The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1938-09-15
BY MORGAN M. BEATTY
AP Feature Service Writer


Washington President Roose-
velt's decision to put the principle
of liberalism ahead of political
party labels may be just another
headline to most people, but it is
as awesome as doomsday to every
practical politician in the land
including the President himself.
Practical politicians are the
people who have to translate
principles ard ideas into votes.
Numbered among them is the
President, because he is famous
not only as a humanitarian chief
executive, but was a practical
politician.
In the past, the important ele-
ment of big-time American poll
tics has been the political party.
Politicians usually don't get ar.y-
where in politics uless they wear
a party label. Even such famous
Independents as liberal George
Norris of Nebraska and liberal
Bob LaFollette, Sr., of Wisconsin
won their spurs under the pro-
lection of the Republican ell
ephant.
Likewise it is almost taken for
granted among practical politi-
clans that political party should
be many things to many people.
They have to woo their votes
where they can, all along the line.
And everybody has a vote, be he
conservative, liberal, radical,
farmer, worker, doctor, or what
ever else. That's the reason why
the usual national platform has
enough planks to floor a 1O-acre
barn.
Even Died For Their Party
Then, too. party labels, like
flags, or trade marks, just natur-
ally mean things to people. They
are loved and hated. Men have
snapped punches, even killed
each other over political parties.
1t is even said in all seriousness
that the father of Daniel Webster,
a Federalist of his day, became ill
in a Democratic town, and had
himself moved to another place,
fer fear he SHOULD die in such
pollution"
Also stepped in political lore is
the principle of party loyalty.
Carter Glass, the unrecognized
rebel of Virginia, recognized it
when he supported Roosevelt in
1886. 1t was the same with fiery,
Clifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania
when he appeared under the Lam
don banner.
Party loyalty is a matter of be-
ing for your party, right or wrong.
The heaviest, meanest epithets in
political language have always
been heaved at the party turn
coat. Thus is the man who chan
ges his label warned of the fate
in store for him. And thus is
political machinery preserved in
the lean years when patronage is
going to another party. &c.,.
Lastly, any ward worker can
tell you that issues and personal
tiles may come and go, but party
machinery must go on forever
and the wise man heretofore
charted his course accordingly.
): i =
Strategists Have Answer
And yet, seemingly in the face
of all this, the President has
plugged for liberalism, under
whatever party banner it may be
found.
Why?
Strategists hereabouts say there
are several reasons. There are
reasons of principle, and reasons
of party psychology within the
Democratic party. They say a
second term President hasn't a
chance to enforce his will, liberal
or otherwise, unless he can find a
way to keep congressman fearful
that he may single them out for
the finger of scorn. 1t is certainly
scorn to call man a reactionary.
But on the score of practical
politics, they lean to the belief
that it's simply a case of the
President betting his money on a
political dark horse named
economic theory"
1t would seem off-hand that
economic theory has little to do
with lassoing votes, but the gulf
might not be SO wide as it looks.
The strategist cites you, for in
stance, to the national resources
committee survey of American in
comes, just published. 1t says, for
one thing, that 81 per cent of the
families in the United States earn
annual incomes of less than $4,000