Show Marquis Childs 1 GOP Rebels Face Fights For Election WASHINGTON Thc The Republican Republican lican party is engaged eng in a kind of spiritual wrestling wrestling- match in search of its soul This pursuit of a policy that will carry the party part to that long dela delayed ed victory victory vic victory vic vic- tory can be he a salutary exercise It should unlimber muscles long unused and stir brain cells that have not been disturbed for many a n moon So much of our political political political po po- po- po life both Republican and Democratic coasts along on tired clinches out of the past But the Republicans who are trying trying- to frame a policy statement statement statement state state- ment should not forget the old adage that actions speak louder than words This applies with particular force to certain of the primary contests in the party part this spring and above all aU to two contests where the fate of oC Republican Republican- senators Republican senators with an independent voting re record ord is at stake One is Charles Tobey of New Hampshire On the other side of the tha continent is Wayne Vayne Morse of Oregon While they may be unduly unduly unduly un un- duly apprehensive both men are fearful that old guard g Republicanism Republicanism Republicanism is out to knock them off Tobey Opposition The case of Tobey is particularly particularly interesting He is being opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed in the Republican primary by J. J Wesley Vesley Powell who up until until until un un- un- un til a short time ago was administrative administrative administrative admin admin- assistant in Washington Washing Washing- ton to New Hampshire's other senator Styles Bridges Powell is a year old disabled air force veteran who served Bridges before the war and after his re re- re turn Bridges declares that he is staying strictly neutral in this contest It is hard to see how this is possible since Powell is ina ina in ina a sense his Furthermore Furthermore Furthermore Further Further- more the relationship between the two senators has been distinctly distinctly distinctly dis dis- dis- dis cool and they have more often than not been on the opposite opposite opposite site side of major issues But the chief concern of Tobeys Tobey's backers is over the possibility possibility possibility pos pos- that the state w will 11 be flooded with money from wealthy interests outside New Hampshire On several occasions occasions occasions occa occa- by his forthright demand for investigation of deals engineered engineered engineered engi engi- by insiders in the Reconstruction Reconstruction Recon Recon- Finance corporation Tobey has offended powerful railroad interests His independent independent independent inde inde- pendent voting yoting record has offended offended offended of of- fended some of ot the moguls in irr his own party part Voted for Olds Morse has likewise asserted his independence by voting voting- more often with the Democrats than the Republicans He was for I example one of 15 senators who voted for the confirmation of Leland Olds to be a member of the federal power commission I Such votes together with Morses Morse's forthrightness in speaking speaking speaking speak speak- ing his mind on controversial issues has antagonized private utility managers and lumbermen in his state Thus far no rival candidate has announced for the contest The final filing filing- date is March 10 But the report here is that Vice Admiral Thomas L L. Gatch Gatchis is being readied to torun run against Morse with emphasis on his wartime role in the Pacific Morses Morse's case is more complicated complicated complicated than that of Tobey In Oregon a new liberal labor-liberal element element element ele ele- ele- ele ment is breathing life into the moribund Democratic party in inthe inthe inthe the hope that before too long it will offer the Republicans cans some real competition in what has been almost a party one-party state The liberal labor-liberal element Is suspicious of Morse charging charging- him with reverting to old-line old Republicanism in election years That is the attitude expressed by Richard L L. Neuberger of Ore Ore- gon Neuberger Democratic state senator questions Morses Morse's stand in opposition lion to the Columbia Columbia Columbia Co Co- lumbia valley authority Two-Sided Two Criticism The fate of an independent Republican could hardly be better better better bet bet- betI I ter illustrated If he deviates from irom the old guard line he draws the fire of oC the jealous bosses of his own party If he fails to meet every liberal-labor liberal test he becomes suspect on that side of the fence Men such as Morse Tobey and Senator George Aiken of ot Vermont Vermont Vermont Ver Ver- mont are in one of the oldest and most vigorous of Republican can traditions It is the tradition tradition tradition tion of Norris of Nebraska La LaFollette LaFollette LaFollette Follette of Wisconsin and Borah of Idaho No party line determined determined determined deter deter- mined the views of those Inde Inde- If the Republican party is to tobe tobe tobe be purged of their inheritors it will be poorer even than It is toda today Not all the policy statements statements statements state state- ments in the world will make up for such a loss Copyright 1950 United Feature Syndicate |