The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1954-11-18
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
By FRANK R. KENT
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun and re
printed In The Republican by permission
Snarling Dissenters

4 House Democratic leadership to co
operate in the national interest
with the Republican Senate and
House leadership and with the
President, is one Of the really en-
couraging signs of the times-at
least on the surface. Mr.. Eisen-
hover has already retracted his
use of the phrase "cold war as
too strong to describe the situation
where the executive branch is con-
trolled by one party and the legis-
lative branch by the other. The re-
Spouse of both Senator Knowland,
leader of the Republicans, and
Senator Johnson, leader of the
Democrats, has been warm and
cordial. OF their sincerity and that
of the President there is not the
slightest doubt. Nor is there any
concerning the desire of the people
generally for that sort of friendly
cooperation.
Also, there is practically unani-
nous accord that such cooperation
under existing circumstance would
be distinctly in the interests of the
country as whole. All this how
ever does not prevent snarling dis
sent from certain Democratic fig
ures, chief among whom are Chair
man Stephen Mitchell of the Demo-
cratic National Committee, Sena-
tor Wayne Morse, the so-called in
dependent from Oregon and one or
two others. These gentlemen want
to keep on fighting-particularly
Mr.. Mitchell who, though ineffec-
tual, is still the most truculent
chairman either party has had in
good many years. His speciality
is in insulting the other side and
then contending that the insult
came from them.
In the last campaign he came so
close to making a personal attack
upon the honor of President Eisen-
hover that he Disguised a lot of
people and had to modify his
language later. Last week he
waited two days before issuing a
statement demanding an apology
from Vice President Nixon for
what he alleged was "vituperation"
and insisting that the President
must join in repudiating the Vice
President before any cooperation
would be forthcoming. OF course,
this is nonsense but it is typical
Mitchell nonsense. There will be
no apology, as Mr.. Mitchell well
knows, and no presidential repudi-
alton as he even better knows. The
best answer he will get is from his
opposite number, Chairman Leon
ard Hall, who asks, What is the
matter with Mitchell anyhow ~
Apparently, Mr.. Mitchell isn't
satisfied with the results, wants
to continue the name calling and
abuse.
However, what Mr.. Mitchell now
says or does is neither significant
nor important. He is pledged to re-
tire from the Craftsmanship of his
committee in less than month.
The interesting thing is that
though Mr. Eisenhower's cooper
alton gesture has been indorsed all
over the country, there have been
practically no cheers for the belli-
cose, little Democratic chairman S
desire to keep on fighting, with the
single exception of Senator Morse,
who, following the Mitchell line,
solemnly warns the President that
unless he behaves better he may
expect no cooperation from Mr..
Morse. Not being one to waste time
in reasoning with closed-minded
men, the President is behaving as
though neither Mr.. Mitchell nor
Mr. Morse had spoken. This natu-
rally makes them very angry but
it is probably the only way to treat
them.
At any rate cross as they are
the situation they create is not too
bad. Mr.. Mitchell will soon disap-
pear from the political scene, his
departure causing as little grief
among the Democrats as among
the Republicans. Senator Morse, OF
course, is a famous filibuster. He
will delay, by his long-winded
speeches, m any Administration
measures which a cooperative ma
jority wants to vote for and which
Commission will continue an all
out safety campaign from Deem
Der Is to January l. During that
period last year there were 27 traf-