Evening star., 1942-11-21
The Political Mill
A1.
Defeat Of Gov He'll indicates Wisconsin's
Choosness Rother Than Fading RepubIiconism

an automobile contrary to the
law, which says that any pur-
chase of $4,000 or more must be
done through public bids: for the
purchase Of large numbers Of
copies of newspaper extolling
the Governor.
The Capital Times and Mr..
EvJue rang the changes for a
month on these expenditures
and added to the other reasons
for opposition to Gov. He'll, they
overbalanced the scales against
him at the polls.
The elections of 1914 are still
two years away. Wisconsin, how
ever, promises again some lively
rows when the next political
campaign rolls around. Senator
Wiley, for example, will be up
for denomination and reelection.
He was nominated by the Re-
publicans in 1898, when there
was grave doubt as to the value
Of Republican nomination. He
was elected In the COP swing
that took place in that year.
May Upset Wiley.
With the State pretty firmly in
the Republican ranks again, it is
entirely likely that Senator Will
ley will have to fight for renom-
ination. Who his opponents will
be is still wide guess. But if they
center on single strong man,
they may take the measure of
Mr.. Wiley. ...
1t may be the Republicans will
turn to one of their Representa-
tives in the House. If they do, the
man may well be Representative
Keefe of the 9Th district, who
won reelection overwhelmingly
again this fall.
Mr.. Keefe has made himself
widely respected among his COL
leagues in the House during his
four years service here. No
doubt the Progressives will have
a candidate for the Senate in the
field-but If the Republicans find
a strong candidate, it is unlikely
this seat will be lost to the COP
Governor elect Looinis might be
put forward for the Senate-but
he has not yet taken his seat in
the Governors chair and it is
premature to guess his political
plans. The usual practice for
Governor of Wisconsin is to seek
a second term.
Signs that the Republican Ma
tional Committee, when it meets
in st. Louis December 7 to select
a new chairman, may become en-
gagged in a flrst-class battle con-
tinue to multiply. Not only will
the aspirations of various presi-
dental possibilities for 1914 be
involved, but also, and more i'm
portant, the question of isola-
tionism versus international CO.
operation after the war.
Two Courses Open.
There are two schools Of
thought on the situation. One
holds that efforts should be made
to get compromise" candidate
for chairman who has no special
record on the isolationism issue
and put him across, avoiding a
row. The other takes the posi-
tion that it is a good time to
bring this issue to a showdown,
and have fight If necessary.
The isolationism issue is for
the Republican party today very
much what the old national
prohibition issue was for the
Democratic party back in the
early 3Os. Al Smith, a wet,
had been overwhelmingly de-
feated for President in 1928.
Democrats from the dry States
of the South and West sought to
make the party stick to the dry
side of the question.
Prohibition, however, was on
the way out, and the Democrats
jumped on the wet wagon, while
the Republicans in 1882 stuck to
the dry. Isolationism is on the
way out now, although some of
the pre-Pearl Harbor isolation
lists will tell you that the results
of the elections show the con-
trary.