The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-01-09
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By FRANK P. LITSCERT


mid-winter meeting of the Republican
National Committee held in Washing
ton recently, was the change in atmos-
phere. Two or three years ago when
Republicans met from various parts of
the country, the gloom was so thick,
one could cut it with knife, to use a
homely phrase. 1t was the general opin-
ion that the Grand Old Party was about
"all washed up" and that the thing to
do was to sopt-peddle when talking
about the New Deal. The politicians
spoke dolefully about the tremendous
sums of money that were being expen-
ded by the national administration, and
added that it was just about impossible
to beat Santa Claus.
***
This time, the atmosphere was en-
tirely different around the Mayhower
Hotel. Republicans greeted one another
with smiles and hearty handshakes.
Distinguished looking gentlemen who
hardly noticed one another politically
two or three years ago could be seen
now walking arm in arm down Connec-
ticut Avenue, and on the sunny side of
the street at that. There was little
gloom. New England is Sin the bag" so
they averred, and things are in good
shape all over the East. 1t was admit
ted that the West would be the battle
ground in the 1886 campaign, but there
was even some talk about penetrating
the solid South again. A lot of voters
down there, so it was reported, do not
like RECOMMENDATION, but do like the Con-
stitution, and are not enamored of the
way in which the administration seems
to be neglecting the time-honored
Democratic doctrine of state rights.
Of course all of this may mean lot,
so far as the results of the next cleo
ton are concerned, or it may mean ex-
actly nothing. The edection is ten
months away as yet and a lot Of things
can happen in the meantime. Futher-
more, Congress will be back again
early in January, and to say that lot
of things can happen around Washing
ton when Congress is in session is but
repeating truism. By September,
Congress and the natural sequence of
events may have made Roosevelt in
vulnerable again. On the other hand it
is possible that bad break may push
him so far down the ladder that sunny
New Deal smiles will be few and far
between.
In short, the verdict of the election
next year is still in the lap of the gods,
and the prognosticator who says he can
tell you now what will happen in No
vember, 1886, is simply talking out of
turn" to put it as gently as possible.
Elections are won by local organiza-
tons in the precincts over the country
and not in national committee meet
ings. At the same time, there is sig
niicance in the fact that the G. o. P. is
getting it's old-time pep back again.
This means that we are going to have a
real, rough and tumble political con-
test in 1886, and not ratification
meeting. Eastern Republicans are con-
fident. Western Republicans say they
are feeling better and Southern Re-
publicans-from some localities, of
course-are hopeful.
**#
1t is noteworthy fact that the COM
mittee meeting did not turn into pro-
posed rally for any presidential candi-
date and no prospective presidential
candidate tried to make it so. The way
the visitors avoided pledging them
selves for one candidate or criticising
another, was rather a remarkable ex-
perience for observers who have at
tended a number of these meetings.
The accosted committeeman or COM
mitteewoman or other prominent Re-
publican" in attendance, simply BEAM
ed when the question of candidates was
brought up. They are all good men and
there is sentiment for all of them ev-
erywhere if those who made inquir-
les are to believe what they were told.
The thing uppermost in the mind of
the average Republican seemed to be
an overwhelming desire to beat the
New Deal next year, and they studi-
ously avoided anything that might
tend toward political disruption. This,
in itself is not an unhealthy sign from
the Republican standpoint.
-O-