Evening star., 1938-11-30


which the young
Republicans and
independents have in the national
organization. but anybody who
looked over the whole group could
not but feel that men of the Simpson
type are still in the minority in
the Republican party.
In the interest of peace and har-
mony, the meeting was not permitted
to give voice to controversial issues,
but it is plain to see that the
Republican party has not yet crys-
taliZed its new era of existence to
the point where any definite COM
plexion can be attributed to it.
Inside the party the liberals are
confident that by 1910 they will
make Republicanism more attractive
to the independent voter than it
has been. Conversely, the staunch
conservatives are convinced that any
turn to New Dealishness is unneces-
sary and that if the Republicans
will just sit tight and harass their
opposition, joining with the inde-
pendent Democrats to make political
mischief, the tide of votes will come
their way two years hence just the
same.
It is on this fundamental point
that opinions as to the future of
the Republican party will differ. If
the minority in Congress, reinforced
by a group of new Republicans,
should decide on more aggressively
partisan course than before, there
is always the risk that the inde-
pendent Democrats may be driven
back into the arms of a chastened
and perhaps wiser New Deal group
of Democrats. For while allies fight
alongside one another in times of
common cause, they do not always
stick together when some of the
dangers which have produced that
common cause are removed.
Attitude on Elections.
Among the Republicans at the
national committee meeting there
was to be detected a bit of cocki-
ness about the recent congressional
elections which raises number of
interesting queries. One is whether
the old line Republicans realize the
extent to which lot of the newly
elected Republicans spoke during
the recent campaign favorably of
the "objectives" of the New Deal.
Another is whether the placing in
positions of control in party coun-
ellis of men identified in the minds
of independent voters with the
ultra conservative side of the Re
publican party will not be proof
conclusive to the independent voters
that in 1910 if the Democratic con-
vention nominates middle of the
road liberal they should cast their
lot with him rather than conserva-
tive Republicanism.
Every meeting of a national party
committee brings to the surface
the kind of strategy which DOM
mates the thinking of the leaders
This weeks session tends to cor
roborate the strategy of the group
who have insisted that an oppo-
sition party does not need new
set Of principles or liberal platform
or mid term convention, or any
thing else, but that 1t just needs
to use the well-known hammer of
political combat and the votes will
come in just the same. But there
are rumblings which indicate that
an organization such as has been
known as the Glenn Frank Policy
Committee, the one which is study
ing the platform for the 1910 cam
paign, will not permit itself to be
brushed aside by the politicians
Leadership Of Dewey.
The argument most often offered
to the Glenn Frank committee was
that the 1898 elections had to be won
and that specific positions on con-
troversial questions would jeopardize
Republican chances. Today those
elections are out of the way and
the country is asking what kind of
leadership the Republicans will offer
II they obtain possession of both the
executive and legislative branches
of the Government. The fearless
leadership of Thomas E. Dewey of
New York is plainly regarded as
of the vote-getting type, but it re-
mains to be seen whether the con-
servative wing of the Republican
party will blot out the Glenn Frank
committee and the liberal platform
sponsors and force the old political
strategy of perfect antiquities as
the answer to revised New Deal
program and liberal nominee.
There was, on the whole, very
little indication from the Repub-
lican National Committee meeting
that the new party leaders are aware
Of how far they must 60 to get the
Independent vote next time, but
there can be no doubt of the funda-
mental belief on the part of many
Of the Republican committeeman
that victory in 1910 is in the cards,
mostly on account of New Deal mis-
takes. But the New Dealers are
doing some reforming and rearrang-
ing. too. and the meeting held by
Chairman Farley in Chicago CO.
incident with the Republican gath
ering here shows that the Demo-
10 al,; ;of<