TALK OF THE TOWN: DEMOCRATS MAY BE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, 'PERMANENTLY'
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On December 18, 1924, G. Gould Lincoln of The Evening Star writes that six weeks after the Election of 1924 there is "talk of the (Democratic) party's going permanently out of business."
The reason: "one of the most crushing defeats it has sustained."
Lincoln points out, however, that leaders of the party beg to differ. They cite Democrats hold on to 40 seats in the U.S. Senate and 184 in the U.S. House of Representatives, not to mention control of governorships in many states.
They argue also that Democrats are stronger in Republican districts than Republicans are in Democratic areas such as those in the South-"the Democratic stronghold."
On the negative side, however, is the party debt. It sits at a quarter of a million dollars as of today. National Chairman Clem Shaver*, despite the naysayers, intends to remain in his position and is already taking steps to pay off the debt.
JFK+50 NOTE
I watched last night a review of one of the 20 greatest baseball games on the MLB network in which a manager commented, "You learn alot by losing. You don't learn anything by winning."
That sentiment applies well to the talk of the demise of the Democratic Party after the Election of 1924. Although its troubles continued in the next election cycle with Hoover's landslide over Al Smith 444-87 & the GOP gaining congressional seats, by 1932 there came a complete and total reversal.
FDR's '32 landslide bettered Hoover's of '28 (472-59) & Democrats gained 9 Senate seats & 90 House seats. In FDR's re-election in 1936, he won 46 of 48 states & was elected again by great majorities in 1940 & 1944. His successor, Harry Truman, won in 1948.
So obviously, talk of the end of the Democratic Party in 1924 was not only premature, they were just 4 years away from dominating national politics and winning five straight presidential elections. In fact, the GOP went to General Eisenhower in 1952 saying that if he didn't sign on with them it might be the end of the Republican party.
*Clement Lawrence Shaver (1867-1954) was born in Marion County, West Virginia & educated at Fairmont State University (BA) & George Washington University School of Law (LLB). CLS served as DNC chairman 1924-1928 & ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1934.
SOURCE
"Dems Start Rebuilding Amidst Ashes Of Defeat," by G. Gould Lincoln, The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., December 18, 1924, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
