It never ended from when the “Taft Wing” of the party used to fight with the liberal GOP, and when the “Rockefeller Republicans” fought with the Goldwater supporters.
Goes back farther .... there has always been an inner ring of money guys and corruptocrats at the core of the GOP. Tom Dewey, famously corrupt NY governor, is an example; also, the Whiskey Ring and the organizers of the Credit Mobilier in the 1860's, Albert Fall and his Teapot Dome associates and co-conspirators in the 1920's.
Mugwumps in the 1880's and Bull Moosers in 1912 who fell out with the bag men and plutocrats have always been Main Street Republicans frozen out by the corruptocrats and access capitalists in the inner ring. That is the divide, and it has proven stable so far. We have a very difficult task, to root those people out, prosecute them, and send them to prison to get them out of political life.