Evening star., 1938-09-18

SukkcSt = COAA.
field conference
or something Of
the sort for these
industrious pur-
veyors Of inspired Charles MieheIson.
opinion, at which
what they are driving at could be
reached.
Perhaps in this way somebody might
get some idea OF what the Republican
party Is standing for or aiming at
to the great relief of their confused
readers.
am not including the of1icial press
Of the minority party and its for
eign legion Of disgruntled Democrats.
He has definite Job that Is not con-
cerned with his individual views, and
there Is no disguise Of the sponsor
ship of his output. I refer to the
newspaper columnists who are ostensi-
bly, free agents and who are perfectly
impartial In their judgment Of New
Deal activities-that Is, they agree
that everything the President does
must be wrong and everybody he op-
poses must be right.
For example. Mr.. Frank Kent was
recently Mortified because the Presi-
dent described Sheridan Downing, the
California nominee for the United
States senatorship, as a Liberal and
refused to be alarmed because that
candidate In his campaign connived
at q hair-raising scheme of bestowing
on unemployed people over so the sum
OF $50 week, to be financed by his
States treasury with some stamp
tax trimmings. The commentator in
fers that this marks the degrade ton
! Of the whole New Deal principle.
On the other hand Mr. Mark Sulli-
van halls the defeat of Senator McAdoo
by Downey rs . crushing defeat for
the New Deal and an evidence that
the country Is in revolt against 1t.
Dopesters Can't Agree.
Actually, the McAdoo- -Downey con-
flict had no New Deal angle to it.
The President supported McAdoo, who
had been loyal to his policies. but
the 100000 Californians who thought
they saw $50 a week In prospect
swung the election to the other fellow.
Mr.. David Lawrence saw in the
Presidents indicated supper. of the
Democratic candidate against q Re-
publican in the coming election .
terrible sacrifice Of principle in view
Of the $50 a week business.
Now, all these writer's have been
discussing politics for many years.
They know that the archives OF
Congress are jammed with bills pro-
viding for things beside which these
latter-day dreams are conservative,
to put it mildly. Nearly all these
dust covered papers represent nothing
more than Congressman'ss effort
to square himself with his constituents.
None ever had the slightest chance
Of enactment, or even Of coming to
vote. Whether the Congressman was
sincere, or Endorsed the plans with
his tongue in his cheek for campaign
purposes. makes little difference.
We all remember when some OF the
most sincere drinkers in the National
Legislature came to Washington as
prohibitionists, when the Anti-Saloon
League was functing as q political
terrorist.
I do not know how many men in
both Houses indorsed the Townsend
plan simply because there was =
frenzy for it at home and they were
afraid to antagonize so many voters.
And yet among the nusty documents
bills that were introduced and promptly
forgotten. Today. for instance, the
Republican candidates for Congress
in Maine are Townsend planners;
Clyde Smith in the second district
made it practically his whole issue
Would that make the Republican party
s200-a-month-for -all-the- old folks
party? Applying the Kent logic, 1t
ought to.
Utopians Property Of No Party.
We have had Kluxers in both Houses
Of Congress. 1t was Senator Jim Wat
son of Indiana who at the height
Of the Klan activities out there pro-
claimed the great political maxim
If you can't beat 'em. jine EN-" We
had Senator Brookhart, Republican
of Iowa, with his Government owner
ship of railroads. We had Huey
Long, with his hare-tne-wealth and
Every Man King program. Even that
ultra -Brahmin, Henry Cabot Lodge, jr,
had his Townsendic moments, as when
he was campaigning for his Senator
ship he wrote the doctor thus: The
most deep-seated and eternal aim OF
the human race is leisure and security
for the aged and opportunity for the
young. The Townsend movement
Is the embodiment of his aim, with
which I am in complete accord"
There are two interpretations, Of
course, to his statement, but there
is no question which he meant Dr.
Townsend to take.
The Utopians. honest or merely
opportunist, are not the property
of any particular party. Through
the years there have been innum-
cradle impracticalities. valuable for
home consumption, but mere Curl
osities when they got to Washington
Obviously it is not the highest
type of craftsmanship, to espouse q
movement in which you do not believe
for the sake Of comprising An election.
Here and there along the line are
heroes who have defied the dangerous
minorities and are honored for their
integrity. but I have yet to hear of
a political party, or the leader Of that
party, disowning one of its candidates
because he had succumbed to the
temptation. I even remember when
that puritanical statesman. Senator
Vandenburg. indorsed the Townsend
nominated candidate for Congress from
AEirh}oan In fha sarna hrea n, n, vytffeh