Clarence "Bud" Kelland to Bruce Barton, 5 November 1948, Bruce Barton Papers, State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Hugh D. Scott Jr., Chairman
Clarence Budington Kelland
Member for Arizona
Port Washington,

November 6, 1945

Mr- Bruce Berton
383 Madison Avenue, New York City

Dear Bruce,

We are stunned by the disaster which has overtaken the Republican Paryy. It seems wise to enquire into the causes which brought it about. We may place on one side the debatable issues normal to any campaign and come at once to what I believe to be the definite cause of our defeat.

That was the character of the campaign waged by our candidate for president and his little clique of efficiency experts, who siezed arrogently the National Organization of our party instantly following the nomination, and dominated it ruthlessly until election day-

This was the same little group that organized defeat in 1944. They hed so improved their methods by 1948 thet they were able to orc~ize disaster.

The National Committee and the National Republican Organization ceased to exist as a going concern on the day following nonination. Complete and dictatorial control was usurped by the Albany group. It was maintained with an iron hand. The candidate and his little group of advisers did not even go through with the motions of consulting with party leaders. They imposed their will. They appointed from top to bottom the, officers of the National Committee.

They appointed a National Chairman whose ve~ name was unknown to a great majority of the Committee and who through the campaign was a wife in name only. One of their o~ group exercised the &11thority which properly should reside in the trational Chairman. His will w~ law. The party as such ceased to exist and beceme a private Albany enterprise. It wa their campaign and they cannot escape responsibiliy for the result.

The principle causes of our defeat were these:

It was a smug campaign. It was a supercilious campaign. It was an arrogant campaign. It was not a campaign in any real sense of that word. It consisted in sending a train arould the country to give the good people a chance to see the next president of the United States.

The Albany Group provides the candidate with ~~~g. shellow. insincere speeches. It was a co'lte~ptuous c~p~ig, co~tezptu~us alike of our antagonists and our friends. The Albany Group proved themselves to be geniuses

On the art of stirring up an avalanche of lethargy. No issue was stated or faced. It was a completely bland and selfish campaign conducted soley for the benefit of the Candidate ani ibnoring or neglec- ting the all-important Senate and House of Representatives.

It was not a national campaign; it was an Albany campaign.

It was an exclusive campaign. It excluded the Republican Party from efficient participation. It affronted Republican leaders. It gave a sleeping pill to Republican voters. It was a campaign lacking-in courage and calculated only to arouse indifference.

It was a campaign so stupid that it permitted a little man whose only equipment was courage and an indomitable fighting spirit to give us a sound drubbing. And this single-handed. And deserted by his own party.

At this moment the organization of the Republican Party is the private property of the Albany Group. The Party must be returned to the Party. The A1bany Group has twice proven its genius for organizing defeat, and twice should be enough. "

I suggest, therefore, that machinery be set instantly in motion for the calling of a meeting of the Republican National Committee. I sugest that the business of this meeting shall be a house-cleaning from top to bottom, and reorganization, not by dictation but by consultation an open vote. I suggest that the National Comittee assert its position as the duly elected governing body of the Rebuplican Party, and that it cease to be nothing but a chowder and marching club whose only function is to jump through hoops.

Let us get out the broom, and when we have done sweeping, let us refurnish the house.

Two years are all too short a time to recover from the sort of leadership we have had. It is all too short a time to rally around new and competent and patriotic leaders. It is all too short a time to construct a Republican Organiztion of integrity and efficiency. We must take back Congress in 1950. --

Let us, then, set on the job. Cordially Bud