One of the leading intellectuals of the first half of the 20th century was Columbia President Nicholas Murray Butler, who was a Republican Party man and an avowed liberal. Intellectuals had always tended to be on the liberal side of things, which in the 19th century meant with the Republicans and starting in the 1930s with the Democrats. There were also, however, many Southern intellectuals who promoted Lost Causeism and denounced Reconstruction, but in the liberal North intellectuals like Frederick Douglass and Walt Whitman were among Lincoln’s most important supporters.
Were Dems more conservative in social issues before 1930? I think the differences back then were mainly economic issues like tariff, free silver coins, etc. While southern Dems were racists against Black, northern large city Dems represents immigrants like Irish. I don't think R and D back then fit in the conservative vs liberal divide today.
