Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-03
Politics at Large
By G.. Gould Lincoln


OF conferences held here last Sunday
with Franklin ID. Roosevelt of New
| York as the central figure. At those
conferences. in which leading Demo
Gratis In Congress took part, efforts
| were made to outline to a certain de
gree plans for action and issues for
the coming congressional campaign.
Little concrete was accomplished.
The truth of the matter Is as sub
mitted by some of the Democrats
| themselves, as q national organization
the party today is in a weak position.
| But In many Of the States there Is a
strong Democratic organization. This
| Is true, for example, in New York.
OHIO, Indiana. Maryland, New Jersey
and many other States which went
nationally Republican at the elections
In 1924. One school of thought
among the Democrats is that for the
rest of this year. at least, every effort
| should center in strengthening these
! State organizations. By so doing the
| democrats hope to gain control of the
| Senate and perhaps of the House.
! After the congressional campaign IS
| out of the way 1t will be time to talk
about developing a strong national
party organization. 1t will be much
more easily accomplished if success is
| attained in the Senate and House
elections next Fall. 1t viii be far
easier some of the leaders believe. TO
| consolidate and coordinate a group
of strong State organizations and
| bring about a national organization
| that can hope to cope with the Re
publicans in 1928 than 10 start now to
build up national organization.
| The fear is expressed in certain
| Democratic quarters that If an at
| tempt is made now TO build up again
the national organization efforts Will
| be made to seize upon the organlZa-
! ton, particularly the Democratic ma
! tional committee, in the interest of
| some one of the candidates for the
presidential nomination in 1928. So
| there is likely to be opposition to the
| plan suggested by Mr.. Roosevelt while
| here that a meeting of the national
| committee should be held this Spring
and by others that Glenn Shaver of
| West Virginia. the present national
| chairman be superseded.
| Nevertheless, there Is no getting
| away from the fact that some OF the
| Democrats are FESTIVE under the mas
| terly inactivity of the national chair
| man and the national committee.
They want to see things begin TO hum.
! The soft pedal is placed by Demo
| Gratis on talk about presidential pos
sibilities for 1928, and wisely so. A
| candidate groomed and trained in 1926
| might easily be overturned two years
| later. Notwithstanding the undoubted
strength OF Gov. AL Smith of New
| York who occupies today an out
| standing position in the country
| among Democrats, the feeling per
| sists here that another Democratic
| governor-Albert Richie of Maryla nd
occupies the most strategic position
| in the coming race for the Democratic
nomination for President. Gov. Richie
| in all likelihood Will be elected third
| time governor OF his State, indicating
! unusual popularity. He is geograph-
4 ically strong, neither too far South
nor too far North. He is not known
| in the West. IL is true, but there is
| time for him to become kno Hn there
| by 1928. He is far enough away from
! Wall Street not to arouse suspicion
| in the West. If II becomes evident
that Gov. Smith cannot be nominated,
where would the Smith strength--the
| New York, New Jersey, Massachu-
sets. Rhode Island and other delega-
I tions-be likely to go if not to the
| Governor of Maryland?
IT may be mentioned here in mass.
ing that there is little proba bil;ty the
| Democrats will abandon the two.
thirds rule which governs presidential
nominations at the national conven-
! lions of the party. This because the
| South will not consent to it, The
| Southern States insist upon having
the veto power on any candidate they
| do not fancy. With some Justice.
they point out that If the two.thirds
rule were abrogated, a Democratic
nominee for President nigh easily
be selected by States which rarely or
! 2 tr l.
electoral college.
! n
| The Republicans are looking with
| considerable hope to the coming
1enatorial election in Missouri The
! Democratic orga nization in the State
| has been pretty well smashed since
the row between the late President
| Wilson and Senator Reed over the
League of Nations. Senator Williams,
| Republican, appointed to fill tenn
porarily the vacancy caused by the
| death of Senator Spencer. came out
strong in opposition to the World
| Court on the ground that 1t was the
| league court" If the League of
Nations and World Court issue can be
kept alive in Missouri until next
November, the chances of Senator
| Williams election seem particularly
| good. with part of the Democrats pro-
|
anti-league and court Representative
Harry Halves, the probable Democratic
| nominee for the Senate, will have a
difficult time riding both the factions
! i'll the State, whereas the Republicans
appear TO be solidly together.
Within a short time the Republicans
Of the Senate are to be called upon to
decide what they shall do in the case
of Senator Brookhart Of Iowa insur-
gent Republican, whose right to a seat
| in the Senate Is contested by Daniel
r. Steck, his Democratic opponent in
| 1924. Politicians from Iowa believe
that much hangs on the decision. If
| Brookhart is sent home. he becomes
| q potential and strong candidate for
| the Republican senatorial nomination
against Senator Cummins He be-
| comes a rallying post for the dis
| gruntled in the State, and there are
many of them Not because condi-
| lions among the farmers are so bad
| In Iowa as they have been painted
| but because the farmers there have
been told for years now how badly
they are off and how badly they have
| been treated. Naturally 1t would be
! pleasing to the Democrats to have the
| Republicans split wide open in Iowa.
| as we'll as 10 nave a democratic Sena-
| tor from that State. Brookhart at
home would be more dangerous to the
| Coolidge prestige in Iowa than Brook
hart In the Senate In Washington
| x x X
The popularity of the Coolidge
administration is going to be a big
| factor in many of the elections in
the States this Fall. 1t will play its
part in Ohio. in Indiana, in Kentucky
and elsewhere. In Kentucky it seems
certain now that Senator Ernst will
be nominated by the Republicans to
| succeed himself The Democrats ON