Evening star., 1936-03-22
RY MARK SULLIVAN.
DA Nhhn oNDAA EhANs
PROBLEM facing the Repub-

"llO llOI Inc JllC
n New Deal, and who presum-
ably would like to vote against it in
the November election. The situation
is not easy to analyZe, because we
cannot anticipate yet what these
Democrats themselves will want to do
whether they will want to have
third party of their own, or vote for
the Republican candidate, or merely
stay at home on Election day.
The problem is made more difficult
for the Republicans by the rela ton of
the two conventions to each other in
time. The Republicans meet first on
June 9; the Democrats later, on June
%. If the Republicans had the later
date, they would know what had taken
place in the Democratic convention,
and would be able to adjust them
selves.
The fact that the Republicans meet
first is awkward for them, awkward
for the dissenting Democrats, and
awkward for the country 1t makes
difficult any clear working out of the
issues of the campaign.
Democrats Face Problem.
1t is hard to guess what the Demo-
cratic convention will do to appease
The disaffected members of their party.
The reason for the disaffection is in
most cases hostility to the New Deal.
And what can the Democratic con-
vention do to soften the irritation of
Democrats who don't like the New
Deal? AS respects the presidential
nominee. everybody knows that will be
given to Mr.. Roosevelt-and Mr.
Roosevelt is the source and symbol of
the New Deal
Conceivsbly the Democrats might
try to write platform which in effect
would repudiate the New Deal. They
might write a thoroughgoing Demo-
cratic platform. But what use would
it be for the Democrats to repudiate
the New Deal on their platform and at
the same time renominate the New
Deal President? The country would
laugh at them. The country would
say. in effect. to the Democratic party:
You wrote a good Democratic plat
form in 1892: having written that
platform you thereupon nominated
Franklin D. Roosevelt for President;
Mr. Roosevelt in his acceptance speech
said that he accepted and indorsed
the platform "a hundred per cent
but thereafter Mr. Roosevelt departed
from that platform and as President
imposed the New Deal on the country
The country would add: do you ex-
pect us now to believe when you again
write sound Democratic platform but
at the same time again nominate Mr..
Rooseyelt?"
The truth is the Democratic party
as whole is married to the New Deal
and cannot get divorce.
Chance for G. O.P.
For the Republicans. as they con-
slider the condition, the starting point
fact is that large number of Demo-
Gratis are deeply disturbed by the New
Deal and. because they are disturbed,
don't want Mr.. Roosevelt to be Presi-
dent another four years What can
the Republicans do to get either the
direct support of these dissenting
Democrats in the form of voting for
the Republican candidate, or indirect
support in the form of staying home
on Election day or organizing a new
party of independent Democrats?
Many steps have been suggested
For time consideration was given to
the notion of having a coalition
party, to be made up of Republicans
and the diScontented Democrats.
That is what the situation called for.
Many Republican leaders gave sympa-
thetic consideration to it. There arose,
however, several serious obstacles
If there was to be a coalition party
it should. in order to appeal fully
to discontented Democrats, have a
new name. 1t should not be the
Republican party, for the name "Re-
publican" would not describe a coali-
ton party. Some Republican leaders
and many of the rank and file would
have been willing to let the name 60
But it was found that the names OF
the two major parties have become SC
| deeply embedded in our political ira
ditions and even in local State stat
| utes, that substituting a new name
for Republican" is difficult. The
symbols of the two old parties are
formally described in the election
statutes of some States. Our whole
election machinery has grown UP
largely around the assumption that
there are two major parties, and that
they are named Republican" and
Democrat"
Two Parties Suggested.
The most nearly practicable sugges-
tion I heard for coalition party was
not a coalition party at all, but
rather two identical parties. The sug-
gestion was that the Republicans and
the dissenting Democrats should hold
conventions in the same city at the
same time; that the two should keep
in constant touch with each other;
that they should set up committees
made up of representatives @rom the
two bodies: that thus the two parties
should write identical platforms, and
that they should name the same can
didates for President and Vice Presi-
dent.
That, while formidable and involv-
ing intricate detail, would have been
practicable. 1t would have been diff
ficult to organize the disaffected
Democrats, there would have been nc
machinery through which to select
the delegates to represent them in
their convention. Yet the thing could
have been done. Probably it is re-
grettable that it was not done.
In any event. the possibility of q
coalition party, or of two parties hav-
ing the same candidates and identical
platforms is probably now past. What
ever is tn he doDe IN uet coy,poor