The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-04-13
Difficult Job Confronts
New Democratic Leaders
Chairman flanagan, PubIicist Porter, Must
Rebuild Party Machine; Answer COP
Attacks on Bureaucracy.
By BAUKHAGE
Ne,us Analyst and Commentator.

tNCSOS 1sSySe ~
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, d. C.
Bombs one day will lease burst
ing, ships will sail the seas undis-
turbed by torpedoes, and cities will
no longer be levelled. but politics
knows no armistice.
The political forces are already
laying down their preliminary bar
RACES.
Two weeks ago. I reported a visit
to Republican headquarters up on
Connecticut avenue and I attempted
to outline the job that Chairman Of
the Republican National committee,
Harrison Spangler, has laid out for
himself.
Since then, I have been admitted
into the-front lines in the Demo.
cratic sector and now that l am
back safe in limb and, I hope. sound
in mind, I shall attempt to report
the strategy that Field Marshal
Hannegan's cohorts seem to be en-
ploying. Democratic Chairman Han
negan is a young man, who has
served in the ranks and worked his
way up from ward politics to City
Chairman for St. Louis whence he
leapt to the national craftsmanship.
Just to give you a little Of the
atmosphere in which the Democrat
ic GHQ operates, let me say a word
about a gathering held recently in
the Mayflower Hotel (Which also
houses the Democratic headquar-
ters) just a few blocks down Con-
necticut avenue from the old resi-
dence that the COP has taken over.
This gathering was the occasion
Of the retirement of Charley Michel
son and the assumption Of his duties
as Number One publicity man for
the Democratic committee by tall
and personable Paul Porter. who
said he felt as If somebody had put
him down in Carnegie Hall, handed
him Kriesler's violin, and said:
Now play"
4Aok "oo PoS wv 49,
know Charley Nicholson. We all
know Porter, who has been around
Washington in one important job Or
another ever since the New Deal
began dealing. And we know the
typewriter of Charley Nicholson is
as hard for anyone but its possessor
to play upon as Kreisler's fiddle
would be. However, when I was up
at Democratic headquarters a few
days later, there was Charley ap-
parently giving such aid and COM
fort and encouragement as might
be needed from the wings.
One thing that makes it hard for
the Democrats is that the Republi-
cans are in a position to lift their
copyright.
As one Democrat explained it to
me, it is like this:
Nobody will have a chance to do
the job that Charley Nicholson did
for US from 1922 on until the elec-
ton Of FDR. The trouble is the
Republicans are in a position to use
his theme song adapted. of course.
to suit their needs.
They have already started to do
to the administration just what
Nicholson did to Hoover. They have
started to attack the war agencies
and all of the administration depart
ments and activities, exposing ev-
cry blunder, playing up failures and
trying to show that everything the
people think are burdens and annoy
ances can be traced directly to the
administration.
And you know" this wise old
veteran added, what you write and
say about how bad the other guy is
makes a lot better reading than
what you say about how good you
think YOU are"
That is one obstacle Chairman
Hannegan is up against although the
real responsibility falls on the Shout
ders of Michelson's successor, Paul
Porter, and they are broad Shout
ders with a very good newspaper
head between them.
But flanagan has another, bigger
problem. 1t is a job for a master
mechanic. 1t is a repair job on the
Democratic machine which is
euphemistically designated in the
language of party politics as the "or-
ganization."
Broken Machine
Hannegan is a young. energetic,
o%pen-faced Irishman, and it is a good
thing he is young and energetic and
optimistic because he has had to
start his job Of organization at
scratch. Anyone at Democratic
headquarters will admit that.
The reason is revealed in this SIM
pie chronology: