Show Bruc Bru karts charts washington digest early political activity presages bitter 1940 presidential campaign widespread movement away from new deal philosophy of government worries democratic leaders popularity of president yet to be evaluated f by WILLIAM BRUCKART service national press washington U D C W washington ASHINGTON there seems to be no doubt that the political mill for 1940 has begun to grind earlier than has happened in almost any modern modem time politicians and political forecasters alike agree that the activity the advance agents of the 1940 campaign with its national conventions and presidential nominations and national elections is evident now to a greater extent than has been recorded in almost any other quadrennial period it is to be recognized of course that there would be more intensive effort in advance of the 1940 elections than occurred prior to the 1936 national elections because presumably at least both great political parties will be sorting over the candidates di T ALFRED BI LANDON will not have as much voice in selection of the republican candidate as mr bir roosevelt will have in making the democratic choice so we approach the things that are to be considered and dealt with as campaign questions next year as seen from this distance Is new deal on the wane I 1 believe it can safely be said as a fact recognized by most able political students that the 1938 elections with the attendant increase in republican strength in the house and senate together with the evident trend of thinking throughout the country that there is a widespread movement away from the new deal philosophy of government how far it has gone or how far it may yet go how much the personal popularity of president roosevelt has waned or how much it may yet fluctuate and how vigorously mr roosevelt is opposed within his own party are factors yet to be evaluated but that evaluation has begun hence the activity within the democratic ranks the fact that there is a trend away from the new deal philosophy not all of those policies but a very great many of them is the factor that is causing democrats new dealers as well as anti zionists to scramble around there is more under cover maneuvering national convention going on right now than I 1 have witnessed thus far in advance during any of the last seven preliminary battles the faction of the democratic party that may be roughly delineated as headed beaded by vice president garner sen pat harrison of mississippi and senator byrd of virginia the old liners appears determined to rid the party of radical leadership the group which has stood by president roosevelt new dealers through thick and thin is overlooking no opportunity to keep the demo democratic batic label pinned upon their fa faction action G gap 0 P has tactical advantage within the republican ranks there are arc undoubtedly more of those waiting to see which way the cat will jump than there are among the democrats the republicans however have one distinct advantage they can attack anything and everything the new deal administration has done they do not need to defend anything which is the handicap that burdens each faction of the democrats to a greater or less extent moreover the republicans are not burdened with the will of any one man to which they must give consideration that is to say neither former president hoover nor gov alt alf landon the nominees in 1932 and 1936 respectively will or can have as much voice in selection of the next can candidate dilate as mr roosevelt ordinarily would woul have in making the democratic chofen chofe this condition springs from the fact that as president mr roosevelt retains titular leadership of his party hoover and landon having taken a licking in turn need not be accepted f by the rank and file of the party or by republican as having any greater rights than others and by the same token the roosevelt leadership complicates the democratic picture since he has stated with great frequency and with an emphasis that cannot be denied that there is no turning back he can be regarded as determined to insist upon selection of a democratic candidate either himself or someone else next year who will push the new deal forward and that position boys and girls is what the old line faction of the party seem determined now to overturn As a matter of cold fact it appears from all of the information available to me that mr Roosevel ts determination on this point is really the fundamental da basis for the current canyon between the new dealers and the old liners again none can foretell how far it will go but it can be said without equivocation that if that schism continues up to the 1940 nominating conventions the 1924 convention right fight between william gibbs mcadoo and A al smith will appear as a tea party this bitterness can be just as deep seated as that small G 0 P machines demand recognition it should not be overlooked however that there is hair pulling in prospect on the republican side as well it extends down to the grass roots because of individual thinking that has been taking place this condition results through lack of a federal political machine dozens of small machines have been wagging their own tails for so long that they now are demanding recognition tion from the brass hats at the top further since there is a growing belief that the republican presidential nomination in 1940 is worth something that is that the republicans have a chance after eight years of political drouth there is an extraordinary crop of favorite sons coming forward concerning the prospective campaign itself there again is that uncertainty about mr Roosevel ts personal popularity about the prestige he has or will be able to lend to the mantle bearer of the democratic party there is likewise the question as to how much of the new deal ought to be discarded and how much ought to be kept and it is not an easy decision to make there is for instance no question in my mind but that voters everywhere are getting disgusted with too much government I 1 do not mean to inter infer that they are unanimous amous i but the evidence cumulates that th the e federal government is engaging in too many functions that it is invading private rights too far that its general scope is beyond what government was designed to be and that more and more people are saying there ought to be some laws repealed rather than that there ought to be a law government spending causes dissatisfaction another obvious sentiment shows a rather amazing dissatisfaction with continuation of government spending and the creation of added debt with this of course is coupled the general fear of added taxes it is quite widespread this feeling that some gloomy years are ahead while the money flowed as free as water there was no lack of takers A change appears to have taken place however and from all quarters one hears expressions or questions as to how high the taxes will have to be to pay off even a part of the debt A third thing that stands out wherever political leaders talk over the campag campaign agn problems is the matter of unemployment which of course includes the question of whether government would not be serving better if it omitted attempts to reform business it sifts down to some of the basic new deal policies and say what you will it is a red hot subject it remains as a fact that there were 10 or 12 million unemployed when mr roosevelt took office and there are at least 10 million now voters are asking therefore whether and how long such a situation can continue without a collapse all of these questions it is to be noted strike very close to every in one way or it likewise comes within the range of thought that the man who is elected next year man because no woman is yet included in the list will have a tough time satisfying even a majority of the people just as a rail fence fee guess or maybe it is a hunch bunch anyway I 1 believe the next president will be good for only one term he will not be popular after four years As a further guess I 1 have an idea that the candidate w who will be elected next year will be the roan man who paints the greatest picture of gloom about the situation me released leased by western newspaper union |