The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-05-05
Time G. O. P. Got Busy

Washington.-An inquiry comes
from my old home town in Missouri,
asking, In effect. what are the Re-
publicans doing? The letter, quite
obviously from a follower of that old
Democratic stalwart, former Sen.
Jim Reed, explains that the writer
would like to see Democratic party
machinery back in the hands of
Democrats, but 1t Is complained
that the Republicans have provided
little opposition to the New Deal
leftwingers. The further complaint
is registered that many Of the DEM
ocrats in congress have failed to set
forth ''cold facts" about New Deal
spending.
I have paid very little attention to
Republican party affairs for quite
awhile for the simple reason that
Republican partisans, either as a
party or individually. have been do
ing nothing. They have chance
now to do something. Whether they
win become really active, remains
to be seen. They have been quar-
reling among themselves, snarling,
fighting, letting petty jealousies
keep their ranks split wide open.
But let's take q look at their pic
ture now to see whether there Is any
real hope.
It will be recalled that during the
fight against the Roosevelt plan to
pack the Supreme court with six
new Justices, the Republicans kept
very quiet. That is. they were quiet
as far as surface indications 60. Be-
meath the surface. they were busy
helping the Democrats fight off that
nation-wrecking scheme put for
ward by the New Dealers. I believe
everyone regarded that as good po-
Htical strategy. BY refusing to make
the Supreme court packing plan q
partisan issue, the Republicans kept
q lot Of ammunition out Of New Deal
hands. That fight was led by regu-
lar Democrats like Senators Wheel
er Of Montana, Burke Of Nebraska,
Rep. Hatton Summers Of Texas and
others like them.
But the Supreme court battle was
followed by cleavage in the ranks
Of the dominant party in congress,
and the Republicans failed to fol-
low up their jobs as the opposition
party. They failed to take advan-
tage Of many opportunities. In fact,
nothing was done at all until the
government reorganization bill was
pushed onto the stage and Presi-
dent Roosevelt made that legisla-
ton an issue. It may be said that
the Republicans did nothing of con-
sequence In that fight, but they vot-
ed with the real Democrats at the
finish. That was the vote that kill
ed the reorganization bill. Theirs
was the vote which, had it been
taken under the British or French
parliamentary system, would have
forced resignation Of "the govern
ment" because it showed lack Of
confidence in the executive
And, now to the present. In the
last few weeks. there have been
signs that ought to be heartening
to the rank and file Of the Republi-
can lists They are, however, just
signs, as far as any honest APPRAISAL
goes. The Republican national
committee has selected FRANKLIN
Mailman, a Washington newspaper
correspondent to take charge of and
reorganize the party's publicity set
up. Mr.. Mailman is a fine writer,
one Of Washington's best. He has
spent some fifteen years as polit-
ical observer. He has courage and
imagination; perhaps not as much
imagination as Charles Nicholson
of the Democratic national commit
tee, but he is young and vigorous.
This "sign" Is significant because