Evening star., 1945-07-23

man. IL WOulQ
give him a hos Frank b. Kent.
tile Congress in the last two years
OF his term and it would cast grave
doubt upon his election in 1948. For
many years it has been accepted that
loss of the House in the midterm
election by the party in power
means loss of the country in the
following presidential election
Such result in 1916 would also
be bad for the Nation, as there
would then exist the most unfortu-
nate situation possible under our
form of government With the
President of one party and the
House controlled by the other.
neither can function effectively.
They nullify each other. A condi-
tion of governmental helplessness
enSueS.
Evidenced by Hannegan.
That there is danger of exactly
that happening is admitted. The
best evidences at the moment are
the sufferings Of Mr.. Hannegan.
who seems to have gotten himself on
very uncomfortable spot, indeed.
1t will be recalled that few weeks
ago a formidable group of Negro
leaders came to Washington, pre-
sented figures to show that the
Negro vote had elected Mr.. Roose-
Velt in 1910 and 1914; declared the
Negroes had been strongly for Mr..
Roosevelt but were by no means
married to the Democratic party:
asserted that they were entitled to
more recognition. voiced a deter
mination to get it or find out why
not.
Warmly responsive, Mr.. Hanne-
gan declared to the delegation that
1t would have been impossible. for
the Democrats to have won in 1914
without the Negro voters.
Mr.. Hannegan is right about
that, but perhaps he was not very
smart TO let his declaration be
made public. It's effects were un-
fortunate in several directions: For
one thing, it was asserted by South
ern Democrats, who felt that Mr..
Hannegan intended to "coddle" the
Negro vote more than before, and
had pledged himself to meeting
their patronage demands, one of
which is appointment Of Negroes
to the Federal bench. For another.
the Hannegan declaration did not
wholly satisfy the Negro leaders
who were not pleased with his
slightly elusive commitments con-
corning their patronage demands.
But the worst repercussion came
from the pro- Roosevelt labor lead
ers of the CIO. One of their better
journalistic interpreters vehemently
asserts that it was labor" and
not the Negroes which cast the
decisive vote for Mr.. Roosevelt and
cites figures to prove the point, lay
Ing particular stress on the work
of Mr.. Hillman's Political Action
Committee in getting the vote reg
lstered.
There IS a lot in this contention.
As strong an argument can be made
for it as for the other-to wit: that
the Negroes elected him. Both ele-
ments now claim they did it. Prob
ably both are right. Probably, If
either had deserted him, Mr.. Roose-
yelt would have lost.
But that is not helping Mr.. Han
negan in his immediate problem
which Is to win the congressional
elections next year. To do this, he
has to keep both the Negroes and
Tabor" or the Democratic side with
the same solidity they were kept
by Mr.. Roosevelt from 1886 through
1914. So far as the CIO is con-
rerned, he should not have much
trouble. 1t is true it's leaders have
no such alliance with Mr.. Truman
rs with Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t is true.
loo, they do not like Secretary of
State Byrnes, who would become
President if anything should happen
10 Mr.. Truman. 1t is true, also, that
they resent not being given full
sredit for the Roosevelt Truman
election.
No Place Else to Go.
Nevertheless, they are so thorough
y committed to Mr.. Truman and
have been so hostile to the Repub-
Jeans that they really have no place
slse to go in 1916 or 1948. There is
The further fact that for various
reasons there is a popular reaction
against labor political domination,
With the prospect that their strength
"a the next campaign will be dimin-
shed.
With the Negroes, the story is
lifferent. Their attachment to the
Democratic party was because of Mr..
Roosevelt personally. Unlike the
cIO group, they have some place
Use to go. Going back to the Re-
publican party to them is going back
lome and invariably thew have
thown a tendency to go back In the
iff years when Mr.. Roosevelt was
lot on the ticket.
In 1916 this tendency may be
accelerated - first, because Mr..
Roosevelt is no longer living; sec
md, because of the violence with