The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-04-06
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, D. c.

Washington, D.. c.
On a recent sunshiny Washington
afternoon, | made a pilgrimage to
the Republican National committee
headquarters. AS | entered the
white-pillared portal Of the modest
little house they have rented on Con-
necticut avenue, number OF
thoughts, which may be omens OF
good or i'll in the coming election,
f1oated into my ken.
The house was once a private
home but now it is situated amidst
shops and restaurants and looks
across the avenue toward a towering
apartment house taken over by the
Civilian Defense administration.
AS | assembled the stairway to the
second floor office of Chairman Har-
rison Spangler. memories rushed
about me and was transported
back to the days when the Republi-
can party was suffering in the slough
Of its deepest despond. The rooms
about me then housed one OF the
many trade organizations created by
that wonderful and awful National
Recovery administration presided
over by the late and stormy Gen
eral Iron Pants Johnson.
And later, as chatted with Mr..
Spangler. was reminded of another
circumstance, gently symbolic Of
the days when the elephant sulked,
impotent and neglected, in his tent
the Republican committee was
forced to move some two years ago
from its snapper, modern quarters
on Lafayette Square where it could
gaze longingly at the White House
on the right hand, and not too hope
fully at the United States Chamber
of Commerce on the other. The
reason the committee had to move
was because it was only tenant or
Lafayette Square and the CIC
(Which had tossed million into the
Democratic electioneering fund.- was
the landlord.
Temporal mutantur.
But if the times and the quarters
have changed, SO have Republican
spirits. Roosevelt won't carry tW
states Tor was it five?1," | was con
fidentially informed by one Of TIL
modest laborers in the COP vine
yard.
Harrison Spangler made no tai
predictions to me. He made no pre-
dictions at all. He simply told m,
about what he is doing, the result
so far obtained. He has a simple
faith that results already achieves
are the precursors Of victory.
Weu-Used Word
Spangler's forte is organization
and that's the word he uses most.
1.-The precinct is the squad h
said. If you have good squads, yo
have good regiment. =
He has reduced the training Q
the squad to a very simple formula
Get one energetic worker and as
sign him or her 20 Republican vol
ers. See that they vote. Mark Har
ma used that system. 1t works. low
(Spangler's own state) uses it. Man
others do.
The important word in the las
Sentence is do. Important becaus
Spangler used it in the present tense
In the days of the Blue Eagle, an
for many years thereafter, an
statement about an effective Reput
lican political organization had to b
used in the past tense. But temper
mutantur, again. Spangler believe
that times have changed and hav
been changing for some time.
J. Chairman Spangler is not startin
at scratch with his organizing; Z
states which have elected Republ
can governors, he pointed out to mi
already have pretty good machine
which are working now.
The chairman is typical, SUI
cessful businessman Of middl
sized town Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
the Middle West. His speech ar
his speeches are pretty much bas
English except when he rises
| pronounce on party principle
Then he uses good old substanti'
political phrases marshaled in Il
| conventional manner. BIT like q
!, pre-convention committee chairman
ships, his job is escheWing the owe
(, specific. He can talk about cand
dates, but not a candidate, pro {
| con; he can talk about platform
but not about planks.
He is, according to his associate
man Of action. Already he hi
visited all Of the northern stat
and that is what he is still doin
dividing his time between the fie
| III II, r