Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1946-11-22
PEACEFUL REVOLUTION

lets they have set IN motion pe"0
revolution. No lesser term Adequately
measures the Republican victory.
tide which had begun to turn even
before the war quietly rose higher even
than most Republican leaders had mop
ed. swept that party into power IN ooVll
bonses Of Congress, and engulfed most
If the State governments outside OF the
still solid South.
At a time when most of the Worlu
has been swinging leftward, the United
States has turned sharply right. IN
neriod when nations all over the globe
have shown disposition to experiment
with various forms OF reglmentatiol'
tbe American people have reVolteo
against governmental controls.
How far-reaching and permanent IS
this revolution likely to be? One an
swer is sure to be found IN the sue
cess with which present prosperity Is
stabilized. 1t is unlikely that there Will
ba real economic ''bust' in the next
wear or two. But neither IN this elec-
ton or in any ether recent develop
ment has there been evidence that the
American people have learned how TO
prevent economic depression and VIDE
spread unemployment. Neither is there
much indication that polltlclans-ot
either partv-are prepared to resist
the continuing pressures OF special IN
terests which push the Nation toward
socialism.
The result has been due plainly to
an inchoate demand fer change. The
election was remarkable for the lack
of clearly defined alternative pro
grams. The vote was against the Inns
without requiring specifications OF
what the "Outs" had to otfer. Yet there
we're sound instincts in the publlc's
action. There was sense that long
term in office had either achieved the
ends or removed the meaning OF the
New Deal. The Republican-conserva-
tive Democrat coalition in Congress
had blocked the Truman program but
was not carrying through any OF It's
own. The President had banked on re-
pairing the Roosevelt laXity in admin
istration, but even there the signs OF
confusion, fumbling and office-holding
deadwood multiplied.
Thus. while accumulated discontents,
particularly with controls and strikes,
accounted for much of the desire for
change, this election was not the re-
suit of mere irritations over shortage
of meat 1t expressed some disiluslOn-
ment with the results Of the war, but
was BY no means y mandate to reverse
recent foreign policy and return to $50
lationism, for foreign policy has been
very clearly On a n"n-partisan basis.
The next two years will present a
challenging test of the American sys-
tenn Of representative government. For
it will be definitely period of Con-
gressional dominance. a President Of
the opposition party will remain in the
White House until 1919, but Congress
will have thereal mandate and power
for positive action.
There can be period of sitting still,
waiting for things to settle down. There
can be time of stalemate, with Con-
gress and President battling on parti-
san lines. But the public will hardly
be satisfied with such result. The
mandate was conservative, but it was
not negative.
In recent years the Republican lead
ers in Congress have had less of pro-
gram than the Republican presidential
nominees. But now it has the chief
responsibility With the conservative
Democrats-and there were more con-
sentative than New Deal Democrats re-
turned they can override the Presi-
dent on basic questions. This puts the