The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-14
Politics
in
Passing
BY RAYMOND J. FITZPATRICK

The speeches given at the dinner
for Congressman Joe Talbot Thurs
day night explain very clearly just
why the Republican party has had
so little success in recent years.
There was nothing constructive Of
fered, there was only carping, de-
structive criticism of the kind that
has sent the party into political
I limbo.
A pattern for the Republican
effort Is plainly missing. Speak
ers at the dinner blithely said
Just the opposite Of what other
speakers had said and apparent
ly did 1t without realizing In the
slightest what they were doing.
The stereotyped campaign phras-
es were all there.
Most important Of all, the party
leaders who spoke made II clear
that there will be no m0ratOr-
ium ON politics as far as they
are concerned. They are out to
win an election, war or no war.
a. 8. Senator John A. Danaher
revealed again the bitterness
against President Roosevelt which
makes anything the President does
automatically wrong to him. He
attacked the New Deal for playing
politics in Congress, then went on
to show that politics is far more
important to him than almost any,
thing else.
Senator Danaher is still not rec
onciled to the war and availS HIM
self of every opportunity to criti-
CHE our conduct of it. He talks
about lack of preparation but
says nothing of what he and his
fellow isolationlsts in Congress did
to prevent America from building
her defenses to the utmost.
There was the usual OminOus
hint from Senator Danaher of a
dictatorship at Washington. He
wouldn't say SO directly, bring
ing out his point instead by say
ing to Congressman Talbot: "Your
most grievous concern will be, 1
know, the return Of cOnstitu-
tional government"
Where has it gone, John? You
should know that IL we didn't
still have it there would be jails
and concentration camps for
those who, like you, are always
criticizing the government. A
tricky political phrase, John, but
one below the dignity Of a Unit
ed States senator.
Former Gov. Ray Baldwin, when
he had the floor, assured one and
all that during his administration
Connecticut had had her best gov
ernlaent in many and many a day.
His administration, he m adj it
clear, should get credit for any
praiseworthy accomplishments of
the administration of Gov. Robert
A. Hurley. 1t was plans made In
his term that led to the huge en-
joyed, that set up the farflung
civilian defene organization, that
accounted fer everything else of
good that mas come from Hart
ford In the past 13 IL months. So
Mr., Baldwin would have us be-
Meve.
That wasn't all, Mr.. Baldwin, one
OF the earliest hackers OF Wendell
Willkie, had nothing but words of
praise for Senator Danaher and his
record in Congress. Mr.. Willkie has
been one of the staunchest sup
porters of the Presidents foreign
policy over many months, so has
Congressman Talbot, so we recall,
has Mr.. Baldwin. But now comes
Mr.. Baldwin with the statement
that Senator Danaher has so ably
performed IN the past"
1t doesn't make sense.
Mr.. Baldwin declared that the
Republican party was not inter-
ested in partisanship, that it
would refrain from petty poll
tics. But the party's national
committeewoman, Miss Katherine
.Byrne, had this say: Politics in
time of war is wen-nigh indis-
Dpensable."
It must have been as confus-
ing to the guest of honor as to
anyone else. Mr.. Talbot is by ma
ture direct; he offered a frank plat
.,orm during his campaign. He an
nounced full support of the Roose-
.yelt foreign policy, reserving the
tight to criticize on domestic mat
-sers. He still feels that way, and
lays SO.
There Is mquesti0nably a need
for . militant minority in Con-
.,gress. However, there is no need
whatever for a minority that
votes only on nti-ROOsevelt basis,
that Is jealous of every social re-
form, that can offer only de-
structive criticism.
And that is the kind of a
minority that Senator Danaher
!, and Mr.. Baldwin seem to want.
They don't realize that their stand
is hurting rather than helping
the party that they represent.
!. Their aim should be to shape
constructive party program that
a would offer the voters something
definite when they go to the
polls