Evening star., 1938-11-13


though Mr.. Taft
despite his
name and the
deduction drawn o.' ....
from his success ''"''''"'
found 1t advisable to proclaim his
progressive sentiments during the
campaign. But the Republican press
and party leaders are equally edited
at the defeat of every anti-New Deal
Senator, although in the primary
contests before election they were
hailing them as heroes for their
sturdy independence. More logi-
cally could the Democrats claim
that the anti-New Deal Senator's
went down to defeat because they
opposed New Deal policies and argue
that If they had not gone OF the
reservation they would have been
reelected.
Senator Lonergan of Connecticut,
for example. was acclaimed by the
Republicans as an outstanding
statesman and fearless public serv-
ant when the primaries were on.
Now his defeat Is being welcomed
as further evidence that the country
is turning away from the New Deal.
The same might be said of every
Senator and Representative who
fought the Roosevelt policies. either
totally or occasionally, and who
finds himself lame duck today.
Republican Praise Turns Sour.
incidentally, I wonder how these
gentlemen regard the Republican
adulation they accepted with so much
gusto a few weeks ago, when they
compare 1t with the ferocity with
which they were treated in the elec-
ton. They were men Of magnifi-
cent courage, patriotism and inde-
pendence when they sought and
obtained Democratic nominations;
they were UNIT and inferior when
they were opposed by Republican
candidates.
In only single instance was the
minority party consistent in its
approval Of administration
candidates. They did take John
O'Connor, chairman of the Rules
Committee Of the House of Repre-
scentatives as their own candidate,
and now the New Deal James H.
Fay goes to Congress in Mr.. O'Con-
nor's stead and there will be a
different Rules Committee chair
man. While I am wondering, let
me muse over the question Of how
many of their new members the
Republican minority in the House
would be willing to trade for the
retention of Mr.. O'Connor at the
head Of the Committee on Rules?
Actually. the New Deal was not
the dominating factor in most of
the election, though we tried to
make it so. Either the Republican
candidates countered by pretending
that they, too, we're for most of the
New Deal policies, or some local
political situation eclipsed what
should have been the determining
element In the election. This was
particularly true in Pennsylvania
In Ohio the result was due to the
circumstance that Ohio had an un.
satisfactory and unpopular State
administration. and the sins of an
individual were, as usual visited on
his party.
New Dealers Win in Big Way.
In. no other State was the New
Deal so completely the issue as In
New York, where Gov. Lehman was
reelected and Senator Wagner came
through with an old-time majority.
Wagner was the particular target
OF the interests most violent against
President Roosevelt and his policies.
Not only do we have Wagner back
on his old job, but we have given
him a colleague Senator-Congress-
man Jim Mead-of equal loyalty to
the progressive principals of democ-
racy. as the successor to the late
Senator Copeland, who was a shin
ing light among the anti-New
Dealers.
On the whole, Democracy has not
Jared badly in the election. We
have lost a number Of Congressman,
as was inevitable after three periods
Of increase. We lost a governorship
here and there, but we gained two
in Maryland and California we
still have about three out Of four
State administrations.
The country at large, therefore,
again has testified to its confidence
In the Roosevelt policies, and the
night for the betterment of Amer
ican conditions goes right along.
Incidentally, the stock market
opened strong the morning after
election day.
Now comes the time when the
people are entitled to q respite from
politics, and among thu things from
which a vacation is due is this series
OF letters. So, as I thank the news
papers that have opened their coll
umns to my Interpretation of polit-
ical developments, and express the
hope that my readers have not been
mduly bored, I announce the tenn
porary suspension Of the fog dis
pellation.