The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-01-21

If you talk to Senator Cotton
Ed Smith of South Carolina, or
Virginia's Senator Harry Byrd, or
labor leaders, farm leaders and
others who once helped elect
Roosevelt, the Democratic party
appears to have gone to pieces. 1t
no longer exists as party. Pieces
of it can be seen scattered about
the landscape, but they are not
coordinatlng with each other.
Farm elements which once re-
garded FDR as their savior have
forgotten the past. Now, not con-
tent with mercy voting Republic
can, they want to work actively
agin him. Labor, which has
received greater benefits from
Roosevelt than in $50 years of
American history, now is begin
ginning to turn sour.
Meanwhile, some farm and
business critics actually believe
that the quarrel between RooSe-
welt and John l.. Lewis is a front,
that the two men really are in
cahootS. Some even claim, in
all seriousness, that the Admins
tration plans to prolong the war
in order to keep itself in power.
There is no basic criticism
Of the conduct of the war. In
fact, general agreement is that
1t Is going well. But there is a
fervid, vitriOlic undercurrent Of
determination to defeat ROOse-
velt-Or any Democrat If the
war, at least in Europe, is over
by November.
Fully realizing that the tide is
running out, the Democratic Ma
tional Committee meets to elect,
as successor to placid Frank
Walker, a new chairman who
must have the courage to start a
new and perhaps hopeless battle,
plus the ability to pick up all the
broken pieces and weld them to-
gether.
Not for eleven years has the
Democratic National Committee
picked its own officers. Always
they were handed down from up
above. During the harmony days
between FDR and Jim Farley,
there never was any quarrel about
this. But after the 3rd term
denomination at Chicago when
Farley stepped out, 1t was a diff
ferent story.
And at the last committee meet
ing in Chicago, when Ed Flynn
resigned in favor Of Frank Walk
er, leading Democrats arrived at
the meeting with blood in their
eye. So much so that Pennsyl-
vania's Senator Joe Guffey warned
rebellious Indiana committeeman
Frank McHale:
"We've collected the proxies
and we've got the votes, SO don't
start any trouble. You'll get
licked"
At Chicago, therefore, it was
left to Chairman Frank Walker
to appoint his own secretary,
treasurer and other officials
usually elected by the full COM
mittee.
DEMOCRATIC CON-
MITTEE LOBBYISTS
Back in the early days OF the
New Deal, terrible hue and cry
was raised over the fact that GER
tain members Of the Democratic
National Committee also carried
on a remunerative lobbying prac-
tice on the side. The issue re-
ceived so much publicity that the
President denounced it publicly
and called upon all committee
men engaged in lobbying to re-
sign. As a result, Bob Jackson
OF New Hampshire, Arthur Null
len Of Nebraska and Bruce Kre-
mer Of Montana all resigned from
the committee.
Today, however, the White
House and apparently the pub
lie have lost their sense Of
smell. For months, the same
situation has existed, but the
White House has said absolutely
nothing. Oscar Ewing, who
represents the Aluminium Cor
pOration Of America, one Of the
biggest companies doing business
with the Government, holds no
less o position than vice.chair-
man Of the Democratic Ma
tiOnal Committee. It's secretary
IL George Allen, executive OF
the Home Insurance company
one Of the fire insurance group
whose giant lobby against the
Sherman Antitrust Act has