Evening star., 1938-02-27
Issue Of Preserving Democracy
Dims Party Labels, Writer Says
Transcendent Matter Is That America Is Moving
Toward Authoritarian Government,
Observer Declares

Springfield. H., in 1885. Some Republi-
cans who participated in that meeting felt
that something more formal should be done
toward restating the principles of the Re-
publican party in the light Of changed
conditions. One of the earliest who
felt this was ex-President Hoover, and
he had large part in originating the idea
that will come into concrete form in Chi
cago on Monday. Opponents of Mr.. Hoover
in the party resisted the idea at first
After they accepted it they were vigilant to
see that Mr. Hoover and his friends should
not have too large part in the committee
The committee as it stands does not reflect
any one individual or faction Omission of
friends of Mr.. Hoover has gone so far as to
be almost pointed.
The setting up Of this committee was
authorized by the Republican National
Committee at meeting held in Chicago
last December. An important matter, of
course. was the personnel of the committee.
how it should be made up, who should Sc
lect it and who should have membership
in it.
The Republican National Committee
authorized the Executive Committee of the
Republican national organization to select
the members of the Program Committee
This meant, in effect. that the Program
Committee has been selected by National
Republican Chairman John Hamilton, act
ing in association with few others. They
seem to have done their work with a sin
cere desire to make the committee really
representative in thought and in personnel,
without excessive representation for any
group or school Of thought.
Absence Of Office Holders.
As one looks over the 225 persons who
have been chosen, one is impressed by the
absence Of office holders. There is no Re-
publican Senator on the list and no Repub-
ican Representatives in Congress- and no
Republican governor. Upon inquiry find
that out of the 225, only - hold any public
Office. and these Office holders are minor
and local, the highest rank is State Sena-
tor from Massachusetts,. The reason a
dozen office holders turned up on the list
was not their Office holding, but some line
Of thought or some group they were repre-
sentative Of.
One is impressed also by the lack Of ex-
Office holders. The only living ex-Presi-
dent. Mr.. Hoover, is on the list, and the
the only living former Vice President, Mr.
Dawes. But I suppose these are ex-officio
and honorary: Mr.. Hoover will not be pres
ent as he is in Europe. OF ex-governors
observe only two on the list-both are from
New Hampshire, Mr.. Spaulding and Mr..
Bass. There are two former United States
Senator's But the number of former Office
holders is as small as the number Of present
Office holders. Both these groups COM
bined do not make more than one-tenth
tions next week, the professional politi
cian'' is out.
Princeton President on List.
As office holders and former Office holder
are impressive by their absence. so are COL
lege presidents or teachers impressive by
their presence. The list includes President
Dodds Of Princeton. His presence en-
phatically is appropriate and useful; in my
Judgment, of all the arguments made be-
fore the Senate Judiciary Committee
against President Roosevelts PROPOSE to
change the Supreme Court the most i'm
pressive was that of President Dodds. The
list includes the outstanding American
physicist, Robert A. Millikan Of the Cali
fornia Institute of Technology. 1t includes
Dr. Roscoe Pound until 1896 dean Of the
Harvard Law School. There are some other
college presidents or teachers.
Seeking. in an inquiring mood, to find
whether the committee is truly representa-
tive, asked how many Of the committee
are under 40-for it is perfectly clear that
strong injection of youth Is necessary In
any enterprise which attempts leadership
Of thought for Americas future. I was in
formed that out of the 225, thirty-five were
under 40 and twelve under 80. That is
fortunate, but the number still is too small
youth ought to be represented even more
largely.
Forty-eight out of the 225, more than a
fifth, are women: that is very much
larger ISpItScLIdLlOu OA WoIiicl Illdu - W
be found in Congress, in any State Legis-
lature or In any other deliberative political
body. 1t is much larger representation
than women have had in any national con-
vention of either party.
Many Relatively Unknown.
Most conspicuous of all is the representa-
ton Of the relatively unknown. Looking
over the list, with rather extensive knowl-
edge Of public characters, was able to
recognize less than 40 out of the 225 Ap-
parently the little fellow" the equivalent
of the recent convention Of small business
men, is to have his day. Perhaps we may
get an outcome as spontaneous and stimu-
lating as the resolutions passed by the
small business mems convention.
Yet doubt If either the small unlknowns
in next weeks meetings, or the impressive
well-knowns-1 doubt If either will realize
fully how much one issue and condition
transcends all others; the fact that America
is already taking the opening steps toward
authoritarian government.
(oopyrisht. 1888. New York Tribune. Ine.)
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