Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-29
Dewey Could Awaken
6. 0. P. in a Demand
For Honest Deal
Now Freed Of Hondieops
Which. Would AIienote
Influential Party Wing

Which Would AIienote
. Influential Party Wing
By David Laurence
Firm announcement by Gov.
Dewey that he does not intend to
become a candidate for the Re
publican nomination in 1852 will
be received with enthusiasm by
progressive Republicans for a
reason that isn't at all personal.
Nor does this imply the slightest
diminutjon in respect for the man
r who twice ran for the presidency.
For Mr.. Dewey can be expected
to fill gap in the Republican
Party leadership that has been a
severe handicap to the party. The
New York Governor, as an actual
or potential candidate, has not
been able to speak forthrightly
heretofore because Of the conflict
ing viewpoints within the Repub-
lican Party. If he were to prepare
himself for another nominating
contest, he would be obliged to
pussyfoot and suppress his views
on the Republican Party's duty
to the country under our two
party system.
Being freed of any handicaps
which could conceivably ALLEVIATE
a large and influential wing of
Republicanism, Mr.. Dewey can
conduct debate to help clarity
Republican detectives.
Would Take Up Challenge.
While Mr.. Dewey would prob
ably be the last man to accept
the phrase, "me-tooism," as a
definition of his political philos-
ophy, he will doubtless be ready
to take up the challenge which is
coming from the ultra-conserva-
tive wing of the party-a faction
composed of sincere and conscien-
tious men, mostly in business,
who think that the Republican
Party in order to succeed must be
the exact antithesis Of everything
the Democrats stand for.
The Republicans have failed to
win back to their fold countless
numbers of independent voters
who have felt that the word
progressive" when first used in
the Bull Moose days Of Theodore
Roosevelt was a better definition
of the Republicanism Of Abraham
Lincoln than the standpat con-
servatism of Warren Harding's or
Calvin Coolidges administration.
It is true that there are many
fallacies and pitfalls in the So
called New Deal or Fair Deal pro-
gram and that sooner or later in
America, as in New Zealand and
Australia. the people will repu-
diate "left-wingism," but in doing
so they will not wish to turn away
from the progressive measures
which now have been established
as a part of modern economic life.
Thus the conservatives Of the
extreme wing do not favor social
security, but the progressive Re-
publicans do. The criticism which
progressives make of the present
social security system is that 1t is
unsound and will eventually COL
lapse and disappoint the hopes of
millions of people. 1t is contended
by the progressives that q social
security system can be set up that
is sound and workable.
Take also the collective bar
gaining laws. One group would
have statutes as sided in favor
of employers as the so-called Fair
Dealers want a law one-sided in
favor Of unions.
Could Win Independents.
If the Republicans under the
leadership Of such men as Cover
nor Dewey and President Eisen-
hover Of Columbia University be-
gin to interpret the common OBJ
jectives Of both parties in man
ner that indicates the Republicans
have a plan to make them work,
the Independent vote may well be
attracted to the Republican Party
in 1852. If neither Eisenhower
nor Dewey allows himself to be
considered as a candidate, the two
can do much toward the selection
: Of a standard-bearer who can re-
make the Republican Party.
One thing is certain. Neither
the Republican nor Democratic
Party is going to be able to LOSE
its conservative wing nor is there
any sign that a coalition OF ultra.
: conservatives could ever be strong
enough to swing an election ir
1852. This leaves the politica
path Of middle of -the-road pro.
gressivism the natural one for thu
Republicans to adopt. This mean.
an understanding of me tooism'
2 as not an imitation but as better
program for carrying out common
detectives which both parties rec.
ognize as demanded by the people
today.
Also it means a reawakened in.
terest in the simple problem o.
p solvency. For no reforms or bene.
fits can endure if a Government
loaded with debt goes on from
year to year with an unbalanced
budget and devalues the purchas.
ing power Of the Nations none.
tary unit. The demand for ar
honest deal" permits wide vari.
ETY. Of approaches to almost ever.
reform that has been proposed
for they all involve money ant
taxes and in the end a socializa
ton of all business in a socialist,
state unless a solvent program i
put forth to carry on a balancet
economy under the private enter