The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-06-29
Politics
ia
Passing
~ RAYMOND ,. FITZPATRICK

The Republican convention Is
70 be congratulated for nominate
ing Wendell l.. Willkie, for In
choosing him It chose the man
who is best-fitted to weld the Re-
publican party's theories Of gov
eminent and who best represents
what Q cropping political organi-
zation apparently believes 1t
stands for.
IN WiIlkie the convention has
chosen y man who up TO now has
not been afraid 10 assert his
stand ON controversial issues.
Unless he yields 10 poor advice, he
should wage a campaign In which
his beliefs will be outlined clearly
and his stand on every important
issue asserted directly and forth
rightly. The Republican candi-
date win make q mistake II, In
The interests Of what he will be
told Is good politics, he becomes
. ence-straddler. He win serve
his party and his country best II
he Is frank and unequivocaL
n the Democrats now NOM
mate President Roosevelt for an.
other term. the issues OF the cam
paign will be clean-cut and II Will
be for the voters 10 decide what
type OF government they prefer.
II will then be for the voters TO
decide whether they want a lib
eral, crusading government, as ex-
empltied by the New Deal, or o
reactionary stand-pat government,
which the Republican party stlll
favors despite It's recent protests
OF affection for the cause Of pro-
gressiveness.
The Republican platform, In
general, though adopted before
Willkle was nominated, represents
generally his beliefs, rs expressed
In recent months. The platform Is
amazing as a Republican docu-
ment, In that II accepts virtually
all the social and economic re-
FERNS Of the Roosevelt admins
traticn. The cry Is the familiar
one that under Republican lead
ershlp the gains Of the last eight
years would be administered more
efficiently.
On issues which the platform
sidesteps, II Is Mr.. wrinkles to tell
America, during the coming
months, just where he stands.
This is true Of such issues as ma
tional defense, including compuls-
DRY military training, the tariff,
taxation and foreign policy.
A campaign between President
Roosevelt and Mr.. Wlllkie would
b. one In which the people Of
America would have the best OPP
portunity 10 decide between con-
hlcting philosophers. II would al.
low the people 10 make o reasoned
choice between the Republican
ideal Of unrestricted competition,
OF big business answerable only
IN itself, and the Democratic goal
Of utilizing the nations material
resources, through the govern
ment, 30 that all will have an OPP
portunlty for q reasonably high
standard Of living. The Republic
can party may Insist that It's 1910
philosophy Is not that outlined
Just above, yet baslcally II stlll is.
The constructive suggestions Of
the Republican leadership during
the past eight years have been few
and far between; the party's ef-
fcrt has been directed almost en-.
tlrelxy In bitterly critlclzing that
man in Washington"
The deluge of kilograms urging
the nomination Of Willkie had the
flavor OF the attempt TO kill the
utility holding company bill In
Congress. There was spontane-
Gus movement for Willkie, but at
the same time there was q smooth,
high-powered organization work.
Ing behind the scenes.
The Connecticut Republican Or
ganlxation stands as one Of the
principal gamers by the conven-
ti0n's choice Of Willkle. The dele
CATION took q gamble by q sudden
declaration for Wlllkle last Sum
day. II stood 10 lose much unless
he won. With WiIlkie M the nom
inee, the Pryor Baldwin Bradley
group will now be given q promi-
nent role In the campaign and,
in the event Of q WllIkie victory
In November, Washington will
beckon.
Potpourri Senator Ed Egans
tatement that he hasn't decided
whether or not he'll run again has
the 18th senatorial district situa-
ton all UP In the air Hugh
M. Alcorn, Jr., was one OF those
ut Philadelphia who argued that
the Connecticut move for Wlllkie
was made too early Appoint.
nent OF Senator Dan Mccarthy as
regular postmaster ut Ansonia
should be announced within the
next few days J. Francis
Smith will act as chairman OF the
state delegation 10 the Democratic
national convention at Chicago
even n his successor as state
chairman Is elected before the
opening date, July Is.
The drums will be beating soon
for the candidates for the Repub.
lican congressional nomination In
the fifth district Local q. o. r.
lawyers are already cycling the
nomination for probate Judge F..
Republicans are talking about an
outdoor campaign rally late In the
sumner, similar 10 the one nj
which Col Frank Knox was the
principal speaker IN 1885.
1 OE In "T0ps' For i04Oi
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