Evening star., 1937-12-07
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

From conservative New England come
loud shouts for revamped, rejuvenated
and more liberal Republican party Or
Vermont, in an open letter to the Repub-
lican National Committee asked the
committee to purge itself of reactionary
and unfair elements. At the same time
Senator H. Styles Bridges OF New Hamp-
shire, speaking in Chicago, demanded
new faces in high places and young
and vigorous leadership" of the party.
The Republican National Committee
cannot purge itself-unleSs "reactionary
and unfair" members of the committee
see fit to resign. The members of the
national committee were elected during
the Republican National Convention last
year. by the various State delegations,
confirmed by the convention and serve
for four years, or until the next national
convention. The next national conven-
ton does not meet, regularly, until 1910.
That a special, midterm national con-
vention next year, as proposed by some
Republican leaders, could do anything
about the national committee set-up
seems extremely doubtful Much would
depend upon how the midterm con-
vention delegates were chosen.
The attack of Gov Aiken upon the
national committee mentioned no names
although he was particularly critical of
the Southern representation on the COM
mittee. He made no mention of the
committee Craftsmanship, now held by
John D. M. Hamilton of Kansas, the
choice OF ALT M. Landon, the party
standard bearer last year. In some
quarters there have been demands that
new chairman be selected However
informed sources here did not interpret
the Aiken letter as an assault upon the
present chairman, but rather upon the
old guard members of the committee
both from the South, the West and the
North.
Gov. Aiken did not confine his letter
merely to a demand for a revision of
the national committee. He asked for
declaration Of principles and objectives
by the G. O. p, liberal set of principles
and objectives In fact, Gov. Aiken is
himself liberal although he halls from
one OF the most rockribbed, conserva-
tive States in the Union. When people
like Gov. Aiken and Senator Bridges go
on the warpath usually there is good
reason.
Aiken offered q nine point program
himself, for the consideration of the
members Of the national committee and
OF the rank and file of the party
throughout the country. Incidentally
he apparently sides with former Presi-
dent Hoover and other leaders who have
strongly urged that a declaration of
principles be written and that a national
convention be held to write it. Next
week the national committees Executive
Committee is to meet in ST. Louis to pick
a committee of one hundred" to draw
up such declaration of principles.
Aiken's nine-point program contains
social objectives similar to those of the
New Deal. 1t demands, however, a re-
lection of enormous expenditures and
special benefits" And Gov. Aiken in
sisted that the Roosevelt administration
had shown itself incapable of putting
needed social reforms into effect. This
is new kind of attack on the New
Deal party.
Vermont, with its small number of
votes in the electoral college has not
always stirred so much excitement as
the letter Of Gov. Aiken to the national
committee has just produced. The
Green Mountain State has been counted
upon by the Republicans-no matter
what. 1t has lived up to its Republican
tradition and not since the Civil War
has any Democrat won a major office in
that State. It's Senators and Represent
atives have invariably belonged to the
G. O. P. But now the Republican Gov
ernor of the State is threatening a polit-
ical upheaval if the Republican party
does not mind its Ps and Qs-does not
become once again party of the people.
Gov. Aiken is As years old, one of the
younger brand of Republicans. He be-
lieves. apparently, that if the young
Republicans are to play the part of
savior to the G. o. P. they should have
a more prominent part in the national
organization.
The attack which the Vermont Gov
ernor has made on the Southern mem
berS OF the national committee is an
echo OF former criticisms. For years
there have been sporadic outbursts
against the Southern Republicans and
their representation in national conven-
tions and on the national committee.
The Republicans in the solid South
solidly democratic-have never been able
to produce successful candidates for elec-
ton to Congress-except in a very few
instances-since reconstruction days
passed out Of the picture. But they
play their part not only in the conduct
OF affairs Of the national party but also
In the selection of the presidential
nominees. To many of the Northern
and Western Republicans this has not
seemed the logical thing. Nevertheless,
II Republican party is ever to flourish
in the South it is not the part of wisdom
to cut the Southern States out of their
representation, either in the national
committee or in the national conven-
tions. just how Gov. Aiken's proposed
reforms with regard to Southern repre-
sentation in the partys affairs could be
carried into effect no one seems to know.
x
The demand for liberalizing the Re-
publican party started years ago-not in
New England but in the Middle West.
In those days the La Follettes, the
Delivers, the Norrises, the Ladds were
looked upon as radicals. Eventually
most of them left the Renuhlicop no rtv