Evening star., 1946-10-28

Inc reasons are Clear. tl) the
turn of the tide is long overdue; it
would have occurred six years ago
but for the war; CD the accumula-
ton of resentments against party
in power for IA years Is inevitably
very great; 90 the incongruous
groups which won for the Demo-
Gratis in the last three elections
have diminished in solidarity and
effectiveness; "a the Democrats
have lost dramatic leader, and the
domestic policies with which he was
identified have begged down pretty
badly: (O the epidemic of almost
catastrophe strikes with which the
Nation has been afflicted has in
famed public sentiment against the
Democratic alliance with the CIO
and its Communist support.
Reverse, of Trend Unlikely.
These would seem enough. Demo-
Gratis argue that the Presidents re-
cent decontrol of meat and move to-
ward a free economy may reverse
this trend, but they are not too
hopeful. Just as 1t is said Of SER
mons that no souls are saved after
the first 20 minutes, the more astute
politicians insist that no votes are
changed in the last month OF a
campaign.
So, as things stand today, the
opinion is overwhelming that for
the first time since 1928 the Repub-
licsns are about to control the House
of Representatives. which they had
previously controlled for IL con-
secutive years.
1t is significant that this prospect
arouses almost no enthusiasm any
where. Partly this is due to the
poor quality of the Republican lead
ership; partly to the party's record
in the last session of Congress:
partly to the lack of anything like
a practical and adequate legislative
program for the next session.
There are, to be sure, some good
men on the Republican side in both
House and Senate and there are
good Republicans outside of Con-
gress who aspire for the presidency.
But the truth Is that as a party
it does not inspire confidence, either
as to its capacity or its character.
Nor is this surprising. For a long
time now the Republicans in Con-
gress and in their platforms have
denounced the unsoundness of the
New Deal policies, but when SUCH
policies appeared to appeal particu-
larly to the voters they have not by
any means stood steadfastly. against
hem.
COP Turned to Right.
In the past this has been par
ticularly true on the vital issues of
economy and labor. Now, of course,
the party is turned toward the right,
lust as the country is turned, and
probably the only hope of reducing
the size of the swollen Federal bu-
reaucracy is to get the Democrats
out and the Republicans in, it being
infinitely easier to lop of the un-
necessary jobholders when they be-
long to the opposite party and not
your own.
But, under existing conditions,
how can any one have real faith in
a party whose leaders just three
weeks before election come forth
with serious proposals to cut taxes
30 per cent Yet this is exactly
what the Republican Postwar Tax
Study Commission did a few days
ago. Supposedly, the report of this
committee is going to become a
party program If the Republicans
win next month. They pledge the
party to a 80 per cent tax cut and
at the same time pledge it to
balance the Federal budget
The two things contradict each
other. Regardless of the specious
arguments now being made, If you
do the one you cannot do the other.
The first makes the second ridicu-
lously impossible To promise both
sheer demagogic claptrap of a
fery low order.
In face of the irreducible expenses
[ the Government, the proposal to
1t taxes 80 per cent is a proposal
Ut to repair but to wreck the Fed
H. financial structure more COM
tely than it is already. 1t is a