Evening star., 1937-11-09
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

publican prlHC1pleS-11 Inere is Sucn
thing. Up to date the so-called Re-
publican leaders appear to have been
unable to agree on these principles-or
unwilling to do so. Those who are un-
willing TO draft set Of principles by
which the G. o. P. may stand are afraid
that If such declaration is made 1t
might lose votes for Republican candi-
dates in congressional districts next year.
So they will let the Republican candi-
dates stand for one thing in one dis
trict, and for another thing in some
other district. 1t may be expedient, but
1t is not particularly courageous.
x
The Republican Committee, giving
heed to those who prefer not to have
a declaration of principles, or who fear
that some advantage may go to one
clique or another in the party II ma
tional convention is held, compromised
on a committee of 100 to draft set of
principles. If the Program Committee
gets out a declaration of principles that
looks safe and sound to a majority OF
the committee and the leaders, then
the National Committee may yet call
national convention or conference to
pass on them. If this course seems in
advisable, then doubtless the work of
the committee will be declared to be
nothing but the outpourings of small
group of Republicans-and shelWed
The G. o. P. continues to drift-al-
though it may yet seek to anchor along
side declaration of principles which
the Program Committee is expected to
draft The drifters had their way in
Chicago at least temporarily. Probably
substantial majority of the National
Committee were ready to go right ahead
with the plan for a national conference,
at which the party might take forth
right stand about something.
x*
The Republicans in Congress, as a
group, are opposed, for the present at
least, to leadership by the Republican
National Committee. They take the
view that the partys elected representa-
tives in the national legislature should
set the pace for the Republican party
not the National Committee. The record
OF the Republican party in Congress in
recent years, however, has not been a
ball OF fire. For that reason Republi-
cans outside of Congress have become
bit dissatisfied with the way things have
been allowed to slide.
that after all, the elected members of
Congressional is, the Republican mem
bers-16 in the Senate and about
100 in the House-represent the
party in public office, is disinclined
to kick the congressional leaders about
1t prefers to get along with them if it
can and to hope for the best. A few,
very few, members of Congress are mem
If ho No
*
When it comes time to pick the chair
man and other members of the COM
mittee of one hundred to draft party
program for submission to the National
Committee, there is likely to be
scramble. A committee OF one hundred
is almost convention in itself. The
Republicans who wish to step out and
assert the party's stand on public ques-
tions will seek to name the chairman
and majority of the members of the
committee. Those who prefer to let
things roll along, hoping that the New
Deal will hang itself if given enough
rope, doubtless will make their bid to
control the Program Committee through
the selection of a chairman and of
majority of the committee
Several names for chairman of the
Program Committee were tossed into
the hopper of conversation at the meet
ing of the Executive Committee of the
Republican National Committee in Chi
cago on Saturday. There seemed to be
no rabble rousers among thenl-with the
possible exception of Thomas E. Dewey,
newly elected district attorney for New
York County. Dewey does seem to stand
y,
he has been waging a successful fight
against the racketS and the political
machine in New York He has some
thing affirmative to offer, as a leader.
4
If the Republicans should rally around
Dewey in 1910, for example, the cam
paign may take very different line
from the campaign of 1896. With a
racket and machine busting candidate
in the field, the Republican might make
some headway against the New Deal
machine-which has been playing poll
tics in big way and grabbing off all
kinds Of jobs and hundreds of thousands
of them-not to mention other things
of value. However, 1910 is still a good
way off, and no one knows just how Mr.
Dewey will develop or make out in the
next couple of years.
The elections last week laid away. on
the shelf for while anyway, James M
Curley, former governor of Massachu-
setts add twice a former mayor of Bos-
ton. Curley, who was defeated for
Senator last year, was beaten for mayor
of Boston this time. Two such blows,
one right after the other, would kill off
any ordinary politician rather effectually
Mr.. Curley, however, is not one to let
the grass grow under his feet, even if
he is down. He is virile speaker and
leader and no one can say positively
that he is out of the political picture
forever.
Curley's fall in the course of two years
is one of the amazing things that
happens in American politics Two years
ago he was at the top of the heap in
Massachusetts. 1t was said he could
be reelected governor or win his way
into the United States Senate. He had
but to choose. Today, he has been
beaten in a Statewide race and more
recently in the city of Boston, where
he has always been strong. There are
number of Democratic leaders in
Massachusetts who are just as much
pleased over what happened to Curley
as are the Republicans.
Republicans in Pennsylvania are seek
ing some comfort out of the elections in
the Keystone State-few and far be-
tween as they were. Representative
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