Show Behind the News By Bv RAY TUCKER Talk about a new rump rump Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic party la Is flooding the newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers again now th that t the unlamented unlamented un- un lamented departure of ot congress has relieved the pressure on the news columns But most of ot It is s shot hot air The rho object of ot course is to set setup setup up ip an organization which will split the Roosevelt vote and let lethe the he Republicans Republicans' ride in But ItIs it itIs its Is s based on a misconception of ot the realities The only practical merit of ot the Idea dea is confined to its ita use as a 1 propaganda ropa anda weapon against Mr Roosevelt between now and th the tho presidential campaign next year To consider it seriously in any other respect is to misjudge the practical factors involved in the 1936 fight The best chance for forthe forthe the ho conservatives to win next year ear earlies lies ies in th them m throwing all all' of at their strength into the Republican party party party par par- ty not splitting part of ot it up into a Democratic rump movement The idea of ot a conservative Democratic ticket is based primarily pd- pd maril marily on the theor theory theor that the country Is la divided into two static political groups one Republican Republicana a and d one ne Democratic Advocates of ot ofa ofa ota a rump ticket assume there is a a great reservoir of voters hostile to o the new deal but so glued to the he Democratic label that they could not even for principle vote for or any anyone one who called himself a Republican I Well VeIl when you when you see sec Hoover carrying carrying car car- four southern Bouthern steles states in 1928 1028 and Roosevelt carrying all except six eastern states for years years later and the Democrats sweeping dearold dear dearold old Pennsylvania two y years ars later than ban that what happens to your Idea dea that the party label is a binding and deciding factor Actually the decisive bloc of ot voters in this country long ago was vas wrenched loose from rom party bonds And how many of the 5 s- K or more new new voters who have lave come of ot age since the depression de- de give a loot about a a party label Not to mention the older voters who wh already have had their experience in leeping back and forth across the party fence The proposal to s set t up a Jeffersonian Jeffer- Jeffer haven for deserting Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- is not likely to pull any southern state away from Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt omitting volt omitting Louisiana for another another another an an- other reason of ot course On the theother theother theother other hand if it it had any influence influence ence at all in the north where there is no such prejudice against the he Republican label it would only only only on on- ly serve to catch voters who were already headed ded into the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican camp The point there is that a vote held away from the Republicans by a rump Democratic ticket is exactly one half as effective as a vote voto allowed to go on over and and be be counted for tor the Republicans in instead instead instead in- in stead of ot merely being taken out of at the Roosevelt count Thus In actual practice the rump movement movement movement move move- ment to t the extent th that t it had any pull at all aU would be only haJt one half as effective as leaving the opp isi- isi tion field entirely to the Republicans Republicans where they could catch the full benefit from train the Roose anti velt vote Many l aSs assume S t e casually th tha that Dem Democrats Democrats' 0 vho condemned o the new dear deal P i r ram ni in i hi congress will down the the line lina go against Roosevelt in th the presidential cam cam- Two of ot the thc most effective of ot these critics Senators critics Senators Glass Glassand Glassand and Byrd of ot Virginia Virginia- Virginia Virginia-al already have taken pains to let it It be known that they are Democrats and have never bolted a ticket Glass and Bailey of North Carolina Carolina Caro Caro- lina ilna two strong stra- stra tion critics are up for tor reelection next year They would scarcely want to run on a split ticket TydIngs Tydings Tydings ings of ot Maryland another strong critics Is attempting to consolidate consolidate consolidate consoli consoli- date his position as the successor of ot former Governor Ritchie In Dem Democratic cratic control of ot Maryland His Interest is all on the tho side of ot carrying the tho state for the Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic ticket next year Any Democratic political 1 leader though he may dissent from administration administration administration ad ad- ministration policies jeopardizes his control and threatens to wreck his organization by leaving the party's pr presidential ticket Not many wish to take that chance The only party leaders who can be expected to bolt the ticket are those who have no following who lead only themselves Even the tamest campaign always sees a number of these switches They influence practically no votes Republican maneuvering at the moment is of ot far greater significance significance significance cance than the vague ague talk of a lL Democratic rump movement For Forthe Forthe Forthe the first time since long before 1932 Republican maneuvers have real vitality because they arc are based on a conviction that the tho party has a chance As yet it may be an even chance but all trace of despair with which the Republicans went through the motions motion in 1932 and 1934 is gone Everything Everything Every Every- thing thing- that happen on the Republican Republican lican Hcan side now carries real import im im- in- in port nce Colonel Fra Frank Knox x of ot Chicago started his avowed campa campaign hiNe in hi Ne New v Hampshire where the tho first of the 1936 1930 presidential primaries will be held He Is the most active active active ac ac- ac- ac tive aspirant But the theman man to to watch is still pretty much under wraps wraps Governor Governor Landon of ot Kan Kan- sas sac His friends friends' have c countered the Indorsement of at Landon from former Vice President Curtis of Kansas Senator Capper and other Kansas Republicans have seconded second second- ed cd the nomination Curtis no ho longer seeks to dominate Kansas politics but Knox supporters had been jabbIng at Landon b by claiming claiming claim claim- ing Curtis It was wag unwise tactics The first rule of at a smart presidential presidential pros pros- candidate is to keep out of or the the home territory of other candidates Another good rule Is not to get going too strong at the start lest the wind give out on the home stretch Landon is sitting tight giving the thc country a n demonstration tion of how a state can an balance its budget reduce its bonded in indebtedness indebtedness in- in and put itself on a you pay basis in times like mC these It might occur to some that this is a bett better r way of running for president in a country fed up on extravagant ant expenditures than to togo togo togo go chasing around the land la lamenting lamenting la- la that Roosevelt hasn't been perfect perfectAs As s1 for the Borah talk Jt is is strong motivated by great respect for forthe the senior member of the senate sen zen ate te and is perhaps an expression by many Republicans of ot an unconscious unconscious unconscious un un- un- un conscious longing for a party leader who is coura courageous liberal sincere and who has rugged chara char char- a acter ler It is significant chiefly for this reason rather than because of oc any wide expectation that Borah will be nominated These are the tho three Republican figures of ot real political vitality in the presidential picture at the moment Anyway so far as the presidential fight is concerned we can be thankful for one thing It wont won't be Hucy Long now Copyright 1935 by the Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington Post |