The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-11-24
REPUBLICANS ARE
not DEAD; JUST
NEED LEADERSHIP
MORE THAN SIXTEEN MIL.
LIONS VOTED FOR LOSER
DESPITE VICTORY ATTAIN,
Cd BY DEMOCRATS
By BYRON PRICE
(Chtef OF Bureau, The Associated
Press Washingt5nl

Press Washingt1nl
Wh:e it is only natural that the
f]oodlights of publicity should cen
ter now on the Democrats, and
make news of their every activity,
no wise student of politics will lose
sight entirely of what happens
during the coming months among
the Republicans.
The Democratic victory was ire
mendous. It's magnitude grows
as it is viewed in retrospect, as
it's implications become palmer.
Yet it was not, after all, unani-
nous. The opposition was shorn
of it's prestige and most of its pub
lie offices, but both numerically
and spiritually, the losses fell far
short of humiliation.
More than sixteen millions
voted with the loser. Some of
them unquestionably were taking
only temporary shelter in the
Republican party. The number
of these, counting both the boiling
Democrats and the various leftist
factions which could not accept
Mr.. Roosevelt, never will be known
exatly although it must have been
considerable. Allowing even s:S
millions as an outside estimate,
more than ten millions would be
left to be counted as out-and-out
Republicans.
Four Divisions
AS matters stand today, it
would require far more than the
space available to survey all of
the elements which share in the
control and conduct of the Re-
publican party. Four principal
groups, however, are worth jpe-
cial Hen,icn:
L. The old guard. Regulated
and d.scledited in the eyes Of
many ra1ty men, the old guard
still is a long way from extinc-
ton.
.. The western liberals. TheiE
party influence is less than for
merly, since many of their num-
Der evidently have withdrawn
from the party for good. Those
remaining-such figures as Borah.
McNary and Johnson-neverthe-
less hold power which cannot be
discounted. Incidentally, they
constitute the most numerous
group of surviving Republican of
ficeholders after two Democratic
landslides.
8. The Hoover element. That
the only living ex-President still
hopes for a return to party au-
thority is doubted by few in inner
political circles. 1t is no secret
that many of his friends-and he
built up a far-flung organization
while he was President-accepted
the Landon candidacy reluctantly
and never completely Recognized
the Landon leadership.
4. The Landon bloc. Spread
ing its influence from Kansas, it
now has titular control of the
party machinery nationally-an
important consideration. 1t APP
parently has no intention of let
ting go in the near future.
Chance For New Leader
Is it possible to conceive of any
one of these various elements pro-
viding the sort of leadership the
party will need in 1910 if it is to
win?
In these times, it is hard to
imagine any Republican hope of
victory under the old guard.
Equally, in view of past antago-
nisms, an effective leader of the
Borah type is difficult to envis-
age. And if either Mr.. Hoover or
Mn Landon emerged as high COM
mander of the party four years
hence, after all that has happen
ed, it would constitute a reversal
of all of the lessons of political