Evening star., 1942-11-24
The Political Mill
Isolation Issue Threatens Lively Meeting
To Select National Choirmon Of COP

first to put Mr.. Roosevelt for
ward for q third term in the
White House-and he is now
urging a fourth term for the
President.
Senator Guffey is politically
minded. He issued a statement,
as chairman Of the Democratic
Senatorial Committee. imme-
diately after the Senate voted
down the proposed cloture on
the poll tax bill yesterday.
The statement gave away COM
pletely-if that was necessary-a
motivating reason for the de-
mands by himself and other pro-
ponents of the POLL tax bill. For
1t concerned itself with what the
Negro voters of the country
should think about the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties In
the light Of the action on the
poll tax bill.
Three COP Signatures.
Said Mr.. Guffey: The leader
ship of the Republican party in
the Senate and in the Nation
should explain or apologize for
it's professed claim that it is the
outstanding friend of the Ne
groes of this country" Senator
Guffey went on to say that the
bill would have benefited the
Negroes and the poor white
sharecroppers" of the South, and
If cloture had been adopted the
bill would have passed.
Mr.. Guf1ey added that only
three Republican Senators signed
the demand for cloture. A num-
ber Of senatorial Republican
candidates for President in 1914,
he said, had refused to sign the
cloture petition. and neither Mr..
Willkie nor Thomas E. Dewey,
Republican Governor ELECT Of
New York, nor Gov. Bricker Of
Ohio had made any expression
for or against the poll tax bill.
Performance" Senator Guffey
concluded, "is the true test Of
friendship"
AS a matter of fact, the vote
on cloture was settled largely by
the feeling among Senators that
the poll tax was violation OF tho
Constitution-and that its pas
sage would have laid open the
way for Federal control of elec-
tions-now left to the States.
In addition, and on the po-
litical side of the picture raised
by Senator Guffey, the Republic
cans in the Senate had a better
voting record on the cloture pro-
posal-even though it is not
pretty picture. For IA Republican
Senators voted for cloture and
only 10 against it; while only 81
Democratic Senators voted for
cloture and 81 voted against it.
1t looks as though the Repub-
lican party may have the better
part of the argument for the
Negro votes-if they are to rest
on this exhibition In the Senate,
despite what Mr.. Gufiey had to
say.
Interim Choice Possible.
The choice Of the national
chairman Of the Republican and
Democratic parties may be only
for the interim until the parties
select their presidential candi-
dates in 1914. 1t has been the
practice Of presidential nominees
to pick their own particular
friends to run their campaigns.
This does not, however, always
make for efficiency in the cam
paigns which follow.
A new chairman is pitchforked
into the national organization.
He usually completely revamps
the organization, which takes
time. The new personnel must
learn what makes the wheels 20
round before it can function. The
result is loss Of time and the
breaking down Of the old organi-
zation-with a gamble on the
new.
1t would be far better If
chairman who has been In Office
and knows all the answers could
continue In the job and run a
campaign. Perhaps such a chair
man could be picked by the Re-
publicans or the Democrats this
time, If they really get good ex-
ecutiye.