The Washington times., 1938-09-16
HERE'S ANSWER TO PROBLEM:
Puzzlinq Results of Primaries
Laid to Hybrid Political Parties
N either KnOWs'
lust Where
It's Going
BY THEODORE HUNTLEY


What is the meaning Of all these
primary election results, in which
New Dealers win in some States
and conservatives in others? Does
it make sense, and if 50, what
sense?
There is a simple answer to the
questions. confusing to those who
haven't taken time to look back
over political history since the
turn of the century. It is this:
Americas two political parties
are hybridS. The labels, Demo
cratic and Republican, no longer
mean anything. There are lib
erals, conservatives and reaction
aries in both parties. A constant
struggle is going on within them
all the time for dominance.
Sometimes the liberals control,
sometimes it's the conservatives.
But the fight goes on in both
parties conStantly-Simply be-
cause neither, over a period Of
30 years or more, has made up
its mind in what direction it is
going.
That is the real explanation
of the conflicting results of the
1888 primary elections in tn e
Democratic party. 1t explains the
success Of New Dealers Barkley
and Caraway. no less than that
of Conservatives TydingS a n d
George, though all are Democrats.
1t explains also President
Roosevelt's Denton speech.
1t explains why the Repub-
licans didn't get anywhere in 1896
THERE'S NO LOGIC
There is no logic to America s
two political parties as now coli
stituted as their leaders very
well know and privately admit
The party organizations take or
the coloration Of their leader;
at any given time.
Right now the Democratic party
is-or has been-a liberal party
because Franklin Roosevelt is 6
liberal. The Republican party
couldn't make up it's mind wha'
it was with either Hoover or Ian
don, and as to both gave up il
disgust. And maybe, at a guess
they couldn't figure it out them
selves, to judge from their rec
ords and speeches.
You can look at it two or threC
ways. Here's one way:
THREE BASIC GROUPS
There are three basic politica
groups in the United States a!
there are in England-conserva
tives, liberals and labor. At th(
moment, lacking a logical part!
grouping which would allow thu
three groups to function as inde
pendent units as under the English
party system. liberals and labol
are united in an effective coalition
under the banner Of the Demo
cratic party and the leadership Of
President Roosevelt.
If either should break away anc
turn to the Republican party, the
COP. could readily become a CO
alition majority-by joining the
liberals and conservatives, let'I
say, as against labor.
Or if labor should ever decide
to go out on its own and form q
labor party in the United State;
under the leadership Of someone
like John L. Lewis. a different sit
uation would arise, with the three
parties fighting for power. They
could fight it out alone and lei
the best one win. or two of then
could combine against the third.
Or here's another way to lool
at it on the basis of the division
of the country into economic
groups:
Fundamentally the East is in
dustrial. The South and West ar
essentially agricultural. In spit
Of interlocking interests - yol
know the story: the cities buy tn,
products of the farm, and vic.
versa - the two groups distrus
each other The farmers don
like organized labor. and labo
doesn't understand the farmers