New Boston Committeeman Replies

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I was greatly depressed to read the article entitled "The Giveaway" which in my opinion misrepresented the role that the Republican Party can play in Boston politics. As an officer of the New Boston Committee, I wish further to clarify the position of our organization in the coming election.

The author of this article did not reveal the Republican "strength" in Boston by stating merely that the GOP has a minimum of 75,000 votes. He neglects to mention that the Democrats have a minimum strength of at least twice that number, and that according to both the registration rolls and the results of recent state and national elections, Party labels do not appear on the ballot. The leading candidates for municipal office are invariably Democratic. Republicans could not elect one of their men as mayor with the help of Aladdin's Lamp, but they can and do exert considerable influence as to what Democrats are elected--frequently having an obvious balance-of-power. It was only with solid Republican backing that Secretary of Labor Tobin and Mayor Hynes have been able to defeat former Mayor Curley in recent elections. It is difficult for a Democrat to be elected Mayor without some Republican support.

But if it is difficult for a Democrat to win in Boston without Republican support, it is inconceivable that any Republican can be elected without considerable Democratic backing. For this reason, Mr. Potter's reasoning is misleading and fallacious. It is true, as he says, that the Republicans with united effort could have gotten their five candidates among the top eighteen to qualify for the November final election to the City Council. Once nominated, however, the Republicans would have been sure to lose in November. Only 27,000 votes were needed to qualify a candidate in the recent primary but a candidate will need about half the electorate--well over 100,000 votes--to win the final election. No Republican slate could get any such total...

Fortunately, most Republicans realized that a partisan approach was doomed, and supported the candidates of both parties backed by the New Boston Committee. All of our candidates were nominated. The two Republicans supported by the NBC, Mr. Chase and Mr. Freidman, gentlemen about whom Mr. Potter obviously knows nothing, received very handsome support in most predominantly Democratic areas of the City.

We of the New Boston Committee are proud of our success in this September primary. We hope to do as well in November and thus become as effective a political organization as is the Cambridge Civic Association across the River. We are trying to unite Democrats who are willing to support qualified Republics, Republicans who will vote for honest and upright Democrats, and Independents who will vote for good men of either party. We are presenting to the electorate a slate of candidates for the City Council which include nine qualified gentlemen representing every geographical area and every prominent religious and ethnic group. We have candidates of both political parties and are trying our best to avoid favoring either Democrats or Republicans. In the narrow partisanship of the Republican City Committee warmly applauded by Mr. Potter we see one of the greatest dangers to the future success of our young organization.... James F. Ryan 3L