Evening star., 1944-11-08
Mr.. RooseveIt's Victory

Mr.. kooseveIts Victory
The 1914 election has passed into
history. and the time has come to
lay aside our partisan politics SO
that we may face challenging
future with the strength OF united
people. After every national elec-
tion there is talk of closing ranks
behind the winning candidate, and
on the whole the American record
in this respect has been good. But
this time the need is urgent. The
next few years will find us searching
for the solutions of problems more
trying than any in our experience,
and the need for unity will be
greater than ever before
The President, with the total vote
SURPRISING earlier forecasts, has won
a decisive victory. When the final
returns are in, his plurality of
popular vote, as compared with
former elections, probably will have
been reduced considerably. But Mr..
Roosevelt's margin of victory will
be clear-cut, and that is all to the
good. The country would have been
the loser had the election of its next
President in such a critical period
turned on mere handful of votes,
or had the decision been complicated
by defections that ran counter to
the popular will.
1t also seems evident that the
Democrats have carried the House,
IN addition to retaining their control
OF the Senate. That, too, Is a de-
sirable state Of affairs in the light
OF the Presidents reelection. II
the Republicans had won the House,
as many believed would be the case,
the prospect of a harmonious rela-
tionship between the President and
the Congress, none too bright at
best, would have been substant'a ally
impaired. And in that situation the
national interest again would have
suffered.
Neither the Presidents victory
nor his party's numerical control of
Congress, however, can guarantee
the united front that will be neces-
sary II we are to carry through to
the winning of the war, the estab-
lishment of just and lasting peace,
and the working out OF the ex-
tremely difficult economic problems
which will clamor for solution in
this country and throughout the
world when the fighting stops.
The character of the returns
makes it clear that the Presidents
margin OF victory was supplied by
voters who believed that he was
better qualified than Governor
Dewey to supervise the prosecution
of the war to victorious finish and
to direct the conduct of negotiations
that we all hope will lead to the
organization of a peace that can be
preserved throughout the years.
Party lines were freely crossed in
both directions, but there can be
no doubt that Mr.. Roosevelt re-
ceived the votes of thousands upon
thousands of men and women who
would have voted for change had
the Nation not been at war. It is
essential that the victors keep this
In mind and that they not construe
their electoral triumph as a man
date to revive domestic policies and
programs which no longer command
popular support. 1t is to be hoped
that the President, in his fourth and
undoubtedly final term, will do
everything within his power to
repair the damage that has been
done to the relationship between
the executive and legislative
branches OF our Government. That
is the way to progress and achieve
ment; any other course almost Ger
tainly will lead to disastrous conflict.
It hardly need be said, of course,
that a complementary obligation
rests upon the Republicans and the
anti-administration Democrats in
Congress. Their responsibility is a
great one. They must rise above
partisanship and factionalism. They
must return in kind the same con-
sideration, the same willingness to
put national interest ahead of party
or faction, that they have a right
to expect of the administration.
If these things are done the
wounds that may have been inflicted
by campaign excesses will soon be
healed. The opportunity is at hand
to demonstrate once again that our
democracy is strong enough to sur
vive the blows of war and partisan
politics in the midst of war. All
that we need do is to grasp it.
-. A Fine Rerord