Evening star., 1950-02-08
COP. Policy Writers
Have Brought Forth
More Platitudes
New Platform, os Usual,
In Words Average Voter
Doesn't Understand
By David Laurence

St&tt0
By David Laurence
Maybe the Republican policy
writers are satisfied now-they
have brought forth the usual COL
lection of platitudes which adorn
party platforms. are read one day,
and forgotten the next.
The new platform is wordy and,
as usual, is written in high-brow
language which the average voter
doesn't understand-or perhaps
doesn't care enough to read a
second time.
Practical politics should have
told the Republicans that they
needed to make one brief COM
ment on the passing scene. It's
the sort Of comment which any
opposition party out of power
can use effectively. depending on
whether the crisis is bad enough
for people generally to ,Slder-
stand. Here is the outline of
what political stump speakers with
an eye to the maximum of vote
getting with the minimum of
words usually say of the party in
power:
THE party in power is incom-
petent. 1t is corrupt. 1t is running
the country. It is spending all of
the taxpayers money.
Turn Out the RascaIs.
Give us power and We'll clean
house, reduce the taxes, and get
the country out Of the red. If
you want details as to how we'll
do it, wait till we get into power
and turn out the rascals who are
in there. We can't tell you what
the new house will be like. till we
get rid of the shaky foundations
in the old house"
National, State and local elec-
tions have been won on just such
a platform, depending on how
hard the campaigners hit the line.
The principal weakness of the
Republicans is that they imagine
the country will vote for their
candidate without being convinced
that there Is really a vacancy.
The Dewey campaign was pri-
marily an affirmation of the vir-
tues and promises of the Repub-
lican Party. 1t was not a cam
paign Of attack-to prove that a
vacancy existed.
The attack type Of campaign
cannot be made in the few
months between a convention and
the autumn election. 1t has to
be made two years ahead and
primarily by members of Congress
dealing with current issues In
vestigations to uncover ineptitude
and waste as well as scandals in
Government constitute as a rule
an effective form of attack.
The Republicans in Congress
are not organized as a party of
opposition. They have too many
1ndivldualists. some of whom are
busily engaged in furthering their
own personal ambitions, Or else
they have would-be leaders who
believe that the way to win is to
offer more of everything than the
party In power will venture to
offer. -,
Some Signs of Understanding.
The principal basis for attack
In politics relates to the capital
izing on economic discomfort. The
Republicans show some signs of
understanding the apprehensions
OF the farm voters but they seem
to be making little. If any. prog
ress in understanding the rising
discontent of the city voters.
There seems to be little empha-
Sis on the fact that the great
Government of the United States
is in the red by several billions a
year and yet hasn't made serious
effort to get out of that dilemma.
The prospect that the dollar may
be devalued in purchasing power
II the national debt is increased
to pay deficits doesn't seem to
have stirred up the indignation of
the Republicans half enough.
Maybe it's because they, too, are
spenders-or at least have failed
to line up against some of the
big appropriations wanted by
pressure groups.
A party platform with high
sounding principles is not to be
disparaged. It has a certain value
IN inpressing the independent
voters. But far more important In
endeavoring to influence an elec-
torate of 50.000,000 persons is
hnd1ng the common denominator
OF their interest-which at the
moment would appear to be the
fear OF national bankruptcy and
insolvency and the depreciation
OF money so that it may some day
not be worth the paper it is
printed on If the Government
nonchalantly piles up five billion
dollar deficits every year.
Fear OF state socialism may be
valid, but the average man can't
translate this into pocketbook
terms as quickly as he can under
stand what happens when you
borrow sc. as to spend more money
than you have on hand or can
earn to pay your debts.
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