Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-08

These Willkie David Lawrence
Clubs have it in their power to
make or break the Republican party.
The Democratic party could win
them back if the Republican con-
servatives insist on certain programs
and policies that have hitherto
kept many Democratic liberals from
joining them,
The margin between the two
major parties in last Tuesdays
voting was closer than most people
realize because the electoral vote
does not indicate the nature OF
the contest. 1t is only by examining
the close margins in certain key
States that one becomes aware that
if out of nearly $4,000, 900 votes there
had been a change of only 1900, 900
outside the solid South, Mr.. WillNe
would have been elected by land
slide of electoral votes.
Examining the returns State by
State, it is apparent also that Mr..
Willkie could have had 266-just
enough to elect-if the votes Of
425,0O0 persons in key States had
been switched at the last moment.
Gains Over 1886.
But such statistics are not i'm
portant. They do not in any sense
disparage the victory won by Mr..
Roosevelt, though they do perhaps
dispose of the mistaken comments
of those who think the election
wasn't close.
What is important is that Mr..
Willkie polled approximately a.
900 900 votes, whereas the Repub-
lican party four years ago polled
only 100000. Was this a Repub-
Ican gain or a gain arising out
of an unusual coalition in American
politics? And what will the leaders
of the Republican party do to
retain this accretlon of nearly $780,
900 votes above their 1886 figure?
As a former Democrat himself
Mr.. Willkie typif1es the attitude of
many millions who voted the Re-
publican ticket this time. His lead
ership is essential if the cause
represented by him this year is
to prevail at a succeeding election
This produces very significant
and vital problem. For between
campaigns it is the Republican
membership in Congress that Gus
tomarily informs the public of what
Republican policy happens to be.
The Republican party in Congress
in the last few years has not been
an effective opposition. 1t has been
wrong on the arms embargo repeal
and on CONSUMPTION, and it was this
weakness which enabled the New
Dealers to pound heavily the Willkie
position on foreign policy.
Can Shape G. o. P. Policy.
The Willkie Clubs can exercise a
big influence in shaping Republican
policy. The Republicans in Con-
gress will need their votes when
the congressional elections of 1912
come around. This is really only
about 18 months off, because the
Republican primaries begin in the
spring of 1912. The Willkie sup
porters can help nominate men who
represent progressive principles and
thus insure the kind of men on the
Republican ticket who will attract
large portions of the Democratic
vote.
What is going on in America at
the moment is a realignment of
parties-something urged for many
years by many newspapers and by
many men in public life The nom
ination of a Democrat by the Re-
publican party was deemed essen
tial and was recommended as far
back as 1884. Even the idea of
changing the name of the Repub-
lican party, as, for instance, to the
Constitution party, was suggested
at that time by this writer and
others. but it is not a change Of
name that has been needed so much
as a change of program and pur-
pose.
The Willkie Clubs, by staying in
existence, can help maintain the
nucleus of a very powerful organ
ization for the 1912 contest. Any
solid group of independent voters
cap WELD Tremendous Influence