Evening star., 1950-04-14
'UItra-Conservatives
In Republican Party
Attacked by Dewey
BY the Asseeioted Press

| I1A4NNG 4o1N, N' u, ApIA IL
Thomas E. Dewey put himself on
the far side of the fence today.
away from any of the Republican
Party's super conservative side.
The New York Governor said
his party's record already had
been blemished by individuals
whom he accused of hiding selfish
motives behind constant clamor
for free enterprise"
MIR. Dewey, who foresook the
role of a. defeated presidential
candidate for that of Republican
elder statesman, concluded his
Princeton University lecture series
last night with some annoyed re-
proof of the free enterprise"
pleaderS.
Charges Selfishness.
Mr.. Dewey said the Republicans
made up the party of individual
freedom as opposed to the Demo-
cratic Party of big government.
But he said the cause of individual
freedom had not always been sup
ported unself1shly by some Re-
publicans.
When such men have shouted
about free enterprise they have
not meant free enterprise at all
they have been thinking of their
own narrow interests ." the
titular head of the Republican
Party told a university audience
of about 1000.
Prom time to time, individual,
unrepresentative members of my
party. seldom holding public Office.
have presumed to regard the rights
OF labor as inferior to the rights
OF property" Gov. Dewey said.
Free Labor Support.
But he insisted that mo Repub-
llcan President-from Abraham
Lincoln to Herbert Hoover-ever
indorsed so recationary a position. )"
He said the COP could boast to-
day OF a long tradition of support
OF the rights of free labor.
Gov. Dewey's talk was scheduled
as an academic analysis of the do
mestic policies of the country's
Two major political parties, and he
was as ruthless with his own as
he was with the opposition.
He said the choice was between
the Democratic Party of big gov
ernment and the Republican way
OF local rule and individual free
dom. Naturally" he said. II
prefer the Republican approach"
Mr.. Dewey said the Democrats
had more than their share of the
faults. Basical1y, he said, it was
because they believed that only
the Federal Government could
solve the peoples problems and
only with Federal funds, Federal
personnel and Federal controls.
Points Of Agreement.
Gov. Dewey said the Repuhli-
cans agreed with the Democrats
on the need for numerous basic
services that a government should
provide for its people.
Il doubt If the most conserya-
tive Republican would suggest
abandonment Of such concepts as
unemployment insurance, collec-
tive bargaining, bank deposit i'll
surance. regulation of security ex-
changes and old age and sur
vivors insurance" he said,
But the difference between the
two parties, he said, lay in their
respective approach to the solu-
ton OF the assorted problems.
There are many routes to eacl,
objective" Gov. Dewey said. "The
true liberal will seek every good
social objective by the safer route.
even though it may be harder or
slower"
Opposes Health Insurance.
Gov. Dewey said the Republi-
cans agreed that Government
should have a part in supporting
agriculture and guiding labor. But
he was firmly opposed to any Gov
ernment plan for compulsory
health insurance. He spent al
most a third Of his 80-minute
talk assailing socialized medicine
as a financial and medical impos-
sibility.
Gov. Dewey said the Republican
Party thought that a government
ought to exert its influence on the
economy mainly through sound
monetary and fiscal policies with
no direct controls on prices, wages
or investments. Such controls. he
said. were "the gadgetry of totali-
tarianism."
In a question-and answer ex-
change later, Gov. Dewey was
asked If he might run for Presi-
dent again a third time. He
laughed and referred to his last
postelection disclaimer and said
he had not changed his mind,