Evening star., 1949-12-25
Says Republican Party
Should Fight Spending

oHOu'u TiSnt SPenuIn9
Writer Argues Opposition to Deficits
Is Sound Political Policy
By Frank r. Kent
lot has been said recently about the
awful fact that the Republican Party has no
settled policy and no concrete program. 1t
has had great deal of unsolicited advice
from not wholly objective sources-much Of
1t as boring as 1t is bad. Mostly it consists
Of scornful admonitions to "liberalize" itself
by which is clearly meant advocacy of gov
ernmental gift policies already pre-empted
by the Democrats and designed to appeal to
greedy groups Of voters.
1t having been repeatedly demonstrated
that they cannot compete along those lines
and it being agreed by all the journalistic
prophets and liberal" prognosticators that
their party las maukishly promulgated just
few days ago by the modest Mr.. Barkley)
is without hope for 1850 and 1852, it does
seem the time has come when the Repub-
licans might proftably reflect as follows:
First, 1t is better to have no policy or p-o-
gram than bad one; second, it is better
to stand still or even go back when once it
Is clear you are on the wrong road at the
end Of which is disaster. AS they approach
the new session of Congress there are an
increasing number of men who believe the
most liberal. constructive and patriotic thing
the Republicans can do is unitedly to oppose
the whole Democratic program with no at
tempt to offer an alternative. The vital
thing is to halt progress in direction sure
to eventuate IN economic catastrophe.
The appallingly costly expansion of the
Roosevelt New Deal into the Truman Fair
Deal with the subsequent appearance of the
welfare state" and deficits far above five
billion offers the best opportunity in years to
do exactly that If in former days there had
been any chance of outpromising the Demo-
grassland there never was-there Is clearly
none now. With Mr.. Truman committed to
the multibillion-d dollar Brannan plan for the
farmers and to a couple of billion dollar
compulsory health insurance programs; with
his Secretary Of Labor urging $100 month
pensions for all retired" citizens and pro-
posing 81 an hour minimum wage to cheer
ing CIO conventions; with other cabinet
members bawling for increased unemploy-
ment compensation and extended social Sc
curity-with all these proposals. and some
others already seriously broached by the
Democrats-there is no possibility for COM
petition.
But there is a very good possibility Of
driving home the complete unsoundness Of
such a program and the very great peril to
which it exposes all the people, including
those on the receiving end For example, it
can be statistically proved, as Lawrence Sui
Ivan recently did, that though his wages
have gone up 100 per cent in the last 10
years, the union-labor man is less well on
today than in 1899. While his pay has
doubled, his taxes, direct and hidden, have
increased, the infiationary cost of living has
gone up, his needs. including clothes and
food, are all more costly-and he is farther
ipi hon
decade ago. And that Is true of all the rest
Of us as well. If made basic party policy.
1t ought not to be too difficult for the Re-
publicans to impress these almost indispu-
table facts upon the voters. They ought not
to offer a program Of their own-except the
very simple program Of: Stop That is the
soundest possible program, and the only
answer to it is the wild bleating of the pro-
fessional liberals" journalistic spokesmen
Of the so-called Americans for Democratic
Action. of the CIO, of the Barkleys. Tobins.
Brannans and other demagogues of the
spending school that the Republicans want
to go back to Mckinley" or to Harding; that
the "Old Guard" has taken over the party:
that liberalism" such as that of Wayne
Morse and other bleeding hearts," has been
stifled.
They ought not to mind these outcries
for number of reasons. One is that mostly
OF grasping the facts: another is that the
point that the Democratic direction is bound
to end In economic destruction is absolutely
sound; another, that considering taxes and
living costs, literally no one is better of
under the Government gift policies; another
is that almost every sound economist in
the country is convinced of the danger to
which we are exposed and that another two
years Of the accelerated pace at which we
are now going will make it too late to stop
without the big bust-up. And finally, that
il and when we bust. the rest Of the Western
World busts. too, and there is literally
nothing to stop the Communist food.
Add to all this that if the Republicans
| can disregard the shrill "back to Mckinley
! cries. and take their stand boldly and simply
| against the whole Government gimme"
policy and assert that the first essential Is
through economy and efficiency to stabilize
the Federal financial structure, they would
have the support of conservative Democrats
of all classes who are sick to death of the
cockeyed logic upon which the "Fair Deal" is
founded and appalled, at the condition Of
the country. It might not win for the Re-
publicans in 1850 or 1852, but at least 1t ID
their only chance to lose with self-respect.
And, despite the size Of the bought groups"
one ought not to be too sure it will not win.
History of our politics shows that most Of
the time the majority vote against some-
thing or somebody rather than for them.
exactly at what time the blaze started"
but ut is evident that the flames had gained
eo,eidero h1a hoaduav hefore thew u,ero dis,