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Show Demo Council Comes of Age The Democratic National Advisory Council does not speak for the party, most southern Democrats and many congressional leaders have been saying since the Council was organized in 1956. So long as it was making rude and irresponsible noises, this assessment of the Council's role in party affairs was true enough. At its recent New York session, however, the Council exhibited ex-hibited a new maturity. This probably reflects the broadening base of the Council which was first organized as an instrument . of one faction of the party. In recent months, however, the Council has demonstrated a new vision. Its membership has been broadened and is more nearly representative of the diversified character of the national Democratic Party. Clothed in its new respectability, the Council last week end took a close look at the state of the nation on the threshold of the' I960 election year. Concisely, forcefully, the Council plucked from the covering shroud of peace and parenthood the issues the electorate must face next year and spread them out for all to see. Among the points on which the Republican administration Among the points on which the Republican administration was criticized were the lack of a sound foreign policy, the defense lag, inflation and economic stagnation. There were some of the usual cliches: "Incompetent administration," ad-ministration," "second rate, second best," "lack of bold creative leadership." After all, this was a political document. There was, however, much of a constructive, progressive nature. The proposal for a National Peace Agency, while some what platudinous, offers a new approach to the ultimate problem of survival. Labor-management relations, education, social security, conservation and other -less dramatic but important issues were outlined. Yes, and civil rights. It, however, was kept in perspective, one among the 19 domestic and thre foreign matters. Birth control and partisan peace were assigned to the dump heap of spurious issues. ' In this role, the Advisory Council becomes an instrument of the whole party and not merely the tool of a faction within the party. Like the national Democratic Party, the Council can not be all things to all people. The party is diverse by nature, a coordination and accommodation of many interests. This is its strength. The need for a party voice between conventions and elections elec-tions is as old as the system. If the Council can be made to serve that function it can become a useful instrument of party policy. |