Evening star., 1945-10-22

olL a II 0UAiCi
: issue.
Actu ally, of '%''' ''''Sss
course, the Pres Frank r. Kent.
ident is pretty political himself.
But, left to himself, some of his
friends feel, there is chance that
on certain important matters Mr..
Truman might rise above politics,
consider that the best politics is
, no politics, grasp the fact that a
President easily might strengthen
himself more by championing the
national interests rather than the
. interests OF special groups. That,
anyhow, is the one soul-satisfying
course open to him. That, however,
! isn't the political view at all-and
the reasons are easy to understand.
For example, Mr.. Hannegan is a
practical politician - and that Is
about all he is. Practical politics is
his business. The Post Office is in
cidental. The postmaster general
ship is the cabinet job which tradi-
tionally goes to the chairman of
the national committee. The job
runs itself No one can make either
very good or a very bad Post
master General-and few every try
Breathes Politics.
AL Postmasters General are polit-
ical.,. Mr.. Hannegan eats, drinks and
breathes politics. Politics is para
Il mount with him all the time, and
: he views everything from the po-
c litical angle, which considering his
{, machine background, career and
r. committee Craftsmanship, is entirely
natural and to be expected.
Under our system practical
politician is essential to a national
administration. Party affairs have
to be managed and patronage dis
tributed by some one who knows
who are entitled to the jobs and
where they will do the most good
But the practical politician and
- patronage distributor should not
become important enough to inf1u-
ence policies-and the fear is that
Mr.. Hannegan may become just
that. For he presses his political
views pretty hard and he is quite a
forcefuI fellow.
1t is not that he has any idea
about what should be done but he
I has a good many about what should
not be done. Those who know him
best say that Mr.. Hannegan is a
firm believer in the political effec-
tiveness of the Roosevelt combina-
tion of 1896, 1910 and 1914, the chief
factors of which were organized
labor, the big city machines, the
solid Negro vote in the pivotal States
and the Democratic South.
Would Keep Theory.
That, he knows, was the Roose-
velt formula for success at the polls
He sees no reason 1t should not
work for Mr.. Truman. Hence, il
is said, he wants the President to
continue playing BALI" with the
CIO and its PAC in the Roosevelt
way. If the President does, OF
course, he can have no labor policy
which will protect the country from
q offensive and damaging labor domi-
nation. Naturally, too. Mr.. Hanne-
gan as patronage distributor does
not want patronage educed-rathel
the reverse. This, if Mr.. Truman
agrees, would make impossible any
real reduction in the size and cos
of the Federal machine.
Naturally, too, Mr.. Hannegan Il
for the tax exemption of 10000, ,00t
lower-bracket voters and, of course
: for the so-called full employment
"a bill, which visualizes the expenditure
of billions for public works. Botf
:. these things are in line with th'
Roosevelt ideas of spending freel.
the public funds and taxing onl.
the rich-two policies which hav'
been proven equally deleterious Il
y the general public health.
ssc The net of all this is that tht
.r,politics of a man like Mr.. Hannegar
% Is never a help to the President il
formulating sound public policy. Il
is necessary to have man to attenc
to the practical politics of an ad.
ministration-but 1t isn't good tx
! have him affect decisions on broad
issues. There Is some apprehension
lest Mr.. Hannegan by his insistence
on the Roosevelt formula may d.
so. That would not be good eithel
for the country or for the party.
,,o Effectiveness Doubted.
-u. So far as the first is concerned, II
-swould prevent Mr.. Truman from
= znadequately handling the really greai
rs domestic national problems. AS te
s,the latter, it is pointed out, there
5fare reasons the Roosevelt formula
n acannot be relied on as of old.
xs1 One is because Mr.. Roosevelt viii
. not be a candidate in 1948, and the
40 formula was especially adapted tt
a., him. 1t will not work so swell fol
: : another. A second is because the
a, labor union opposition is far strong.
er than ever before and hence its
I. :. support Is less effective. There is
in fact, some question as to whether
1t would not be more of liability
than an asset. A third is because
the war is over. War and the threat
= of war held some millions of voter.
a for Mr.. Roosevelt in 1910 and 1914
who could not have been held other.
IA wise. Thus, with no war, it is argued
Mr.. Truman has to have something
IS besides the Roosevelt formula to win
l.a What he needs Is support of some
Of the millions of anti Roosevelt
'h'voters who can only be had by no