Evening star., 1946-03-15

AAtSJ oNliolt1lCC UllC CUdllIlOll
though 1t were unpatriotic and de-
graded. They picture 1t as wickedly
conceived by the most sinister OF
men whose sole purpose is to frus-
trate the great humanitarian efforts
OF the "true liberals" OF course. II
Is nothing Of the kind.
Actually. the coalition is a natural
and logical Joining together for ef-
fective action of men who think
and feel alike on most domestic
Issues. They do happen to be, rela-
lively. conservatives: but, as vet
there is nothing criminal about that
AS to the moral right Of men who
think alike (but, for election pur-
poses, happen to wear different
party labels to consult and act to-
gether in Congress, it Is absurd to
nave that questioned by the exceed
ingly voluble radical groups who for
the past 10 years have been part of
perhaps the strangest and most in
cossgruous political coalition in
American history.
Unnatural Combination,
The Roosevelt coalition was COM
posed OF former Republicans. for
mer Socialists, labor-union leaders.
southern Democrats and Northern
negroes, Communists, crackpots, the
dig city bosses, the so-called intelli-
gentTa along with all the reds. vel
lows and pinks in the country. This
was no natural coalition. This was
no combination of men who think
allke. 1t was an unnatural combina-
tiQa OF men fundamentally far apart
put welded together on election dav
oy the cementing power of the party
LABEL and the cohesive quality of
selfish interests.
Despite his immense PRESTIGE Mr.
Roosevelt could not hold it together
between elections and had lost con-
troll OF Congress before the war came
on. compared with that coalition
the present coalition is honest and
straightforward. There was neither
honesty nor candor about the other
so far from being inimical to the
national interest, the present coali-
ton. In some ways at least, will be-
beneficial. wa '0
More Good Than Harm,
IL Is by no means ideal. II will,
make mistakes and probably II will
40 some damage and the men in n
are not all noble and unselish
But the chances are it will do
more good than harm. For examnla
without this coalition no regulatory
LABOR legislation would have passed
the House, and without this coali-
tion no bill opposed by the labor
ioooy would stand chance of pass
ing the Senate, Without it, the pro-
Clo chairmen of the labor commit
Tees IN House and Senate could
continue with immunity to smother
pills which majority of Congress-
ana OF the people favor, Just as the
senate Judiciary Committee con-
tinues to smother the Hobbs anti
racketeering bill, twice passed by
the House. The only hope of get
ting such bills through lies in this
combination of Republicans end
Southern Democrats.
SO, too, the only hope Of curtail-
ing governmental waste. institutinr
real economy and approaching an
actual budget balance, rests on this
coalition of conservatives. It is true
1t has blocked-and will blcck-some
OF the administration programs. It
may unwisely hamstring the OPA.
But, aside from that, some of the
administration program should be
blocked.
For example, a national service
was performed when this coalition
emasculated the foolish so-called
full-employment bill, which would
nave opened the door to vast rev
public expenditures and. taken
great stride away frcm the rrivate-
enterprise system.
No Blanket Endorsement.
And it will be right If in the Sen
ate 1t zines up against the $65, ,OOO,-
0o0 Federal school lunch expansion
program and against a number of
other administration-backed bills
which call for increased expendi-
lures for nonessential projects. The
plain truth is that whatever is OBJ
tanned at this session in the way of
reduction in the size and cost of the
Federal bureaucracy will come
through this coalition. And What, If
anything, in the way of legislation
Is enacted to place responsibility on
labor unions to curb their excesses
and diminish strikes, will be because