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Show 2 THE SEARCHLIGHT Puerile Leadership Perils Future of Democratic Party Success in 1944 Requires Immediate Herbert B. Maw’s Longer Afford Choose Leadership. Adolescent Between Maw and Repudiation of Party Cannot Guidance. Must Party Defeat. In a few days Utah will have reached the half-way mark in the State administration of Herbert B. Maw. Sufficient time has elapsed to permit observing citizens to arrive at an accurate appraisal of His Excellenecy’s methods and policies. We may now scrutinize the quality of his executive services to the State and forecast his probable course during the remainder of his one-term administration. Similarly we may weigh the chances of Democratic success in 1944 if Herbert B. Maw is permitted to retain party leadership for two more years. Inevitably the Democratic Party will be judged in the next campaign by the performance of the man it entrusts with party leaderWith a resurgent tide of Repubship now. lican gains in evidence in the State and Nation, Utah Democrats have little prospect of victory in 1944 if they fail to repudiate immediately and completely their discredited leader and his The refusal of the party half-baked schemes. platform convention in the 1942 campaign to His enough. not have reorganization his approve and erratic was _ not unethical methods to confined been scheme reorganization. be equally must Therefore the repudiation eeneral and unequivocally emphatic. He must be shorn of party leadership. Legislators must recover the independence of the branch law-making ernment. eovernment. They must With the of restore State the Gov- constitutional cooperation of party officials they must furnish the nucleus of party Above all, they must decline releadership. sponsibility for a purported reorganization of State departments that in spots has turned out Anything less will extend to be semi-moronie. and »geravate the chaotic situation prevailing in the Democratic Party, and may destroy ability to function effectively in 1944." its Herbert B. Maw has alienated virtually all of his old friends and supporters by a callous disregard of platform principles, political ethics, and party obligations. He has convinced thousands of Utahns that he lacks the stability and rectitude to be true to his political salt. If Utah Democrats aside, or dismiss thought that they now mimimize, brush these observations with the are merely the harsh utter- ances of an implacable opponent who can see no virtue in a Maw promise or action, let those party members facts for themselves. THE survey and Here MOURNERS’ judge the known is the story. BENCH Reference to campaign literature and commitments of Candidate Maw in 1940 disclose that he pledged himself to carry out a wellThat program was rounded liberal program. acceptable even to tens of thousands of Demo- erats who questioned the good faith and 1integrity of the candidate, and who voted for lis Republican opponent. Candidate Maw assured his followers—one and all—that they should have political consideration, recognition, deal in his a square and But within 90 days after his administration. inauguration he accepted the ‘‘cooperation’’ of an ‘‘Invisible Government’’ that left him no alternative but to rid himself of unsophisticat- ed followers who ous vear. to crusaded for him the previ- He lacked the forthrightness and candor dismiss those followers with the observa“Knowing their courses that both solely from political parties the standpoint chart of expe- diency, we make no plea for higher moral, and ethIt would be a waste of paper and ical standards. ink. If the Democrats continue to accept Maw and nominate him for any office in 1944 the Republicans undoubtedly will climb on a virtuous pinnacle and assail both the candidate, and the party for espousing him, on easily justifiable grounds of political morality. But the motive back of their actions will be expediency. publicans be furnished with Why should the Recampaign ammunition? |