Evening star., 1926-01-06
Politics at Large
By G.. Gould Lincoln

send to the Senate former Mayor
James NJ. Curley of Boston next year
he started tongues wagging In earnest.
The suggestion was made at par
becue at the Copley-FaaZa Hotel the
night before Mr.. Curley went out OF
office, given in the mayors honor
Mr.. Williams suggestion was that
MIR. Curley might well serve Massa-
chusetts In the National Capital. par
ticularly as successor to the late
Senator Lodge and as an opponent OF
American adhesion to the League OF
Nations. the World Court or any other
association Of nations which might IN
any way bring the United States into
the realm of foreign politics. And Mr..
cuteY. while modestly disclaimins
any ambition to come to Washington,
assumed an attitude Of I'm IN the
hands of my friends.
Until the launching of the Curley
boom, II ii can really be called such, IL
had been supposed that former Sena-
Tor David I. Walsh would be the Demo
cratic nominee for the Senate next
september without opposition, in the
race for the seat once held by Senator
Lodge and now occupied by Senator
William NJ. Butler, chairman OF the
republican national committee, under
appointment. Senator Walsh has been
in the State for nearly a year, now,
and it is reported that he has con-
Quoted an exceedingly active. though
quiet. campaign for the nomination
and election
Political observers both in Boston
and in the National Capital do not be-
lieve that CurIey could win the Demo-
cratic nomination from David |.
Walsh. The Boston democracy is
usually held TO he strong for Curley.
But IL has also shown its favor TO
Walsh. and in 1924, when Walsh was
defeated Tor Senator while running
against Senator Gillett. he had lead
OF 10000 votes over his Republican op-
.p"ucnt in Boston. while Mayor turlcy,
who had boasted he would carry Bos-
ton by 100000 in his fight for the GOV
eInorship against Gov Fuller. went
out OF Boston with only A 40, 900 lead.
Senator Walsh has kept out of Bos-
ton and city politics to very great
extent. He did not mix lin the last
mayoralty fight AT all, when Malcolm
T.. Nichols, Republican. was elected
although he was urged 10 make an
effort to bring the warning Democratic
factions in the city together on u
single candidate. But Senator Walsh
has strong hold on the Democratic
voters of Boston. and n very much
stronger hold than Mayor Curley on
the upstate democracy of Massachu-
sets.
Walsh. il will be remembered was
an opponent Of the entry OF the
United States into the League of Ma
lions on the terms suggested by the
late President Wilson and his Demo
cratic supporters in the Senate. Later
President Wilson wrote a bitter letter
to a friend in Massachusetts,. when
Walsh was a candidate for re-eleC
ton. declaring that the Democratic
Senator had been no true supporter
of the Wilson administration and Its
ma jor issue, the League of Nations
The letter was written while the late
President was in i'll health. and Sena
tor Walsh made no public statement
in regard TO II whatever.
Although they have not been
"chummy" in politics. there has been
no open break between Curley and
Walsh up to the present time. But
the former mayor is said to entertain
dislike for the former Senator
which goes back to the day wher
Walsh polled much larger vote in
Boston than did Curley. Some ol
Curley's adherents insinuated ther
that Walsh supporters had voted 8
slip ticket, and cut the mayors name
The Curley affair. II il develops
into real candidacy for the Demo
cratic nomination. can have compare
lively little bearing on the outcome
Of the senatorial election itself. II Is
believed, unless. perchance, CurleS
should win the nomination. The for
mer MAYOR would not be nearly 81
inc
tor Butler as would Senator Walsh
because Walsh has a much stronger
hold on the democracy in the state
generally, and because he is likely
10 win some of the independents. wh'
formerly supported Senator Lodge.
himself one way or the other with
regard to the World Court, though
in some quarters it has been said he
court with the reservations now pro
, posed by the President. At any rate
he has not declared himself against
the court. The court issue proba bly,
will he disposed of before the sen
atorial primaries come off In MasSa
chusetts, next September any way.
] III there Is a CurleyW Walsh contest
! for the nomination. after it is over
and Walsh has received the nomina
| tion-as he may well do-the sup
port of the Boston democracy will
still be with Walsh in the election
! 1t has always been behind Walsh
when he ran for Office.
An echo of the bitter fight which
! was waged in 1920 for the Republican
! nomination for President is now
being heard in the Senate. The nom
| ination of Judge Wallace McCamant
of Oregon to I've United States circuit
Judge in the ninth judicial circuit is
up for consideration and Is bitterly
, opposed by Senator Hiram johnson
, Of California. 1t happens that Judge
McCamant was the delegate at the
Republican national convention who
horped on a chair and put the name
! of Calvin Coolidge in nomination for
| Vice President and stampeded the
| convention for his nominee. 1t also
happens that Judge McCamant wa:
! the ''irreconcilable" member of the
Oregon delega ton who refused tC
| be bound by the presidential prefer
entail primary of the State. which
! resulted favorably to Senator John
son. Hence the johnson opposition
/ to his present confirmation.
The appointment of Judge Nc.
Camant in a sense may be regarded
! as the payment of a political debt b,
the President. But Senator johnson
is intent upon paying another kint
| of debt-not one of gratitude. Th,
friends of Judge McCamant insis
! that the judge had declared himself
| for Gen. Leonard Wood for Presiden
while he was seeking election as s
delegate to the Republican nationa
committee. and had intimated clear
| that he would not ever support Sena
tor Hiram Johnson in the convention
Senator Johnson. however. insist:
that McCamant was bound by tn,