idea was that Hamiltons usefulness
as national chairman was at an end
because of the overwhelming defeat on
November 3. 1t is a fact, however, that
on that day seventeen million voters
supported Governor ALI M. Landon,
whose campaign manager was John
Hamilton. After all, it is the start of
rebuilding to retain what the party still
has. 1t is difficult to understand how
the Republican party can become strong
by driving out the so-called conserva-
tives. 1t would be difficult, too to con-
vict Landon. or his campaign manager,
of old guard conservatism.
Hamilton has been given a vote of
confidence by the National Committee.
1t is mandate to carry on the work of
organization, of publicity and of advice
to Republican leaders throughout the
country. Two members of the committee
wished to postpone action on the resig-
nation of the chairman. Presumably
this demand for delay was to give the
committee a chance to look around for
a new chairman, if it did not wish to
continue with Hamilton. Such a period
of delay, however, would have left the
affairs of the National Committee in
chaotic condition. The Republican
chairman, too, was clever in bringing
the issue to an immediate head. AS
result of the vote of the committee
he occupies an almost impregnable
position.
The hours of debate in the National
Committee meeting prior to the vote on
Hamilton were indicative, however, of
the differences of opinion existing
among Republicans as to the future atti-
tude and future policies of the party.
Mr.. Fish's demand that the party
"liberalize" has much support. There
was bitter criticism of the attitude of
the G. o. P. toward labor and the farmer.
Without the support of labor and the
farmer no political party can get far in
this country. Policies, however designed
to help certain classes of the people, may
not always be helpful to the American
people as a whole. The need of the
Republican party is a set of principles
and policies that will be to the interest
of the whole people, including the farmer
and the laborer.
Some of the committee members were
emphatic in their charges that the Demo-
Gratis had bought" the election with
their use Of Federal relief and other
funds. What the Republicans have lost
and what the Democrats have taken over
is the old full dinner pail" Until the
G. o. P. has something to offer, some
substitute for the full dinner pail, or
until the Democratic party loses its grip
on that issue, the path of the Republican
party is likely to continue thorny.
The new shillalah brought bv James