Show Washington Constructive GOP COP Congress Depends Dep on Party Harmony By E Analyst arid and Commentator Service Eye Street t NW N. N Washington D D. D C. C WASHINGTON Now that the senate has settled Its first problem naming of the committee chair chair- chairmen chairmen chairmen men the next big question is whether the Res Re- Re Republicans s r q 1 publicans are go go- going going v ing to be able to i j develop a aleader- aleader leader leader- leadership f 1 ship able to ride HAS v herd and establish esta b- b bv lish lisp the party dis dis- discipline discipline discipline necessary for iron handed control The Re Re- Republican Republican Republican publican major major- majority majority ity is very slim and there are a 4 number of rest rest- restive restive restive ive members who will be as Baukhage hard to fet get into fato the corral come roll-call roll time as the sons of the wild jackasses used to be It isn't the lack of a leader so 50 much as a surplus of them that worries Republican politicos cos that cos-that that and the danger that the leaders may start leading in different directions Another factor not calculated to further unity is the flock of presidential presidential presidential bees crawling all over the inside of the capitol dome In his December poll Gallup listed four senators as possibilities in the fol fol- following following fol- fol following lowing order 9 per percent percent percent cent Bricker 8 per cent Taft Talt 2 per percent percent percent cent and 1 per cent These are small figures compared to the polls poll's 52 per cent granted Governor Dewey of New York or Minnesota's Governor ex-Governor Stassen's 17 per cent the two leading Gal- Gal Gallup's Gallups Gallups Gallup's Gallups Gallup's lups lup's list But that doesn't mean the candidates think that way about it Nobody is placing bets yet As the veteran Republican National Committeeman Clarence Budding- Budding Buddington ton Kelland said I dont don't think you are going going- to see the matter jell at all until Ohio decides whether it Is backing Taft or Bricker When that decision is made the line line- lineup lineup lineup up will come fast Gallup predicted that Eisenhower's ers er's star would rise higher and thus whip the hopeful senators to added zeal Lapel buttons labeled Draft Ike The are already out Under whose banner Eisenhower would be draft- draft dit d it is not stated but it is generally gen gen- generally generally conceded his personal lean lean- leanings leanings leanings ings would be more Republican than Democratic Neither nor Salton- Salton stalls stall's friends have begun to fight and at this writing neither one has even indicated publicly he is in the running More distressing to the men who have to make the upper house mem mem- members members members bers hew to the Republican line is the old problem of the so-called so progressive element Some people are arc predicting that there may be bemore bemore more harmony in the next session among the minority so widely split last time than among the ma run- majority majority with its swollen ranks Some Republicans are worrying lest they be divided to the extent that their power will be considerably reduced Senator S Works Work For His Hi State Many Many people fail to realize the many factors which contribute to individualism in the senate In the first place each senator is and so considers himself an ambassador from a state it is his business to serve that state to the best of his ability and his ability can be great great- greatly ly supplemented by the prestige he hea acquires a quires Indeed prestige if ac ac- acquired acquired ac- ac acquired by nothing but seniority can go a long lon way toward making up for lack of ability But it is not mere personal ambition which drives a senator I Ito to work for individual prominence nence It nence-It it is a part of his job to strengthen the sovereignty of the sovereign state he represents Another thing which often forces a senator to walk alone or as part of a small group is sectionalism sectionalism- not a hidebound attitude either cither but the demand that he truly represent the interests of his community even if those interests conflict with those of other parts of the country The ancient antagonism of West versus West versus versus- I East has never quite died It was only a little over three decades ago that the amendment was wasp pissed p which authorized the popular popular popular lar election of senators This was accomplished largely through the I influence of western and southern states slates willed had already by means of state primaries s or other subterfuge subterfuge subterfuge fuge managed to take the choice of senators out of the hands of the state legislatures The Republicans benefited by the failure of the Democrats to main main- maintain maintain maintain I tain a West-South West alliance but they now suffer sutTer in turn from other sec sec- sectional sectional sectional and ideological cleavages I heard one man remark the other day that two recent speeches one by Senator Morse Republican of Oregon and the other by Senator Byrd Democrat of Virginia each expressed views much more in line with the opposite party's than with their own organizations There are many other similar anomalies in the congress as there were in the thelast thelast thelast last session The belief that the extreme con con- conservatives conservatives conservatives will be in the saddle ready to ride shod rough-shod over any liberal move is not generally sup sup- ported True history has shown that the American people can stand just so much reform at a time But Buton Buton Buton on the other hand they have seldom been willing to sacrifice past social gains Consequently when the Re Re- Republicans Republicans Republicans publicans have been swept into of of- office office office fice after periods like the Wilson New Freedom they have been very chary of repealing laws which were passed in answer to a de de- demand demand mand for new privileges for the many Nation Clings To Old Reforms ReForm Harold Laski the British wing left-wing labor leader would have us believe that there is a return to reaction in America He says in a recent article under that title that in aban aban- abandoning abandoning abandoning the Roosevelt heritage Mr Truman made the shaping of the postwar economic policy of Amer Amer- America America America ica the concern of business and not of congress Mr Truman would be the first to deny that he deserted the New Deal heritage whether he was personally inclined by A Senators Bricker left fern Taft Hold Presidential Key to support all of its tenets or not And I can see the hackles of con con- congress congress congress gress rise even on the side at the suggestion that the initia initia- initiative initiative initiative tive was returning to the the hands of National Manufacturers' Manufacturers tion a Air Mr Truman was removed by bythe bythe bythe the election from a number of restraints and pressures from groups which favored courses he personally disliked but he has not been party to any move to sacrifice social past gains and I cannot see congress allowing al allowing al- al allowing lowing the few reactionaries in either party or in the house or senate to set back the clock As the Beards point out in their Basic History His ory of the United States the Republicans despite their landslide victory over Wilson in 1920 did not or could not stamp out the spirit of progressive or radi radi- radical radical radical cal insurgency old in American tradition and yet ever new in its application to changing condi condi- Hardings Harding's normalcy and Cool- Cool Coolidge's Coolidge's Coolidge's idge's conservatism temporarily did end our internationalism But their next choice was Herbert Hoover who had been speaking with contin contin- continual continual continual ual concern over conditions affect affect- affecting affecting affecting ing the less privileged In 1923 for example he had called on the in insurance in- in insurance insurance companies to study unemployment unemployment unemployment insurance he had en en- endorsed endorsed endorsed an amendment abolishing child labor he had frightened the reactionaries reaction ries to death when he pro pro- proposed proposed proposed posed the inheritance tax to redis redistribute redistribute redistribute tribute fortunes Going further back into history we note that after three successive victories the Republicans even even eveh when they had majorities in both houses did not repeal so-called so reform measures passed up to 1900 When they returned to power in 1921 although attempts were made to do so such meas meas- measures measures measures ures as the income and inheritance taxes were not abolished or reduced to an n empty gesture Yesterdays Yesterday's radical is tomorrows tomorrow's conservative |