Evening star., 1938-02-15
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

~ASN5hV AAAAAi q WING dllu COMPLIMENTARY
response. His demand for the retention
Of the American system of government
and free enterprise, however, struck 4
more responsive chord than did his sug-
gestion Of coalition" to beat the New
Deal Democrats. In the first place, q
national coalition" ticket, to ret the
party candidates on the ballots in ali, or
even nearly all. of the States would be q
difficult thing to handle practically.
The feasible way of dealing with his
proposal to get all the opponents OF the
New Deal into the same camp-Demo-
Gratis and Republicans-would be to start
a new party, and call in all the anti
New Dealers. Feasible provided, OF
course, 1t would be possible to get the
Republicans to give up their old party
designation and at the same time to
persuade enough Democrats to leave
their party, too.
A fusion" ticket for President in 1910
to oppose the New Deal candidate-per-
haps President Roosevelt himself-would
be a more graceful term than "coali-
tion" ticket. However Senator Vanden-
berg has started out talking about a
coalition" and probably he will stick
to that appellation. A fusion ticket
triumphed in New York City last No
venlber, with La Guardia as the candi-
date for Mayor, the nominee of the
Republicans and of the American Labor
party and backed by other groups. Such
fusion. if undertaken in the next ma
tional election, must provide for the
nomination of the same presidential
electors by the G. o. P, the disgruntled
Democrats and other groups who might
join In the movement.
Hundreds of letters and kilograms
have poured in upon the Michigan Sen
ator. praising his address, which was
broadcast over a national hook-up
Vandenberg has been frequently named
as a possible presidential nominee for
1910, and doubtless his most recent ad-
dress will boost his chances. He has,
however, sedulously refrained from al
lowing himself to be regarded as being
in the role of a candidate Nor is.
there any likelihood that he will be
a candidate unless there is a big and
apparent swing away from the New
Deal party and in favor of either the
G. 0. P. or a coalition" or fusion"
ticket. The historical fact that Abraham
Lincoln, in his second campaign for
President in 1864. ran on a Union
ticket" and not Republican ticket.
was brought forward graphically by Van
denberg in his address The Boston
Republicans of the Middlesex Club
whose guest Vandenberg was on Lincoln
Day, gave the Michigander a great
hand
Chairman James A. Farley of the
Democratic National Committee dig
nlf1ed the Vandenberg appeal for
coalition ticket by issuing a statement
last night. Mr.. Farleys effort appar-
entity, was to ridicule Mr. Vandenberg's
asplratlons-if he has any-to be Presi-
dent. Said Mr.. Farley: Senator Van
denberg indicated that he was prepared
to throw overheard even the label Re-
publican and accept some other desig-
nation that would embrace the So
called Jeffersonian Democrats The
JeHersonlan Democrats are that small
group which opposed President Roose-
Velt and the Roosevelt policies. Most
OF them were included among the con-
trlbutors to and spokesmen for the Lib
ertv League"
The New Deal technique is very SIM
pie. 1t Is to keep the Liberty League
alVe IN the minds of the people even
lhough 1t be dead as practical matter.
IL is to impress upon the voters that the
hepuohcan party stands only for the
olg lnterestS-and that the "Jeffersonian
Democrats do likewise He may be able
10 make this picture stick, and certainly
he Will try to do so.
Taking the whole speech (of VAN
denberg),' said Farley. 'it was evident
that the Vandenberg movement hasn't
made any more progress in arriving at
solution OF the Republican problem than
the Glenn Frank Committee on Pro-
gram, which is still following the Lam
don formula of declaring that there is
some value to some of the Roosevelt
policies but the Republicans could do
better job in putting these policies into
effect
Mr. Farley, naturally. did not overlook
the speech made by Gov. Aiken of Ver-
mont at the Lincoln Day dinner in New
York. Without attempting to minimize
the effect of Senator Vandenberg's ora
torlcal powers said the Democratic
chairman, Il am inclined to believe
that the country will give more atten-
tlon to the statement of Gov Aiken
who said that if Lincoln were alive he
would pe ashamed of his party's leader
ship today The Vermont Governor
pointed out that the present Republican
leadership has alienated the farmer, the
industrial worker and the great mass of
american voters. In fact. after a care
1ul reading of Gov. Aiken's remarks.
am inclined to believe that he may have
mad Senator Vandenberg in mind
+ *
Whether Gov. Aiken had Senator
Vandenberg in mind or not, the Ver-
monter hit the front pages of the news
papers. Not that his attack upon the
leadership of the Republican party was
particularly new-Senator Borah of
Idaho campaigned through Illinois and
Ohio in 1886 demanding that the party
leadership be purged. and Representa-
tive Hamilton Fish of New York has
been just as rabid against the old party
leaders. But when Gov. Aiken stepped
out and told the Republicans it was
time to stop hating President Roosevelt,
he was taking new tack. Although
Jim Farley did not mention this par
tlcular feature of the Vermont Cover
nor's address, there seems little doubt
that it must have warmed the cookies
Of his Democratic heart.
Presumably Gov. Aiken is leader Of
the Republican party-at least in his
own State. Presumably he might like
to be a leader beyond the borders of
his State. Who are these leaders
whom he does not like? Most of the
old guard Republicans have died or