Evening star., 1940-07-10


NcaniSm itself. M
i The fact that
"Joe" Martin, as David Lawrence.
he is affectionately called by Demo-
Gratis and Republicans in Congress,
agreed to accept the Craftsmanship
of the campaign is a sign that he
considered the chances of Repub-
lican victory to be better than even.
After all, Mr.. Martin is busy as
minority leader of the House and
he could have sidestepped the invi-
tation. But he didn't. This means
that the party workers will have
at the helm man who under
stands the requirements of practical
politics.
Unless some one is at the head of
campaign in whom the party
leaders and workers have confidence,
there is apathy and often confusion.
1t was particularly important for
.. Wendell Willkie to persuade Joe
Martin to take the job, for now the
rank and file will pitch in behind
him with the knowledge that the
customary routine of party man
agement with its subsequent recog-
milton of merit among the deserving
may be forthcoming.
Martin of FarIey's Type.
In the personality of Jim Farley
the Democrats have had a great
campaign manager. Representative
Martin is of the same type. He
Nf
leaders everywhere and he has
degree of popularity scarcely ever
equaled before by any Republican
manager of campaign.
Everybody, moreover, in politics
knows Joe Martin. He increased his
popularity at the Philadelphia con-
vention and made the acquaintance
there of many of the leaders of
the various State delegations who
now will be responsible for pivotal
State campaigns.
The selection of Mr.. Martin ce-
ments the ties between Wendell
Willkie and ALT Landon of Kansas.
whose helpfulness in the balloting
in Philadelphia will not soon be
forgotten by the nominee. Reten-
ton of the services of John Hamil-
ton as executive director was wise
move from a practical standpoint
because he has become familiar
with the details of the party ma
chinery and he has in mind the
details of the 1886 campaign budget
and it's expenditure and should be
invaluable in preventing the recur-
renee of those mistakes which al
ways happen when a new national
chairman is put in charge.
Subject of Much Controversy.
Mr.. Hamilton has been the subject
of much controversy. He probably
damaged his cause a bit because of
his early participation in the fac
tional rows of the party, especially
in Kansas, where there is supposed
to have been a rivalry between him.
self and Mr. Landon. But apart
from these purely political happen
1ngs, John Hamilton has done yeo-
man service for his party in cleaning
up the deficit and in organizing
national headquarters which can go
to work Immediately for the ticket.
In previous years much of the Or
ganization work had to be done in
the midst of short campaign. 1t
was John Raskob who, after the
Smith defeat in 1882 developed the
idea of permanent headquarters
for the Democrats. Now the Re-
publicans have copied the Raskob
plan, and it is the existence of
going concern at national head
quarters which makes possible the
introduction of new national
chairman without disrupting the
d. existing machinery which will be
managed by Mr. Hamilton. The
idea of permanent staff for a
national party means continuity
and an avoidance of many mistakes
and pitfalls during a campaign.
Spirit and Political Morale.
It is not so much, however, the
detailed executive direction of the
campaign that required a new ma
tional chairman, but the spirit and
political morale of a party which
chose as it's candidate a man who
had only recently been a Democrat,
BY putting a seasoned warrior like
Joe Martin in command, the older
Republicans will cease talking about
Wendell WILKES vote for Roose-
welt in 1882 as a Republican liability
and will start discussing it as an
asset. Already there are rumbllngs
In the South where Democrats are
organizing clubs for Willkie with
the argument that the South now
can c..oport Democrat for the
< presidency on the Republican ticket
for the first time since the War
Between the States.
Unquestionably if the President
runs for third term, there will
be many Democrats in the South
who will ease their political con-
sciences by choosing between two
notwithstanding the regular
Democratic ticket, thus breaking
for third-t term tradition, or voting
for a Republican on the ground
that he believes in the principles
of the Democratic party as enun-
ciated In Its national platform of
1882.
nl.IH