Evening star., 1946-04-04

dCoSCC.
For it is the South, or rather the
Southern Democratic representa-
ton in Congress. that makes it
possible for the Republican party
to feel so hopeful this year. The
Southern Democrats are chiefly re-
sponsible for the record on which
the Republicans hope to win.
Record of Coalition.
The fact that this record Is real
ly the record of coalition of Re-
publicans and Southern Democrats
"a record made in spite of the ad-
ministration-is not troubling the
Republicans. 1t is a bad record and
the Republicans expect to profit
from its badness. They do not ex-
pect to discuss their part in its
making: they do not intend to point
out that they contributed prac-
tically all of their votes toward
making the record bad, that they
were the majority within the coali-
ton, the reactionary Democrats the
minority.
The Republicans have bad rec
ord to parade before the voters and
naturally they are going to press
the presumption that this is the ad-
miniStration's record, not their own.
This is certain to be the strategy
and it may be successful. After all,
who is supposed to be in power?
The Democrats. Whose record is up
for examination? The Democrats.
The Republicans, of course, have
been making record, too, an ex-
traordinary record of obstruction-a
record of successful obstruction,
thanks to the Southern Democrats
but the Republican leaders are
counting, and perhaps correctly, on
the unlikelihood of the average vot-
er looking that deeply into the mat
ter.
Won't Read Own Poll Call.
In other words, having exerted
themselves to make the administra-
tion's efforts futile, the Republican
leaders now hope to win on this rec
ord of futility.
1Ol lllS NtlcI ais IL Is
not going to be provided to anything
like the extent needed. The Repub-
licans will make much of this fact.
but they will not read the roll call
of their own votes on the subject.
Price control? Compared to what
happened after the First World War
remarkable job has been done in
holding the line against imitation,
but plenty of prices have got out of
hand and discomfort is widespread.
Don't think the Republican cam
paigners will overlook this. Don't
think, on the other hand, that they
will advertise the fact that Republi-
cans in Congress voted consistently
against nearly all price control
measures.
Full employment, unemployment
compensation, increased minimum
wages? The same story.
Fair employment practices? The
retiring chairman, Herbert Brownell,
was able to call attention to the fail
ure OF the Congress to support the
full citizenship rights of Negroes
He naturally, however, did not men,
ton the fact that the Republicans
In the Senate, if they had so de-
sired, could have furnished the votes
necessary to kill the filibuster that
prevented enactment of the Fair
Employment Practice Act.
Same Line to Be Followed.
Even on foreign affairs Mr.
Brownell indicated that the same
line will be followed. The admins
tration will be charged with 'inco-
herence and inefficiency." But it is
not to be expected that the part
played by Republicans in foreign
affairs will be emphasized.
That's the kind of campaign we
can anticipate. We would be naive
If we expected the Republican ora
tors to take the stump and proclaim
the conference and efficiency" of
the coalition wrecking crew.
It Is announced that Al Q25 non is