A Check to Mr. Roosevelt The result of the Congressional
Elections in the United States is to bring back the Republican Party to national politics as an effective force. It is not within sight of being a dominating force ; with a dozen or so returns still to come in, it holds only 165 seats out of 445 in the House and 23 out of 96 in the Senate ; and it still conspicuously lacks leadership. But some of the new men may make leaders ; the paralysis that came of decisive and repeated defeats has been shaken off; and the party can prepare for the Presidential election two years hence in good heart. On the other hand, Mr. Roosevelt's depression is likely to be by no means proportionate to his opponents' elation. He has lost a number of supporters whose defeat he has every reason to deplore, such as Governor Murphy in Michigan, but his New Deal legislation has not been repudiated and few of the successful Republicans would annul its main provisions if they could. Moreover, he has held New York State. On the whole moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats have been returned, and Congress as a whole will insist on a considerably slower pace than the President has been setting in the last five years. That does not mean necessarily that Mr. Roosevelt will ftnd the House more diffi- cult to handle. The absence of opposition is fatal to party discipline ; the Democrats will now have to close their ranks, and that means that there must be increased co-operation between White House and Capitol. The President can be counted on to adjust himself to the new situation, and the net outcome of the changes may be more balanced and stable government. In external affairs an isolationist policy will have stronger support than ever.
* * * *
Previous page
