Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-13
Record Of Convention
To, Determine Future
Of Democratic Party
Bottle Between Factions
Could Be Beginning Of
Political Frotricide
By David Laurence

PHILADELPHIA, July 13.-Long
after the Democratic National Con-
vention will have passed into his
tory, the maneuvers and counter
maneuvers of these last few days
will have an important effect on the
future of the party.
Those Democrats who wanted
President Truman to step aside will
be the first after election day, In
the event that Gov. Dewey has won
the presidency, to declare that the
defeat was due entirely to Mr.. Tru-
mans stubbornness.
The New Dealers will claim that
Justice Douglas might have won if
he could have been nominated with
the blessing of the outgoing leader
OF the party.
The Southerners will claim that
q liberal conservative could have
won.
About the only thing all factions
OF the party will agree on, If defeat
comes next autumn, is that Mr.. Tru-
man was personally responsible.
Political Fratricide.
This could hardly be an suspicious
state of affairs in which to begin a
reorganization of the party. 1t
could mean the beginning Of poll
teal fratricide such as the Repub-
licans experienced in 1912 and did
not really recover from until 1920.
There will be some who will pre-
dict the disintegration of the Demo-
cratic Party and the realignment of
the two major parties with new
elements in each. This is always
predicted when one party or the
other seems to be losing popular
favor. What happens usually is
not the formation of a powerful
third party but the splitting off of
factions which ultimately find 1t
desirable to go back to the main
party in a contest for control.
Henry Wallace will not get any,
where with his third party. He
might have been a towering figure
at this convention if he had stayed
within the Democratic cabinet. He
would have been the logical choice
of the New Dealers who. in 1914,
came within few votes of winning
the vice presidential nomination
for him.
The battle for control Of the
Democratic Party will begin imme-
diately after the election. The
battle will 60 on for long time
and the first casualties will be the
Trumanites. Many Of them who
moved over to Mr.. Truman be-
latedly will point with pride never
theless to the record made before
this convention aSsembled-the
drive to get Gen. Eisenhower tc
run.
No New Leaders in IL Years.
Curiously enough, If Mr.. Truman
had been willing to step aside, it is
a broad question whether anyone
nominated in his place, except Gen
Eisenhower, could win the coming
election. It must be assumed that
the general would not have accepted
the nomination even If Mr.. Truman
had asked him to do SO. The fact is
the Democrats didn't develop any
real leaders in the II years or more
that the late Franklin D. Roosevelt
ran the party. 1t takes time to de-
velop leaders. The Republicans had
a dearth of good men after the de-
feat of Herbert Hoover in 1882 and
II took long while to bring out the
half-dozen candidates of stature
who strove to win the nomination
here last month.
The struggle between New Deal
and anti-New Deal, which is really
the equivalent Of conservative and
radical factionalism, will continue
with considerable intensity. II the
Republicans after winning the next
election should run into an economic
Jam, due either to- a sudden cur
tailment of aid to Europe or mis-
MANAGEMENT of the tariff problem
the radical New Dealers will make
Roadway in gaining control OF the
Democratic Party.
So what is done here this week
will prepare the record. What looks
irrelevant and inconsequential to-
day may some day assume real i'm
portance. Those who have wanted
to sidetrack Mr.. Truman will say i
told you so" next November If Gov
Dewey wins and their condemnation
of the President will be as severe as
their espousal of Gen. Eisenhower
was enthusiastic. There are long
faces to be seen already-the drive
for Gen. Eisenhower may have been
q counsel of desperation but 1t was
revelation also of an expected de-
feat II Mr.. Truman were nominated
picbte Hessrysd