Evening star., 1939-01-08

itself for not having a program
on the ground that it has too few
votes.
During recent years Republican
impotence has caused powerful
interests, opposed to genuine de-
mocracy, to push their way into
the Democratic party, hoping to
paralyZe it by dividing its coun-
cils.
The first effect of the gains
made by the Republican party in
the recent elections should be to
restore to it the open allegiance
OF those who entered our pri-
maries and party councils with
deliberate intent to destroy our
party's unity and effectiveness.
Should Bring Real
Democrats Together.
The second effect of these
gains should be to bring us real
Democrats together and to line
up with us those from other
parties, those who belong to no
party at all, who also preach the
liberal gospel, so that, firmly al
lied, we may continue a COM
mon constructive service to the
people of the country.
For If these independent
voters have the conviction that
the Democratic party will re-
main liberal party, they will be
the first to perceive what 1 here
and now prophesy, that the Re-
publican leadership, conserva-
tive at heart, will still seek to
run with the hare and hunt with
the hounds, talking for balanced
budgets out of one size of its
mouth and for opportunist raids
on the Treasury out Of the other.
Opportunists they have been
opportunists they still are. See
how they have tried to shuttle
New Deal cards.
The Republican first New Deal
Joyfully went along with our New
Deal-while we were getting
them of the spot and keeping
them out of bankruptcy-or
worse.
The Republican second New
Deal said, Support New Deal
objectives, but oppose legislation
to put them into effect"
The Republican third New
Deal-1938 model-issued this or
der: Get for the voters of your
district all the New Deal benefits,
promise them bigger and better
benefits-any old kind that any
old group asks for-but never
mention how those benefits. will
be paid for"
Those tactics are wrong even
for a party out of power, and If
continued for another two years
they can hardly give our voters
any real confidence in the Re-
publican party.
Cannot Hold Confidence
of People by Wrangling.
We Democrats, however, have
to act as party in power. And
we cannot hold the confidence of
the people if we cannot avoid
wrangling except by agreeing to
sit still and do nothing.
If there are nominal Demo-
Gratis who as q matter of prin-
ciple are convinced that our
party should be a conservative
party-a Democratic tweedledum
to a Republican tweedledee-it Is
on the whole better that the issue
be drawn within the party, that
the fight be fought out and that
if the tweedledums are defeated
they join the tweedledees. But
the prospects of such a fight are
far more remote than members
of the opposition would have you
believe. The people of the coun-
try are not deceived when hon.
est debate and an honest effort
to work things out for the good
of the country are labeled dis
sension and bad blood by those
outside Of the party whose wish
I. Is father to the thought. They
hate to admit it, but the fact re-
mains that such debate over the
last six years has borne six crops
of good fruit.
If we deliver in full on our
contract to the American people
we need never fear the Repub-
hcan party 50 long as 1t COM
mands the support of-in fact
Is down underneath actually
directed blythe same people
who have owned it for several
generations. For the American
Liberty League-unless I am
incorrectly informed-still func-
tions as vehicle for political
contributions and the spreading
OF shopworn propaganda.
Jackson and Party
Delivered on Barrel Head.
Jackson and the party as he
led it, delivered on the barrel
head.
Up to the very last he delivered
for the common people he be-
lieved in, and for the national
unity which he did so much to
create.
On his very last day In the