Evening star., 1952-11-08
The Democratic Porty's Future

One of the most interesting political case
studies of the next few years will be in the re-
shaping of the Democratic Party. And one of the
most dramatic chapters of this study very likely
will be in the contest for the party leadership
The Democratic Party came into power in
1882 in circumstances that had at least one paral
lei to those found in the Republican victory this
year. The voters wanted change in 1882 as
they did in 1852; as far as parties were concerned
there was greater compulsion to vote against the
administration party than to vote for the aspir-
ing one. ~ .~
Under the politically skillful direction OF
Franklin Roosevelt and his lieutenants, the
Democratic Party then strengthened itself. In
power, it had the opportunity and the means to
make mutually advantageous bargains with spe-
cial interest groups that were not inherently
compatible with each other but were drawn to-
gether under the common leadership OF the party
in position to favor them. Among these groups
were the conservative Southern Democrats, the
liberals from all sections, organized labor, the
farmers and the minority racial blocs.
It was a coalition that was powerful in
numbers, and the honeymoon was long one
1t began to fade in recent years, however, and
such bitter North-South differences as the civil
rights issue and the fight over the Taft-Hartley
Act revealed deepening weakness in the foun-
dations of the structure Out of power, the Demo-
cratic Party has fewer attractions with which to
WOO back, or to reconcile, these divergent ele-
mentS that once made 1t strong.
The leadership question, either on an in
dividual or group basis, reflects these same d-
vergences. When Mr.. Truman, realistic and
professional politician, decided not to run for
reelection, the party turned to Adlai Stevenson,
who is not truly career politician. The Illinois
Governor then placed large part of the cam
paign responsibility in the hands of such relative
amateurs as Wilson Wyatt, former head OF the
Americans for Democratic Action, and Stephen
Mitchell personal friend of limited political
experience. A somewhat tenuouS marriage was
made with the more professional Truman fac
ton, but the campaigning techniques of the re-
firing President and the party's candidate re-
hected the fundamental differences in their
characters and in their approach to practical
politics.
Governor Stevenson, as the Democratic
nominee, has a traditional claim to the ttular
leadership of the party. Mr.. Truman may still
feel that he has claim to the actual leadership;
he may in fact, feel that the Democratic defeat
was not so much repudiation of his admins
tration as rejection of the Stevenson type of
leadership. Neither has yet made known what he
proposes to do next in the political arena and the
future lines within the party are not clear. There
are other forces in the picture. Many of the
ranking Democrats on Capitol Hill have been
anti-Truman but some of the younger ones may
consider Governor Stevenson an obstacle to their
own ambitions.
period of jockeying for position appears
probable with many influences on both the local
and national levels-plus the conduct of the
Republican administration and the course of
world affairs-sure to play part in shaping the
organization and the future of the party.