Evening star., 1940-01-10

greatly changed in their attitude
toward government in this-our-
generation" He said that I'VE
take our politics less seriously
our Government more seriously"
The same idea ran through much
of his address this year. He spoke
Of the relative unimportance OF
politics :. compared with the para
mount Importance of government"
of the shortsightedness of those
who forget that politics is only an
instrument through which to achieve
government" of the wisdom of
those leaders who see that the
great public is interested more in
government than in politics"
Difference in Overtones.
The great difference from last
year was in the overtones. With his
homily of last year on the inde-
pendent vote and the subordinate
role of politics went his caustic
linking of the Democratic 'tweedle-
/ dunn" conservative element Of
the party-with the Republican
'tWeedledees" There was a jibe at
the Liberty League, and there were
partisan cracks in plenty at the Re-
publicans.
It was what the trade knows as
a fighting" speech, designed to put
the old pep into the party organi-
zation. 1t ended on fighting note
"a call to all Democrats to come
to the aid of the party, put up
united front, remember the example
of Old Hickory and never strike its
colors.
The speech was not calculated
either to abate Republican opposi-
ton to the Presidents policies or to
soothe the wounds created in the
Democratic party by the attempted
purge" of the "tweedledums."
Sweetness and Light.
Monday nights speech exuded
sweetness and light. The theme was
about the same, but how different
the embroidery! The twitting Of
the Republican leadership was
wholly good-natured; great good was
found in the Republican patron
saint, Alexander Hamilton; Abra-
ham Lincoln was claimed as the
Legitimate property" of the Demo-
cratic party as we'll as the Republi.
can; the Republicans were given
part title to Jefferson and even to
jackson; motive was proclaimed
the measuring rod for Presidents,
whether Democratic or Republican;
and there wasn't single wallop
either at the economic royalists"
or the nominal Democrats" who
in 1889 had been inferentially in
vited to get out of the party and
team up with the G.. o. P. And the
speech ended not on belligerent
but jocular note. about the courage
that it took to make a half-hour
plateside chat" at the end of a $40
dinner that cost 500.
The speech reflects, as have
suggested, the current political cli-
mate that followed the bitter fight
ing in the Democratic primaries and
the subsequent large gains of the
Republicans in the 1888 elections.
Nineteen thirty-nine opened with
the Democrats torn with strife
soon to have its Gripping effect on
the Roosevelt program in Congress
and with the Republicans cocker
than they had been since the
debacle of 1882. This year has
opened with the Democrats still
maintaining the surface unity they
achieved during the special session
Of Congress and with the Republic
cans, while still hopeful, consider
ably less ebullient.
Will the Democratic harmony,
under the pressure of inner differ
ences, break down? Will the Re-
publicans find the great issue
some issue other than one con-
cerned only with the pace and tim
ing of reform-for which they are
searching?
It Is on the answers to these ques-
tions, which nobody now can supply.
that the fate of the parties in the
next election will largely depend.
Hardly Friendly to Enemy.
Mr.. Roosevelt did his bit, and a
very considerable bit, toward max
ing the answers favorable to the
Democrats. How far he will con-
tinue to promote harmony in the
party, and. by that same token. re-
duce the chances Of Republican
comeback, remains to be seen.
His speech of Monday night had
been advertised as non-partisan, and
so, to large degree, it turned out to
be. It was non-partisan. that Is, in
the sense that it was free Of the
shafts that make a political gather
ing yell to the speaker to pour it
on" But Only in this superficial
sense was 1t a speech friendly to
the enemy. 1t was not speech
from which the Republicans can
draw sny political comfort. It was,
in fact, perfectly attuned to Demo-
cratic needs In this campaign year.
Through it all ran the implication
that the proper and only haven Of
the great independent vote is In the
Democratic party-that the country
is headed in the right direction, un-
der the governance of men whose
hearts are in the right place, and
that only the Democrats can be
counted upon to keep 1t going that
way.
It was the superbly self-assured
speech Of master politician.
For their own peace Of mind, 1t
Is just as well that those grand
fellows" whom Homer Cummings
invited from among the Republicans
decided to stay away. Their sense
OF the artistic would have been
gratif1ed, but they wouldn't have
found anything in the speech to-
brighten their political hopes. They
could only have envied the President
his aki1if,, "a MT IN n haitian sinx.,