Evening star., 1944-03-24


the same ticket with the President
of at least five Democratic Sena-
tors who are anti-New Deal, anti
Roosevelt, who were antithird term
and who are supposedly antifourth
term. They include Senators Clark
of Missouri, Gillette of Iowa
McCarran of Nevada, Smith OF
South Carolina, George of Geor-
gia and Tydings Of Maryland
These, excepting Senator Clark, it
will be recalled were the Senators
whom, in 1888, Mr.. Roosevelt tried
to purge. @
Openly indicting them as "reac-
tionary" and "out of tune with the
times" Mr.. Roosevelt personally
exerted his full strength in an
effort to drive them out of public
life. Though, as in the case of
Senator Tydings, he actually came
into his State and spoke for his
primary opponent, Mr. Roosevelt
signally failed in his effort. All of
the Senators he tried to "liquidate'
were renominated and reelected.
They have been in the Senate ever
since and no. Republican has been
more consistently in opposition to
White House policies nor has more
scathingly indicted New Deal sins
of omission and commission.
Personal Dislikes.
In addition to all that, most of
them distrust Mr.. Roosevelt per-
sonally and he dislikes most of
them. But now these anti-New Deal
Democrats have got to run on the
ticket with the President and the
President has got to run with them.
What will they do in the campaign
and what will he do? 1t is an inter-
esting question, and so far as Mr.
Roosevelt is concerned it can be
anwered without trouble. He will
take all these Roosevelt Sena-
tors to his. bosom. They will have
his blessing. Being on the ticket
with them makes the difference.
In 1888, if they had been licked it
not only would not have hurt him,
1t would have helped him by in
creasing his political prestige and
demonstrating the danger of oppos-
ing his wishes.
But, this time if they are licked
he most likely will be licked with
them. Accordingly, we have Mr..
Roosevelt's hand-picked national
chairman and campaign manager
Mr.. Robert Hannegan, strongly
urging Senator Gillette to run
Ttght after Mr.. Gillette has re-
tterated his opposition to a fourth
term. promising him full support,
heaping praise upon him. And we
have the President, through one of
his aides, sending word to one Of
these Senators whom he tried to
ruin politically of his earnest per-
sonal hope that he will be nomi-
mated. This makes the Presidents s
position clear. He does not have
to do anything else. His attitude
toward Mr.. Gillette as made plain
by Mr.. Hannegan, his spokesman
Is his attitude toward the others
No public statement is required and
none will be made.
But. what of the Senators situ-
alton? 1t is taken for granted that
all Of them Except Senator Clark
who, though he was against a third
term, now seems inclined the other
way will oppose the fourth nomi-
nation no matter how futile the
opposition may be. Not to do SC
would be craven, indeed. Senator
Gillette has already declared his
opposition. But, what about after
the nomination is made? Certainly
their situation will be none too
pleasant. If they come out in favor
of the Roosevelt reelection they
obviously do so for personal and
selfish reasons. 1t would amount to
qualification. 1t would invite their
opponents to quote from their rec
ord and speeches. 1t would open
them to charges of hypocrisy and
insincerity. And it would lose them
votes of antifourth term and anti
New Deal Democrats who would feel
sold out
Either Course Costly.
On the other hand, if they come
out against the Roosevelt re-elec-
ton, they will make their position
on the same ticket uncomfortable
and illogical. They will also invite
the resentment of the New Dealers
the Communists, the CIO leaders
and the Federal jobholders, though
some of these they are bound to
lose anyhow. Either way, the SEN
atorial candidate is sure to lose
votes and the painful thing is there
is no way of telling which course
will be the more costly.
OF course, there is another al
tentative open to these Senators
they can go through the campaign
without mentioning the President.
They can discuss the issues, stand
on their own record and ask re-elec-
ton without either indorsing Mr..
Roosevelt for reelection or oppos-
ing him. There is the possibility
that in doing this they may incur
the resentment of both sides and
lose more surely than in any other
way. And, certainly, they will be
exposed to some embarrassing heck
ling.
On the other hand, it seems the
most self-respecting course open to
them. They would at least avoid
stultifying themselves. Such q