Evening star., 1948-11-30
The Political Mill ;s.. =
Congress Tug-of-Wor
By 6. O. P. Wings Seen
Morse States Ideas of Liberals
for Resursence of Party
Bv Gould Lincoln

for Resurgence of Party
By Gould Lincoln
The sharp tug-of-war which has arisen ut
intervals between the progressive and conserva-
tive wings Of the Republican Party in Con.
gress-and indeed, in the Nation-is about to
be renewed. Had the COP won the recent
election this struggle might have been mini
mized or avoided for time. In defeat, how
ever. each of these wings Of the party will seek
to gain control and dominate the party policies.
The liberals in the Republican Party are now
shouting that the election was lost because Of
the "reactionary" Taft-Hartley labor law, be-
cause of the failure Of the Republican Congress
and of many individual Republican candidates
to take definite stand on protecting the pur-
chasing power of the American farmer and
because of its failure to put through any sub
stantial legislation to curb imitation and high
prices. In other words, because Of the record
of the Eightieth Congress.
The conservatives, on the other hand, are
protesting vigorously because Gov. Dewey, the
nominee for President. did not go to town in
an all-out defense of the record made by the
Eightieth Congress during the campaign. They
insist that the Dewey campaign and the Dewey
promises were too much in line with the Demo-
cratic New Deal
Gives Ideas in Article.
Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon, who cam
pagned vigorously for the Dewey Warren
ticket, in an article written for the Progress
sive, founded in 1909 in Madison, Wis, by Sem
ator Robert M. La Toilette, Sir, gives his view
of what the Republicans must do to be saved
He says the party will suffer further defeats
unless it can unite its forces in support of
sound, middle of -the-road program Of consti-
tutional liberalism" The Republican Party,
Mr.. Morse insists, must offer program based
upon the view that one of the primary objec-
tives of the American system of representative
government should and must be to protect the
economically and politically weak from the ex-
ploitation of the economically and politically
strong"
The Oregon Senator however, says that this
program must be achieved within the Frame
work Of a private property economy and in
accordance with the legal principles and guar
antees of the Constitution, including the Bill Of
Rights.
Mr.. Morse necessarily finds difference be-
tween his proposed program for the Republican
Party and that of the New Deal Democratic
Party-otherwise there would be no political
issue between the two. The implication is that
the New Dealers are on their way to state
socialism-which is what the conservative Re-
publicans say out loud.
Mr.. Morse's own position is nothing new-he
explained it in detail and in many speeches in
the Senate and in his votes in that body. The
question arises now, however, how many Re-
publican members of the Senate will 20 along
with him? He can count, probably, on greater
support than he had during the last four years.
High Level Sought Before.
This resurgence Of progressivism in the Re-
publican Party has happened number of times
since the turn of the century. 1t happened in
the days of Theodore Roosevelt, both during
and after his tenure of the White House 1t
was sparked by Dolliver of Iowa and La Toilette
of Wisconsin in the Senate and later by Cum
minis Of Iowa. It happened again during the
administrations of Calvin Coolidge and Herbert
Hoover, when Norris Of Nebraska, the younger
La Toilette, Brookhart of Iowa and others
inspired Senator Moses of New Hampshire to
attack them as the Sons of the Wild Jackass."
1t is seeking high level again.
Mr.. Morse, unlike conservative Republicans,
seeks to fix no blame on Gov. Dewey for the
loss of the campaign. He says, Il would en-
phasize as strongly as know how that Thomas
E. Dewey, the candidate, did not lose the elec-
ton, but rather the Republican Party and its
strategy lost it for him. Further, am con-
V1nced tnat GOV. OeWey is Lne outstanding
public administrator in the country and would
have brought our National Government the
administrative efficiency and sound program
of constitutional liberalism so sorely needed
today" Mr.. Morse added a prediction that
Gov. Dewey's future leadership would be .
continued source of strength within the Repub-
ucan Party.
The Oregon Senator concludes that there is
no hope for the Republican Party victory in
the future unless the party grows closer to the
ground roots of America and further away
from the top Offices in the skyscrapers Of
America" This Is another way of saying that
the Republican Party must convince industrial
worker and farmer alike that 1t is their friend,
not their enemy If it is to win again. In this
Mr.. Morse is surely right.
N.ee+;one rnd Aneware