Evening star., 1937-10-21

IL
fact an almost -
unanimous opin-
ion, that Mr.. Roosevelt has violated
the spirit and the letter of constitu-
tional government in America and
many of the 100000 independent
voters who hold the balance of power
and who voted for Mr.. Roosevelt last
time may be now in the mood to agree
also, but this does not mean that the
same independent voters are ready to
accept Republican candidate without
program or Republican party with
cut fundamentally sincere and prac-
ncal formula for restoring to the
average man the job he once held or
the standard of living he once en-
joyed.
Aim Only to Criticize.
The Republicans, for instance, who
could boast about the high wage levels
that prevailed during their years of
incumbency, are not telling the voters
how those levels now may be attained
or how the unemployment problem
can be solved There is, in fact, no
inclination yet in Republican circles
to do anything but criticize the ad-
ministration and to repeat that criti-
cism in more and more vehement
terms as the New Deal drifts on
through staggering load Of debt and
e calm indifference to the needs of
the business situation.
A sort of c~ssrioration has entered
the domain of politics in recent years
and the Democrats sre not better than
the Republicans. The administration
and its spokesmen resort, for instance,
almost constantly to name calling or
the imputing of bad motives to their
opponents. The Republicans simply
repeat that the New Deal lis bent on
destroying America.
The character of the argument
would seem to have been dictated by
& peculiar notion of what the mentality
of the American citizen really is
Perhaps the political leaders are taking
their cue from the statement made a
few years ago that the average men,
tality of the radio listener was about
IL years of age or less. Undoubtedly
radio has tended to cause otherwise
intelligent leaders to effect some kind
of an artificial expression which talks
down to the people or seeks to appeal
only to their emotions or sense of
indignation.
100000 Saw Selves Liberals.
The 100000 independent voters
who helped to elect Mr.. Roosevelt be-
cause they thought he was a better
bet than Mr.. Landon might, for pur-
poses of appraisal, be assumed to be
different from the 20,000,000 who re-
ceived direct benefits from the New
Deal.
Today such an independent group
and I use 100000 merely as an
illustration of the possible strength of
the independents-may think Mr..
Roosevelt is cvershooting the mark
but they are not yet ready to turn over
the immense powers of the Federal
Government to those who merely
criticize.
The most constructive suggestion
that has come out of the Republican
ranks-inadequate thought it be--is
party have midterm convention and
at least see whether it can agree on
some basic principles. But this idea
has been banded about and frowned
upon by the politicians in the Republi-
can party as too risky. Certainly it is
risky to take position and be positive
II your philosophy in life is to be all
things to all people. 1t was risky in
the Cleveland convention of 1886 to
strike out forthrightly instead of ac-
cepting weak compromises. 1t is
risky to delve into all the major
problems of the day and attempt
solution, but party that doesn't care
to use the intellectual approach and
nolds its course to meet the lowest
common denominator of voter intali-
gence instead of the highest is making
an error of incalculable damage to
Itself.
Independents People of Brains.
The independents are the people of
brains who read newspapers and mag
azines and who cannot be persuaded
by overemotional appeals. Mr. Lam
don would have done better if he had
avoided the radio and issued a state
nent of constructive suggestions on
unemployment insurance, social Sc
curity, labor relations, expansion of
the capital goods industries and anti
monopoly legislation, to mention only
a few of the topics of the hour.
The country is waiting for an alter
native leadership in specific terms
The midterm convention, if the Re-
publicans can summon enough cour-
age to hold one, may be the beginning
of such trend, but with such a con-
vention should go thorough study
of each of the topics of major interest
and some alternative suggestions.
If the Republicans are lacking in
ideas, let them get copies of the nu-
merous memoranda and reports sub
mitted by the so-called Business and
Advisory Council of the Department
of Commerce, sometimes called the
Roper council. All they need for a
program and platform is to accept
the proposals which Mr.. Roosevelt has
in season and out of season rejected
because they happen to be inconsistent
with his notion of politics or his cru
sade for personal power. The pigeon
holes of Government Offices here are
full of proposals on every subject of
current interest, proposals worked out
in unpolitical mood and without par
tisanship.
Some day the Republican party will
discover that intellectual leadership
wins independent votes, and that
talking down" to the crowd and
"calling names" doesn't win elections.
tCopyright. 1879