Evening star., 1937-12-12
Primaries of 1893 to Chart =
Courses of Political Parties
New American Labor Group May Get Roosevelt
Supporters if Foes of Court
Plan Win

naming the next Democratic presidential
candidate. II Mr.. Roosevelt wins, he will.
wish either to renominate himself, or to
nominate som one to his liking some
thorough-going New Dealer. And after.
he has nominated himself or another. he
will undoubtedly wish to make an alliance
with the American Labor party. In short,
the program would probably be for the
Democratic party to nominate Mr.. Roose-
welt or another, and for the American
Labor party to indorse the nomination.
II the nominee Of the combined parties is
not Mr. Roosevelt, it might be Mayor La
Guardia.
Where Would Orthodox Go?
In this event, with the Democratic party
dominated by Mr.. Roosevelt and making q
combination with the American Labor par
ty-in this event what would the orthodox
Democrats do? What would the leaders Of
them do, and what would the rank and file,
of them do?
What the leaders would do, no one can
tell. They might remain passively regular,
or they might forsee readily what the rank
and file Of orthodox Democrats would do.
With the spectacle of their own party gone,
officially radical and into combination with
the American Labor party, some millions of
orthodox, traditional Democrats would turn
elsewhere. If the Republican party offers
them a satisfactory candidate, doubtless
they would go to him.
But suppose the Democratic senatorial
primaries next spring go the other way,
suppose they are won by Mr. Roosevelt,s
opponents. Suppose Mr.. Roosevelts op-
ponents get control of the party, suppose
they dominate the presidential nominating
convention Of 1910. They would not renom-
mate Mr.. Roosevelt-that goes without
saying They would not nominate any
body like Mr.. Roosevelt. They would nomi-
nate some traditional, orthodox Democrat.
In this event. what would Mr. Roosevelt
do? AS respects trying for q third term,
probably he would do nothing. chance
for third term in the form of renomina-
ton by the Democratic party would be one
thing. But seeking third term in de-
fiance Of his party would be quite diff
ferent thing. Yet conceivably it might be
attempted.
But omit the factor of a third term for
Mr. Roosevelt. Suppose merely his situ-
alton Is that control of the Denlbcratic
party has passed to his opponents and
that they have nominated for President
some traditional, orthodox Democrat. In
that simple situation, would Mr.. Roose-
welt take any action? He would be
solicited, Of course, to go over to the
American Labor party and to take his
following with him, or as much OF it as
he could. Whether he would do this, or
whether he would merely do the per-
functory thing and support the regular
nominee Of the Democratic party-let any
one answer those questions who thinks he
knows enough about human nature in
general, and about Mr.. Roosevelt's nature
specifically
Split Looms Either Way.
Regardless of what Mr.. Roosevelt himself
does, if the Democratic party in 1910 goes
orthodox and nominates a traditional
Democrat. in that event undoubtedly some
millions of voters who are now with the
Democratic party would turn toward the
American Labor party.
Yet this is to be remembered: Even
though the American Labor party polled
nearly half a million votes in New York
City last month; even though presumably
it would have q similarly large following in
other cities, nevertheless city voters tend
to gravitate toward the regular Demo-
cratic party machines. In New York last
month many Of them voted for Tammany
In cities everywhere in 1910 they would
tend similarly to go with the organization.
And the Democratic organizations in the
great cities would, as rule, remain Demo-
cratic There is little for them In the
American Labor party.
But all the speculation here set down
remains practically valueless until we know
what happens in the Democratic primaries
next spring, until we know who controls
the Democratic party. What is said here
merely asserts that the development which
must be known before anything else can
be known Is the fight for control Of the
Democratic party. When the outcome of
that is known, next spring or midsummer,
the 1910 situation will probably be clear.
tCopyriEht, 1879