Evening star., 1937-09-12
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

"HlS article deals with a SUBJ
iect which is increasingly un-
der discussion. That subject
4 is, What the Republican party
should do. What is here said does
not deal with the whole of the subject
I omit any reference to the presiden-
tial campaign of 1910: I deal only with
the next thing, the congressional cleo
tions of next year, 1888. Looking
forward to that, ! set down some
propositions:
l. The most important issue is the
Presidents court measure. | say lis"
That is the proper verb if there is
likelihood of the President proposing
the measure again. l think he will
propose it again if the congressional
primaries and elections next year
show strong public sentiment in
favor of him and the Senators and
Representatives who support him.
The court measure is important in
itself, and it is the keystone of every-
thing else II Mr.. Roosevelt can get
that. he can get anything. And if
he gets that, If he gets courts that
will approve ANYTHING he does, then
he can do anything
2. The court measure figures in
next years primaries in a concrete
way. In the Democratic primaries
will be nine Democratic Senators who
opposed the court measure. and who.
by opposing it, with others. have
Sfnnnp6 If far Tho ,..i,z
ur for denomination and reelection
next year are:
Adams, Colorado; Clark. Missouri.
George, Georgia; Gillette. Iowa: Lon
ersan, Connecticut: McCarran. Ne
vsda, Smith, South Carolina: Tydings.
Maryland, and Van Nuys. Indiana.
Congress Might BE Frightened.
II these nine arc defeated in the
Democratic primaries next Spring.
that result will be interpreted as an
Endorsement of Mr.. Roosevelt and hrs
court measure. Every other Democrat
in Congress viii be put upon warning.
AT the time most of the prlmar es are
held Congress probably will be in ses-
sion. (The session will begin in jan
uary and continue to perhaps July,
perhaps later) 1t is the existing Con-
gress, with its existing membership,
and its existing immense Democratic
majority That Democratic majority.
If 1t should see defeat of the nine
Democratic Senators who opposed the
court measure, would be friehtened:
1T would be moved TO pass anytfing
the President asks. the court measure
or anything else,
3. Therefore, it is important TO those
who oppose the Presidents court
measure and his course generally. that
the nine Democratic Senators who
opposed the court measure should be
renominated in next Springs pri-
msries. That outcome, denomination
Of those nine or most of them. would
kill the court measure, utterly. 1t
would end the Presidents power to
intimidate his party in Congress.
q. In the country. and in the States
OF these nine Democratic Senators. it
is probable that the number of per-
sons who oppose the Presidents court
measure is larger than the number
who favor it. (Though, of course, this
Is an expression of judgment.) But
those who oppose the court measure
are divided; some are Republicans.
some Democrats, some independents
The problem is to get united action
by them. And it is important to get
united action where action counts
most. That is in the Democratic pri-
nlaries which will determine the fate
of the nine Senators who opposed the
court measure.
G. o. p. Could Neglect Primaries.
D. For the sake of clarity, take the
case of one Democratic Senator who
opposed the Presidents court measure
and is up for denomination in the
Democratic primaries next year. ANY
one will do. Take Senator Bennett
Clark Of Missouri. If there is any
way by which Republicans and indie
pendents opposed to the court meas
ure can aid in the denomination of
Senator Clark, obviously they will
want to dosit One way would be
for Republicans TO neglect their own
primaries for the purpose of getting
Senator Clark renominated. do not
know the primary law of Missouri. In
some States primaries Of both parties
are open to everybody; Republicans
can vote in Democratic primaries and
vice versa. do not know if this is the
case in Missouri.
6. 1t is not necessary that there be
any coalition though I am not here