Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-03

publicans, and
" AA"ie"'e' some one like
Thomas E. Dewey in New York or
Robert Taft in Ohio makes a real
showing in votes, the candidate for
1910 of the Republican party I'M
ooubtedly will be picked from such
a group of victors.
Likewise, if the Republicans forge
ahead, the supporters of President
Roosevelt will feel more than ever
confirmed in their belief that he
must make the race in 1910 for a
third term in order to preserve what
they conceive to be liberal" adj
mlniStration with reforms which
might be frustrated by an opposing
party in power.
But, supposing the Democrats fail
to lose many seats and the election
Is interpreted as being more than
a holding of their lines. Would
President Roosevelt be as likely a
choice? Wouldn't members of his
party who are themselves candi-
dates for 1910 feel that he now
should step aside and give them a
chance? Wouldn't there be a re-
vival of the slogan expressed by
Woodrow Wilson that There is no
indispensable man? It was ut
tered in Mr.. Wilson's speech of &C
ceptance in 1912 and was aimed at
Theodore Roosevelt, who had been
nominated for third term, though
four years had elapsed since his
previous service.
Reconciled to Some Losses.
Forecasts of what the after-elec-
ton attitude Of the political lead
ers will be are being made now,
but they presuppose a confidence
about the general nature of the out
come. Inside the Democratic party
there is a feeling that the Re-
! publicans will gain more than Is
seats and possibly so. There will
be deep disappointment in the Dem
ocratic ranks if the number of
Republicans added to the House
exceeds 35, because in their inner
hearts the Democrats expect to
hold the contest down to IS and
possibly Is.
AS for the Republicans, they will
rejoice at anything over IS, and
they really expect an increase of
so or more in the House.
The effect on the Republican
leaders is going to be pronounced
If the election fails to give them
more than 80 or 40 seats. The argu-
ment that was advanced by Re-
publican members of Congress
themselves before the campaign got
under way was that no alternative
platforms or policies were needed
and that the Glenn Frank COM
mittee had better postpone its rec
concentrations for a platform until
after the 1888 elections we're out of
the way.
A small but liberal-minded group
inside the Republican party yielded
to such expediency strategy with
reluctapce. They had felt that the
wise course was to express a mill
tant Republicanism in the form
OF progressive platform, which
would show the country that al
ready in 1888 the Republicans were
ready to give some indication of
what they would do with public
power II they were intrusted with 1t
again in both executive and legis-
lative branches of the Government.
Traditional Philosophy Espoused.
The present campaign has been
fought with some few exceptions
largely on negative basis. The
philosophy has been that of the ira.
dltlonal politicians of both par.
Ties: Make the most of your oppo-
nents' mistakes, emphasize those err
rors, promise in generalities that
you will do much better but don't
. give any specific formula as to how
you are going to do it,"
The election results next week
Will reveal how far this formula
is still effective, if at all. If it
proves to have won a considerable
number of seats a continuation of
the anti administration tactics
without offering constructive alter
natives will be insisted upon by the
political generals of the Repub-
lican party. If, on the other hand
the results show that the Repub-
hcans haven't made much of q
dent and that their victories here
and there were due largely to
stronger personalities than the op-
position had or local issues better
expressed by the Republican NOM
inee than the Democrat, then the
liberals in the Republican party
will more than ever feel that they
have been confirmed in their con-
tention that party to win power
must do something more than mere
ly condemn the mistakes of the
opposition.
For the foregoing reasons the So
called off-year election will be of
far-reaching significance to the fu-
ture development of affairs and can
dldacles inside the Republican as
well as inside the Democratic party.
1t will be milestone in political
history.
tcopyright, 1881