Evening star., 1938-11-07
President 10 Count
Election Victories
In Terms Of Liberals
Porty to Be No Criterion
For Measuring Gains,
Losses Tomorrow
BY w. b. RAGSDALE.


Associated Press Staff Writer.
President Roosevelt has erased all
doubt that his own count of victories
and losses in tomorrow's election will
be based on the liberal content of
the winners, not on the post-election
girth of the two major parties.
That was the effect of what he
said Friday in his one major speech
of the campaign. The speech made
1t clear that conservative Democrats
would have to climb into office under
their own steam as far as he was
concerned. 1t seemed to beckon
proven liberals of other parties to
come ahead.
The speech is fruit Of an attitude
Uhi,n terminated long ago and
Powered during the recent primaries.
But, though the most vigorous, even
his primary speeches could not be
said to be the first time he has ex-
many Of his 1882 campaign addresses.
The Sheep and the Goats.
pressed such views. They favored
During,that period his appeal had
been for liberalism but the Demo-
cratic party was to be the liberal
party. The buffetings his liberalism
took from conservative Democrats
in the 1878 Congress made more
and more clear the line that he was
drawing across both major parties
in an effort to separate liberals
from conservatives.
The President opened all the stops
and gave full vent to these views
IN the primaries. He praised Sen
ators Bulkley in Ohio, Barkley in
Kentucky and Thomas in Oklahoma
on the ground that they were more
seasoned, better equipped liberals
than their opponents.
Senator McAdoo was picked as his
liberal candidate in California. He
dlSavoWed the program of the $50
every Thursday advocates, and
called it a short cut to utopia. But
after Senator McAdoo was defeated
in the primaries, he supported the
winner, Sheridan Downey.
Liberals First, Partisans Second.
In Georgia, South Carolina and
MARYLAND, he put Senators George,
Smith and Tydings in the conserva-
tive class and fought them accord
ingly. The fight was a much broader
one than personalities and parties.
He and his candidates often were
battling against the established
political order.
Mr.. Roosevelt's chief political
activities since the primaries have
been directed toward the aid of
liberal candidates. They happened
to be Democrats, but they were
liberals first and partisans second.
Prior to his Friday night speech
his principal political utterance had
been a press conference statement
that he would not object to the
election of a good liberal who hap
pened to be Republican.
Postmaster General Farley, his
chleftain in matters polite, was con-
veniently out of the country during
most of the Southern purge cam
paign. After all of the Democratic
tickets had been worked out, Mr.
Farley called his first press con-
ference of the year and said he was
Tor all Democrats, everywhere.
Farley Not Condemned.
Whether they were conservatives
or liberals or Utopians did not mat
ter to him. he said. The first
requisite was that they must be
Democrats.
Mr., Roosevelt. informed of this,
f1lcked the ashes from his cigarette,
smiled and said that if he were
the chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, as is Mr.. Far
ley, he would do the same thing.
Thus, when the voting is done
and the counting begun, Mr.. Roose-
Welt will want the winnings in one
form Of currency and Mr.. Farley
in another. Mr.. Roosevelt wants
his in shiny. new liberal coins. Mr..
Farley doesn't care whether they
come in nlckels, dimes or greenbacks.
On most of the major contests.
however, they have given every evi-
Cence of feeling the same way.
Pulling Together.
Both are pulling for the election
Of the Democratic ticket in New
York, hoping to push back the aspir-
ing young district attorney, Thomas
E. Dewey, the Republican candidate
for Governor. and his two running
mates for the Senate.
They have joined in backing Gov.
George H. Earle of Pennsylvania and
the Democratic State ticket. Both
are behind Senators McGill in
Kansas. Gillette in Iowa. Bulkley in
Ohio and Barkley in Kentucky. All
are Democrats.
In fact, although Mr.. Roosevelt
has put himself on record in favor
of good liberals, wherever they NAV
be. one striking difference sets his
attitude in this campaign apart from
his actions in 1882 and 1886.
Those campaigns saw him sup
porting some Republicans whom he
had called by name-such as SEN
ators Cutting of New Mexico and
Norris of Nebraska This time he
has not named his Republicans.
London has a British Society of
DoWsers-diving-rod water seekers.