Evening star., 1927-05-25
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln.

SldIS tame 1IOOSS III tIle bidCh IlHlS
of South Dakota for the temporary
| White House. Ordinarily the selec-
ton of Summer habitation for the
| Chief Executive would not in the
public mind be associated with poll
| tics. But next year comes the ma
| tional campaign. No one KNOWS
whether the President is to be a can
didate to succeed himself, although
many leaders of his party have de-
clared themselves for his denomination
and it does not appear at the present
writing that anything short of his own
| refusal to run for Office can halt his
| nomination by the Republican ma
| tional convention in June, 1928.
X X X X
Mr.. Coolidge is going into the Black
| Hills for a rest and to tramp and to
| fish. For those purposes he has select
ed an ideal spot. There are those who
will suggest that he is angling for
| support of the people Of the West, and
particularly for the support of the corn
| belt and the wheat belt, where the
administration Is thought to have lost
ground because of his veto of the Nc
NaryHaugen farm relief bill. But this
| is not q fair statement OF the case.
Long before the McNary -Haugen bill
| came to a vote in either house Of
dent had determined to spend the COM
| ing Summer in the West If it was
| found practicable to do so. He had
summered in New England and in the
mountains of New York. 1t was but
| reasonable to suppose he would try
out other sections of the country as a
| Summer habitation.
Reports brought recently from the
| West by Republican leaders have in
dicated that the popularity of Presi-
dent Coolidge has not waned, that he
still has a strong hold on the people
of that section.
Whatever the purpose Of establish
| ing the Summer White House west of
| the Mississippi, it must be reckoned
a wise move. The West feels, un-
| fortunately, far away from Washing
| ton and the seat of the Federal Gov
ernment. Mr.. Coolidge's presence in
| the Northwest for several months
may dispel to some extent this feel
| ing. Certainly it will give an oppor-
| tunity to both the President and the
people of the West to become better
acquainted. which is no slight asset
| politically or otherwise.
| X X X
The political situation in Mime
sofa, neighbor of South Dakota. is to-
day somewhat chaotic. Minnesota
| cast its electoral vote for President
| Coolidge in 1924, notwithstanding the
tremendous drive at that time to turn
1T over to the late Senator Robert NJ.
La Toilette, running at the head Of
a third and Progressive ticket. There
has been disgruntlement in Minnesota
because of the veto Of the McNary-
Haugen BILL Efforts are being made
to line up the Republican delegation
| to the national convention Of 1928
from the State for former Gov, Frank
o. Lowden Of Illinois, solely on the
ground that Mr.. Lowden Is the
friend of the farmer" and stands for
the principles Of the McNary-Hauge
bill. The regular Republican organ
ization of the State is saying little at
this time as to it's attitude toward the
denomination of the President. But it
is well understood that the President
has many friends in Minnesota who
Will put their shoulders to the Wheel
when the time comes for the selection
of the State delegation.
| X y X X
| Minnesota is to elect a United States
Senator next year as we'll as cast its
vote for President and Vice President.
Senator Henrik Shipstead, Farmer
| Labor, comes up for reelection. He is
the sole survivor in the Senate of the
| F'armer-Labor movement of a few
years ago. Magnus Johnson. also a.
| Farmer-Labor Senator from Minnesota
| was given the gate in 1924, when
Senator Schall was elected. The Farm
er-Labor party has to some extent dis
| integrated. 1t remains to be seen what
Senator Shipstead may accomplish
when he goes before the electorate
next year. Gov. Christianson, Republi-
can, is talked of as the probable nomi-
nee of the Republicans, although there
| have been rumorS that Shipstead
would see Republican support in his
effort to come back. Indeed, it was
rumored several weeks ago that the
Republican party would adopt the
Farmer-Labor Senator and send him
back to Washington. Failing this, the
rumor had it, the G.. o. p, while not
officially sanctioning Senator Ship
stead's candidacy, would not oppose
him with a strong rival. But when
Senator Shipstead returned to Mime
sofa from Washington not long ago,
he issued statement attacking the
| administration because of it's stand
against the McNary-Haugen farm re-
| lief bill and criticizing Chairman Will
liam M. Butler of the Republican ma
| tional committee. All of which did not
| tend to substantiation either to the re-
| port that he would seek Republican
| support or would be the choice of the
Republican organization.
| x 4 x *
Senator Shipstead will occupy. how
ever, unique position in the Sem
ate when sthat body convenes again.
With the total Republican member
ship 4S, and the total Democratic
membership Al, the Minnesota Senator
can vote with the Democrats to cause
a tie on Senate organization If he
desires. Or, if the Senate declines to
permit the seating of .Senators-elect
William S. Ware of Pennsylvania and
| Frank L. Smith of Illinois, because of
the charges of excessive and improper
expenditures which have been made
| against them in connection with their
primary campaigns in 1926, he could
vote with the Republicans to cause a
| tie. He holds somewhat strategic
position. In the past, however, Ship
stead has voted with the Republicans
in matters of Senate organization and
on some Republican measures.
X X X x
Senators are to be elected next
year in several other States of the
| Northwest, including North Dakota,
where Lynn Frazier must run to sue
! ceed himself; Robert M. La Toilette,
jr.. Of Wisconsin,, and Burton X.
Wheeler of Montana, the first two
Republicans and the last a Democrat.
All three were followers of the senior
La Toilette in his presidential cam
paign of 1924. Senator Frazier was
read out of the party councils of the
Republicans in the Senate, but has
been restored, and Senator La Fol-
lette was issued an invitation to at
tend the party caucus soon after he
reached Washington. This does not
mean, however, that either of them
are supporters of the present admin
istration. Indeed. they have been
among its foremost critics. In Wis