| Show Political Trend Points Return to Conservatism A Wallace Wallace Jones Jones Fight Indicates Movement in Congress Congress Regular Democrats Vie With Leftists in Party By BAUKHAGE News New Analyst and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C As we contemplate the second month of the political calendar one thing is clear and that is the strong conservative trend in the congress as a whole and within the structure of the two major parties as well Many rany straws show clearly the way the prevailing winds have been blowing One was the Wallace Jones-Wallace controversy which soon became a senate versus Wallace Vallace Roosevelt controversy Another was the turn taken in the battle over the national service bill which developed into a fight against the fair employment g practices policy and the closed shop Behind both these moves I there here was a play of forces which marks the beginning of a struggle which will make the biggest postwar postwar postwar post post- war story on the domestic front The opposition to Wallace had many and complicated ramifications tout but it revealed the c conservative trend both in congress as a whole and within the Democratic party Within the party it was a struggle between the regulars and the CIO political action committee ants something which is being reflected reflected reflected re re- in the conduct of the party organization too When Democratic National Chairman Hannegan was questioned as to whether he was going to work with the CIO P PAC CIO AC he answered that he would welcome their assistance but in the same breath added and Hand other independent ent organizations The inference drawn by the reporters was that the two groups wo would ld pursue their separate ways It is reported that Wallace was offered a deal by which his confirmation as secretary of commerce would be assured and perhaps powers left under the department of commerce if he hew w would uld agree to put a safe man manin mann in fn n to administer the government lending This would have meant breaking with his CIO PAC following following following follow follow- t ing and Wallace naturally refused 1 I L That illustrates what rivalry there exists between liberal and conservative conservative conservative conserva conserva- tive elements within the Democratic party It is also whispered that a campaign has begun by which the Democrats hope to pare down the influence of the CIO P CIO AC The scheme is to build a strong coalition between the s southern Democrats and the northern big city bosses Compare Wallace To Bryan The Democratic regulars claim they have no fear of Wallace as a successful contender for the presidential presidential presidential nomination in 1948 although they admit that he is the one man in public life now that Willkie is gone whose leadership would be most likely to unite both liberal and radical radical radi radi- radical cal support But they claim he is another William Jennings Bryan much more intellectual but with the same fate in store for him often a bridesmaid id never a bride The Wallace supporters talk quite differently They s say y any man who could rally votes last summer at Ch Chicago cago could get enough of the necessary additional by 1948 and that every time bad big business business business busi busi- ness assaults him as it did through the friends of Jesse Jones his stock stockwith stockwith stockwith with the common ma many and little business whom and which he constantly constantly constantly con con- champ champions ons will go higher I In other words the louder the Wall street wolf pack howls the themore themore themore more the CIO pack grins This reasoning is based on those two somewhat paradoxical observations we love him for the enemies he makes and every knock a boost That is the leftist reasoning and whet whether er or not the regulars think it it- itis is sound they have to take it into consideration In any case the op opposition opposition opposition op- op position to Wallace Vallace on both sides of both houses of congress shows the conservative color of the legislative body As to the party organizations they have indicated that they intend to I put their faith in works On the I same day January 23 both Republican Republican Re Re- Republican publican and Democratic national nation l chairmen announced that their respective respective re re- re- re political machines would start running on on ona a time full basis As I said Mr Hannegan revealed his attitude toward the wingers left-wingers of his party by implying that Hillman Murray et al would paddle their heir own canoes GOP Stays To Right There was a significant development development development develop develop- ment at the Republican committee committe meeting too The single challenge to Mr Brownell dealt with the question question question ques ques- tion of thunder from the left and md i it apparently fell on entirely deaf dea ears The one unfriendly voice at th the meeting came from a supporter o oHarold of ot Harold Stassen of Minnesota the prospective liberal candidate for the Republican presidential nomination The arose to charge that tha t Mr Brownell had alienated the labor vote because of his connection with a law firm which handled the business of large corporations Nobody Nobody Nobody No No- body in the committee denied the soft impeachment publicly It is whispered that the Republicans cans are not worrying about an appeal appeal appeal ap ap- peal to labor for they have a theory that they can attract the vote of the returned soldier because they say he will lean to the right This is the way one of the regulars expressed it to me There is something about a uniform uniform uniform uni uni- form he said that makes a man patriotic and conservative He is is anxious to settle down and raise a family He wants to have property of his own Hes He's tired of being housed and fed and clothed on government government government gov gov- issue Also he is through taking chances over there he thought of America as home and home means something solid sane and safe The Republican party is the natural place for him the bigwig bigwig bigwig big big- wig concluded I am not saying that the reasoning reasoning reasoning reason reason- ing of either party is is correct but I Iam Iam Iam am reporting what appears to be bethe bethe bethe the general atmosphere both on Capitol hill and elsewhere where the politicians gather to mull over affairs As to the temper of congress as a whole as illustrated in both the Wallace Vallace and the national service controversies we can see that the former southern Democrat can coalition is working as smoothly as ever and keen observers predict that its hand will be shown whenever whenever whenever when when- ever similar questions are at issue in the future Just where the President stands is not yet discernible But there again there is a strong feeling on Capitol hill that when he replaced Dr New Deal with Dr Win-the- Win War as he himself put it he had no intention of placing the country under the care of the former medico when peace returned This is the way one old timer who has supported the administration on most issues for forthe forthe forthe the last 12 years put it to me The uThe President says he is still steering a little left of center He may think so But I can tell you that whether he knows it or not the theold theold theold old ship of state is going to nose to io starboard this session And that would seem to be what is happening if we judge from the first l leg g of th the voyage In any case there is going to be a a fight to keep a conservative conservative con con- hand on the old ships ship's tiller |
