Evening star., 1940-07-11

party. AS Republican leader of the
House, the Massachusetts Repre-
sentative has made not only good
record during the last two years
but also raft of friends.
Furthermore, Joe" Martins ham
ding of the convention in Phila-
delphia won him new laurels Moth
ing could have been fairer than
his ruling as permanent chairman.
He was not believed to be particu-
larly enamored of the candidacy
of Mr.. Willkie. but his refusal to
entertain a motion to recess the
convention the night the nomi-
nation was made probably saved
the bacon for Mr. Willkie. 1t Ger
tainly saved the Republican party
from an accusation now that its
presidential nominations are made
in smoke-filled hotel rooms in the
middle of the night.
Had an adjournment been taken,
obviously it would have been to
enable the Taft and the Dewey
forces to reform their lines, prob
ably in favor of the Ohio Senator.
An Efficient Organization.
Mr.. Willkie very sensibly, how
ever, has determined not to throw
into the discard the efficient Or
ganization which has been erected
during the last four years under
the direction of John Hamilton,
former chairman. national COM
mittee, and now under the Willkie
plan, its executive director. With
Mr. Hamilton continuing as direct
ing head, the presidential candidate
keeps in key position a man who
has definite and detailed informa-
ton regarding party affairs. Moth
ing could be more foolish than to
throw out in large part an organi-
zation which has been functioning
smoothly for a long time, and at
tempt to replace these workers with
others entirely unfamiliar with the
jobs they might have to do.
1t was not unnatural that Mr..
Willkie should desire the partys ma
tional organization to have new
faces and new blood in key posi-
tions.
Despite the efficient work that Mr..
Hamilton has done-at time when
the G. o. P. seemed to be fat on
its back-he was campaign manager
when the Republicans suffered their
greatest defeat at the polls-in 1896.
In some quarters there was an in
| clination to blame Mr.. Hamilton, in
part at least, for that defeat. Never
| theless, when he turned over the
Craftsmanship at the close of the
Philadelphia convention, he turned
over a going concern, out of debt
and with money in the treasury.
Yet at the close of the 1886 cam
paign, the party was s1,250.000 in
the red.
Not only was this paid off. but
sufficient money was raised during
Mr.. Hamilton's regime to finance
the Republican headquarters and
to help Senate and House candidates
put on a real campaign in 1898.
Martins Ambition.
NIL NAL I'LL, Vic llC" CIldll HAL, dS
| leader of the Republicans in the
House, owes his first duty there,
as long as the House remains in
session. 1t is the purpose of the
Republicans in Congress to keep
the session going while the present
emergency situation exists. Obvi-
ously Mr.. Martin, if he retains the
leadership, will have to be on the
job. with much important legisla-
ton due to be considered.
If the Massachusetts Representa-
tive has an ambition. it is to be-
come Speaker of the House. He has
every reason to expect the speaker
ship, should the Republicans win a
majority in the House in November.
! If the trend which was markedly