Evening star., 1950-02-09
On the Other Hand
Dewey's Deadest Pigeon May Turn
Up in That New COP Mouse Tran

this time. The important thing
in their minds, although Senator
Taft never came right out and
said so, was the drafting of a
new candidate.
Private Discussion.
That was the nature of the
public discussion. The private dis
cussion was a little different. It
had to do with ways and means
of collecting campaign funds. The
timid men with money, it was
argued, had to be treasured that
the party was still faithful to
their interests. These timid souls
were said to fear that the Re-
publican party had become an
echo of the Democratic party and
feeling that way, were disposed to
play with the ins rather than the
outs. A restatement of principles
and objectives might recapture
these reluctant contributors.
In any case. three groups went
to work, National Committee
members, Senators and Repre-
sentatives. The result of their
labors. presented to the country
this week. certainly does resemble
a mouse trap, one designed not to
frighten the shyest well-to-do
mouse.
Senator Taft said he considered
it a good statement. It probably
is in line with the thinking that
caused him to tell a meeting of
Young Republicans the other day,
IF in 1850 we elect Congress
that is more radical, there is not
much point in going on in 1852 ~
But 1t cannot be very pleasing
to Governor Dewey, who, appar-
emily with some premonition OF
what was in the works, had said
that same day, IF as a party we
try to go back to the Nineteenth
Century, you can bury the Re-
publican Party as the deadest
PA6So1t 1LA tklO
Didn't Please Lodge.
And it certainly wasn't pleasing
to Senator Lodge of Massachu-
setts, lately emerging as a real
rival of Mr.. Taft In the Senate. He
didn't like the manner in which
the statement ducked the civil
rights issue, making no mention
Of "a fortnight determination to
enact legislation at this session
and to break filibuster If neces-
sary."
For fact, the statement is
decidedly weaker on the subject
OF civil rights than the plank on
that subject in the 1948 platform
1t says only: "The right of equal
opportunity to work. to vote, to
advance in life and to be pro-
tected under the law should never
be limited in any individual be-
cause of race, religion, color or
country of origin. Therefore, we
shall continue to sponsor legisla-
tion to protect the rights of
minorities. !"
The Republican platform said
all that and more. 1t said. "We
favor enactment and just enforce
ment of such Federal legislation
as may be necessary to maintain
this right at all times in every
part OF this republic" Specifically,
"We favor the abolition of the
poll tax as requisite to voting.
We are opposed to the idea of
racial segregation in the armed
services of the United States"
Senator Lodge was chairman of
the committee that drafted the
platform. If he had had his way
it would have contained a declara-
tion in favor of fair employment
practices legislation. That was in
the 1914 Republican platform.
So the COP, having retreated
in '48 from its position of "A. now
retreats a bit further toward the
Nineteenth Century. If Gov.
Dewey is right, the new mouse
trap, when opened In 1852, may
be found to contain that very
dead pigeon of which he spoke.