Evening star., 1938-01-09
Issues of 1910 May Create
Need for Coalition Candidate
Republicans, Lacking Outstanding Men, May Turn
to Conservative Democrat to Fight Authori.
tartan Advance, Observer Says.

eral who believes passionately in the Amer.
lean tradition-there can be little doubt
that this Is the type that most Republicans
grope toward. But Mr.. Borah is hardly
available.
Turn to the House. In that body are SO
Republicans. But not one Of them Is
thought Of as a candidate for the presiden-
tial nomination. There are Republicans in
the House, who. by experience and talent.
are adequate for the role. One example is
Representative and ex-senator Wadsworth
of New York. But Mr.. Wadsworth was in
the House in 1886 and was not thought Of
as presidential possibility in that year.
Turn to the seven Republican Governors.
Not among these, either, is there any who
stands out as a presidential possibility.
In other fields are there any possibili-
ties? Soon after Mayor La Guardia Of New
York was reelected last November by q
fusion of Republicans with the American
Labor party, some Republican leaders felt
that here was their hope. They argued that
Mr.. La Guardia had carried the City Of New
York, that other large cities have much the
same kind Of problem and the same type of
electorate as New York, and that therefore
Mr.. La Guardia as presidential candidate
in 1910 might win back to the Republican
party the large cities that have 50 great q
proportion Of the country's electorate But
Mr.. La Guardia took himself out Of the
Republican running. He formally regis
tered as a member not of the Republican
party, but of the American Labor party.
And. however appropriate and successful
was the fusion of the Republican and Amer
ican Labor parties as a local matter in New
York City, such fusion Is quite impos-
sible in the country. Mr.. La Guardia is
hardly possibility for the Republican
presidential nomination in 1910.
Dewey Is New Figure.
In the same election that returned Mr.
La Guardia to the New York City mayoral-
ty there was elected, as prosecuting attor-
ney, . new figure to whom many Repub-
licans turn. Thomas E. Dewey Is q Repub-
lican. Any Republican who carries New
York City for any high ONCE Is by that
fact elevated to the list Of presidential pos
sibilities. But Mr.. Dewey is young only 35
years old. He is young and the ONCE to
which he was elected will be his first ex-
perience in elective Office. 1t Is suggested
that Mr.. Dewey might be nominated by
the Republicans for Governor Of New York
In the election that occurs next November,
and that If he won he would then stand
before the country in 1910 as the Governor
Of the country's largest State and therefore
adequately equipped and experienced to be
a presidential possibility. But If Mr. Dewey
should next September accept q nomina-
tion for Governor after having spent less
than nine months in the Office OF prosecut-
ing attorney to which he was elected, would
not that look like overeagerness either on
his part or on the part Of the Republican
party? The sum of the facts about Mr..
Dewey is that he has the attributes Of a
presidential possibility, but is still green.
Maybe the Republican party will conclude
they have not time to let him ripen and
pick him anyhow.
The survey Of existing. apparent Repub-
lican presidential possibilities yields not
between now and 1910? Conceivably, in
the elections next November, the Repub-
licans might send to the Senate some ar
resting figure, or they might elect such a
one to the governorship of some State.
But, whether in the Senate or In q gov
ernorship, such a man would have less than
a year and half to make himself familiar
to the country before the Republican
presidential nominating convention of
1910 takes place. Conceivably, the thing
could happen. Since the radio has come,
not 50 much time is required for Q public
man to impress himself upon the country.
Other Presidential Material.
The paucity Of presidential material
within the Republican party is striking.
In contrast with it Is the wealth Of presi-
dental material in another quarter.
Consider that portion Of the Democratic
party which opposed and defeated Presi-
dent Roosevelt's court measure. In the
group were % Senators (plus small num-
Der who Joined the group at a late stage
Of the fighD. Among those 20 Demo-
S1dIlC 0cidCOIS N al dUuNOHQCc Oh mdCSllal
adequately equipped to be President. To
name only few, Senator Burke OF Ne
braska, who led the fight; Senator Byrd
of Virginia. Senator Bailey Of North Caro-
lima. These are three without going be-
yond the second letter Of the alphabet.
In the working out Of the coming struggle
between the American tradition and au-
thoritarian government, many permutations
are likely. The fight will be carried on
within the forms Of the two old parties
but in the clashing one OF the molds may
be broken. 1t is at least possibility that,
in one or another Of the permutations Of
the 1910 presidential year, the Democrats
who believe in holding America to its ira
ditions might find themselves cut of from
their former party allegiance. Either Of
their own initiative or because they have
no other course, they might fnd them
selves segregated. II that should happen,
and If this group should name Q presi.
Dental candidate from the abundant ma.
ter1al they have-in such event, tho Re-
publicans might find In this quarter the
man they seem to lack within their own
ranks.