Evening star., 1937-03-04
@. O. p. Fade-Out Tactics
May Increase Democratic Court Plan Opposition
by Declining to Enter Races.

that wing Of the party which now op-
poses Mr.. Roosevelt's court proposal.
G. o. p. Disintegration Proposed.
What will come Of 1t all is not yet |
possible to foresee. For the immediate |
future, certain steps on the part Of |
the Republicans are possible. and some |
seem called for. There are Republic
ans, some Of them fairly important |
in leadership, who think that. in view |
of the present crisis, the Republican |
party ought to voluntarily disappear |
from the scene. More Republicans |
think this than are likely to put 1t |
in words.
from Pennsylvania, Thomas w. Phil
lips, jr., declares forthrightly that the |
Republicans should make it clear,
positive, definite and irrefutable that
there will be no formidable national
Republican ticket in the field In l940"
Phillips idea Is that the Republicans
should combine with the Democrats
now opposing the Presidents court
proposal in a new party with q new
name.
More immediate than the presi-
Dental election of 1910 are the Con-
gressional elections Of 1888. In 1888
there will be elected the entire men,
bership of the House and q third Of
the Senate That election, with the
nominations, primaries, and other
developments that precede it, are
but little more than year ahead. A
Democratic Representative or Sena-
tor who must 60 before his constitu-
ents for reelection next year is obliged
to take that fact into account in con-
sidering his present course. Some Of
the Democratic Senators now opposing
the President on his court proposal
do not come up for reelection until
1912, others not until 1910, but some
must face the test in 1888.
May Free Democratic Opposition.
Such Democratic Senators would
certainly feel more free to speak and
vote their convictions on the court
proposal If they could be assured that
when they come up for reelection in
their several States they would not
be opposed by Republican candidate.
Several of the Democratic Senators
who are strongest in opposition to the
proposal are from Southern or border
States. In many Of these the Republic
ans have little chance Of electing
Senators at any time.
It would cost the Republicans very
little to follow policy Of not putting
up candidates against Democratic
Senators Byrd and Glass when they
come up for reelection in Virginia. or
Senator Bailey in North Carolina. or
Senator George in Georgia. In Mis-
souri,, the Republicans have in the
past frequently elected their candidate
for Senator. At this time. one Of the
Democratic Senators from Missouri,
Bennett Clark. Is among the most
forceful of the Democratic opponents
Of the Presidents court proposal. If
Republicans feel that the court pro-
posal is more important than any
other issue or consideration in national
politics, they could express that feel
ing convincingly by undertaking not
to oppose Senator Clark when he
comes up for reelection. The same
situation exists with respect to Demo-
cratic Senator Frederick Van Nuys
of Indiana and several others.
With many Democratic Senators
who remain undecided as to their
course on the court proposal. and
others who are supporting it against
their inner convictions, main con-
sideration is the feeling that If they
now offend the President he, or the
party machinery controlled by him,
may make reprisal when the offending
Senators come up in their States for
denomination and reelection. II this
consideration could be Offset by as
surance that the Republicans would
not oppose for reelection any Demo-
cratic Senator who votes against the
Presidents court proposal, in that
event, it Is safe to say, there would be
more than enough votes to defeat the
proposal.
tCopyright. 1879