Evening star., 1938-11-01
The Political Mill
Leadership Of Republican Party Moy Be Determining
Factor in NotionoI Compoiqn Of 1910

fornia has its Philip Bancroft, Re-
publican nominee for the Senate.
All Of these candidates are watched
with keenest interest. Victory for
them will not only give the G. o.
P. real hope for the future as q ma
tlonal party, but 1t will pitchfork
these newcomers into the actual
leadership Of the party.
Some Old Leaders Survive.
Not in all States have the old
leaders and old political hacks been
cast aside. Former Gov. Fitzgerald
Is the G. o. P. choice in Michigan
to defeat the New Deals Gov. Frank
Murphy.
Fitzgerald is not an inspiring
leader, but he won the primary
contest for the gubernatorial nomi-
nation, and the Republicans are 60
ing along with him. In Pennsyl-
vania the G. o. P. is laying its
money on Senator Davis and Judge
James-neither newcomers to Re-
publican political Office, though
James had rarely been heard of
outside his own State until he was
put forward by the old guard lead
ers to defeat former Gov. Clifford
Pinchot. A liberal In Iowa, instead
OF nominating the more progress
sive Representative Thurston for
the Senate, the Republicans turned
back to former Senator Dickinson,
and even in California they re-
nominated Gov. Merriam, an old
stager
Slowly but surely, however, the
Republican party is emerging from
its slough Of despond with a new
group to offer to the voters for
State and national leadership. The
old guard, which held on and on,
is losing its grip on party councils
and party leadership. Many of the
younger and newer candidates are
progressive in their ideas - but
whether they are fundamentally pro-
gresSive or conservative, they are
at least new. No major party has
in this country yet contained only
liberals or only conservatives. Prob
ably none ever will-or If it does it
will be because the sole and domi-
mating political group in the United
States.
Does any one believe that a vic
tory IN Ohio or New York for the
Republicans will be a forerunner of
the nomination in 1910 for Herbert
Hoover or ALI M. Landon or Frank
D. Fitzgerald of Michigan? Rather
not. 1t is even doubtful that the
Republicans, If they are going we'll
after this election of 1888, would
turn to Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg OF Michigan, despite Vanden-
berg's undoubted abilities, for the
Michigan Senator has been in the
public mind and public eye for 10
years now. The chances are the
demand will be for new face.
Some New Men on Committee.
The Republican National Com
mittee, supposed to be the directing
organization of the party, particu-
larly when the G. o. P. is out of
power in the National Government,
has been slow to change it person.
mel. Even today many Of the old
stagers are found on its list Of num-
bers. One reason for this lies in
the fact that such political organiza-
tions have way OF perpetuating
themselves. Death, however, has
removed several Of the old guard
members, as in the case of the late
Henry j. Roraback of Connecticut.
Others have resigned, as did Charles
D. Hilles Of New York. Their places
have been filled with new men with
more modern ideas.
For number of years progress
siveS in the Republican party have