Evening star., 1938-07-06

touches party regularity and an asser-
tlon of leadership at the White House
which undoubtedly was the result Of
q combination of many interesting
circumstances.
AS a practical proposition, Mr. Roose-
welt was faced with the painful fact
that Senator Van Nuys was and is
liberal" and that to attempt to pun
ish him just because he opposed the
President on the court issue was to
make the fight wholly personal, and
to put 100 per cent obedience to the
party boss abb all other achieve
ments by candidate for the Senate.
1t will be recalled now that the
President in his recent fireside chat
maneuvered himself out of this awk-
ward dilemma by stating that a vote
on one issue would not disqualify
candidate from receiving his support,
but that the real question was one of
liberalism" versus conservatism BY
Mr. Roosevelt's definition of a lib
eral," as pointed out in these dis
patches at the time, Senator Van
Nuys was eminently qualified for
White House support. Under such
circumstances the State organization
in Indiana could hardly wish to be in
sistent on course which would be the
opposite Of what Mr.. Roosevelt had
proclaimed.
What. on the other hand, were the
forces operating inside Indiana to
bring about the peace overtures to
Senator Van Nuys?' An examination
Of local political problems in any
State will teach the amateur politi-
clans Of the left wing hereabouts that
If they attempt to purge" party
by reason Of one question and an
issue, too. which substantial number
Of people understand, there is danger
Of splitting the party in such fashion
as to hand the victory over to the
opposite party.
Precedent In 1912.
Back in 1912. another liberal"
split the Republican party and handed
the victory to Woodrow Wilson.
Three-cornered races have q way of
bothering the major parties, and as
for the local officeholders who run on
the same ticket in three -cornered
races, they find themselves in the
midst Of unprecedented political con.
fusion. Senator Van Nuys apparently
was sufficiently popular to draw away
at least 80 per cent of the Democratic
vote. The Gallup poll recently has
shown the Democratic disaffection to
be In that substantial amount
Many persons vote for the top Of
the ticket and often fail to vote for
the candidates for other ofnces, or
else they scratch" the ticket and
begin splitting in various ways when
there's an independent in the field |
All this must have disturbed the local !
politicians who want to gain the
smaller offices. And besides with the
large number Of Republican voters
who have been impressed by Senator |
Van Nuys' independence, the Demo- |
Gratis in Indiana saw the Senator as
an asset rather than liability to the |
Democratic ticket j
Senator Van Nuys' liberalism" may
be unpalatable to the conservative
Republicans who naturally will sup
port their own candidate, but in In
diana there are Republicans who
want the Van Nuys type Of man in
the Senate, man who can fight |
even the President of the United
States when he thinks he is wrong.
Townsends Telegram.
The fact that Gov. Townsend OF
Indiana telegraphed to Mr.. Van Nuys
inviting him to become q candidate
Is being taken to mean that he will
be renominated. For the nominations
are made by the convention system in
Indiana. Peace between the Gov
ernor and Mr.. Van Nuys would seem
to clear away any possible obstacles
to denomination. This is not only
. sensible course for Indiana Demo-
Gratis to pursue. but it reveals on the
part Of the man in the White House
. great sense Of awareness OF how
completely discredited is the Supreme
Court packing" issue as an acid test
Of liberalism. Mr.. Roosevelt's declara-
ton In his freside chat that his OBJ
iectives on judicial reorganization had
been attained may be taken as q sign
that for the present at least he will
not. If he can help it, allow the Su-
preme Court question to be agitated
IN the campaign. Politically it is q
boomerang and undoubtedly Chair.
man Farley of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee and some Of the
other politically astute men In the
party have persuaded Mr.. Roosevelt
that they know more about practical
politics than the amateur group who
dragged him into that other futile At
tempt at q purge" In the State Of
Iowa. The score against the "purges"
70 far Is 2 to 0, and public opinion
manifested through the press scored
both victories.
(copyright. 1o3S.)