Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-05-10

AL SMITHS sudden stepping out
as one Of the leading candidates for
the Democratic presidential nomina-
ton since the death of Boss Murphy
in New York is one of the political
sensations of the moment. The
fact that Smith has secured Franklin
Roosevelt, long a Tammany enemy.
as his campaign manager, is expected
to enhance his chances considerably,
and there is a possibility that the
New York Governor viii get the
nomination despite all the objections
that are urged against him.
REPUBLICAN politicians are be-
ginning to be fearful that Indiana,
long a doubtful state politically, will
swing clear over into the Democratic
column in November as a result of
the conviction of Governor McCray
and his resignation to serve a leng
sentence in federal prison. The
primaries gave some indication of
this trend, and in some quarters it is
being suggested that Albert J.
Beverage, former Senator from
Indiana, should be the Republican
Vice-presidential candidate in an
effort to save Hoosierdom for
Coolidge.
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE selected
the Temporary Chairman for the
Republican National Convention
without even asking the advice of
William M. Butler his chief
campaign manager. The result was
that Butler told some of the news
papermen in the Capital after the
announcement was made that the
story of the selection Of Theodore E.
Burton of Ohio was lust gossip"
But when the committee on Arrange
ments met in Cleveland, it was
Butler that placed Burtons name in
nomination. In the meantime, of
course, he had got an earful from the
White House and had learned that
Coolidge intended to run his own
campaign-and to suit himself.
J. r. McCARL, the Comptroller
General of the United States, is at
the moment a storm center of an
attack, not only from Congress, but
from all the executive departments
of the Government. Under the
Budget law, the Comptroller General
has authority to take in all the
money and pay all the bills the
United States. Cabinet members
say that ne has arrogated to himself
so many duties and so much added
authority that he has become a
czar-so much so that he is able to
tell anyone-even the President
what he can and what he cannot do
where the Government finances
are concerned. Legislation to
alleviate the trouble and rows be-
tween McCarl and the Cabinet is
being considered.
THE CONGRESSIONAL "beer
bloc" has made a brave fight, but its
efforts to liberalize the Volstead
Act appear to be futile. A veritable
flock of beer bills have been offered
in the present Congress. Extended
hearings before the House Judiciary
Committee has brought forward a
number of persons who would like to
have 2.75 per cent beer legalized,
hut the passage of any legislation
along this line, or even anything like
a wet and dry fight on the floor of
the House, looks doubtful Among
the interesting side-lights of the
liquor agitation in the charge by
Repv Celler of New York that at
the time of the hearings were going
on a certain Congressman who al
ways votes dry" was discovered in
drunken condition at the Capitol.
HUNDREDS upon hundreds of
bills are doomed to certain dead
rs the time for the adjournment of
the 6Sth Congress approaches.
Among these is the proposal for
American entrace into the Per-
manent Court of Internatinal
Justice, made by the late President
Harding more than a year ago
Hearings on the world court are be-
ing uetu DeIofe q Subcommittee OF
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, but the Hearings" are about !
as far as the Senate will go before
national politics claims its time and
energies completely.
A PERSONAL investigation of |
charges that Japan, Great Britain,
France and Italy are violating the
spirit, is not the letter, of the Wash
ington naval limitation treaty mas
been launched by President Coolidge. |
The charges have been made re-
peatedly, but the President was
spurred to action by the announce
ment that the British Government
planned to protest the changing of |
absolete American battleships from
coal to oil burners. The violation
of the treaty by foreign powers is
said to consist in the construction Of
large numbers of auxiliary craft,
submarines, etc. which the treaty did
not specifically limit or prohibit