Evening star., 1927-11-06

IAOiio bdShui& LilSHls
Southern Democrats who are op-
posed to the nomination of Gov. Smith
do not take kindly to the criticism of
now leveled against them.
A prominent Senator from one of
the Southern States points out that
for go years. or ever since the Civil
War. Democratic leaders of the East
and North have been opposed to the
nomination of Southern man for
President, and that the people Of the
North have been prejudiced against
such a selection.
I'VE Democrats Of the South have
acquiesced in their demands that
Northern or Western Democrats be
named for President" he said. 'It
Southern Democrats who might we'll
have aspired to the presidency. Now
the Democrats Of the North wish us
to take candidate whom we do not
wish and accuse us of intolerance.
1t does not sit well for them to do So"
The West has Senator "Jim" Reed
of Missouri, a wet, and Senator
Thomas J. Walsh Of Montana, a dry
Catholic. The Middle West offers
Gov. A. Vic Donahey of Ohio, three
times governor of a Republican State,
and Evans Woollen of Indiana.
The South, as a general proposition,
is not enamoured of Senator Reed
because of his old antagonism of
President Woodrow Wilson. Further
more. the South is dry, and for that
reason does not care for the Missouri
Senator. Both Senator Reed and Sem
ator Walsh voted against the McNary.
Haugen farm bill.
At present Gov. Smith is making all
the running in the Democratic race,
although the governor has not an
nounced himself a candidate. His
friends are active in every section of
the country. Even in the South,
where to support Smith is regarded
as sure political suicide, he is the
most.talked-of Democrat today. No
other candidate for the Democratic
nomination is likely to go into the
convention with much more than his
State delegation backing him at the
start. There have been suggestions
from various sources that the drys
and anti-Catholics pick candidate
and unite on him to make the race
against Smith. to "stop' him in the
convention. But so far these sugges-
tions have come to little. In North
Carolina and one or two other States
of the South there has been talk of
Gov. Donahey of Ohio. But the Dona.
hey boom has not reached great pro-
portions. Indeed, there is reason to
suspect that the Ohio governor is not
hankering for the presidential nomina-
ton. Those near the governor insist
that he believes the nomination may
be Of little value II the friends Of Gov.
Smith are offended by the elimination
of their champion.
In 1924 the anti.Smith forces in the
Democratic party rallied about Will.
Georgian by birth. But Mr.. McAdoo
has declared himself out Of the 1928
race. This has left the field pretty
much to Gov. Smith. Senator Reed
Of Missouri may be the inheritor Of
some of the Smith strength if the con-
vention finally turns down the New
Yorker. But Reeds nomination will
scarcely please the South or the drys
in the West.
The Republicans do have the wet
and dry issue to face in several States,
M to M Vnrl<
Massachusetts,, New Jersey and Con.
necticut. But the Republicans have
a way of getting together once they
have made their presidential nomina-
ton, which has disconnected the Dem
ocrats in the past. They are likely to
show the same kind of a united front
in 1928, despite the wet and dry and
farm issues.
II, by any chance, Gov. Smith
should eliminate himself from the pic
ture, as has his old opponent, Mr..
and President Coolidge, there
will be entirely a new deal in the
presidential race next year. Senator
Robert M. La Toilette, ST., Of Wis
consin, who bore aloft the progressive
banner in 1924, is dead. John w.
Davis of West Virginia and New
York, the Democratic nominee three
years ago, Is not mentioned for the
presidency this year and is not likely
to get seriously into the running.
Every war in which the United
States has had part has been produc.
tice of a President, except the World
War. Washington, the first Presi-
dent, was the commander-in.chief of
the American Army in the War of
the Revolution. The war of 1872
brought Andrew Jackson into the
limelight and eventually to the White
House. Gen. Zachary Taylor won the
presidency on his Mexican War fame.
Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Harrison
were generals in the Civil War, and
the Spanish-American War gave
Roosevelt his chance, which led first
to the governorship Of New York and
finally to Washington. The World
War is more than eight years in the
past. There have been two presiden.
tial elections since the peace was
made and the country is on the eve
Of another. Yet of all the candidates
prominently in both the Re.
publican and Democratic camps only
one held a commission in the Army
during the World War. The single
is Gen. Charles G. Dawes.
Gen. Dawes was not line officer.
There has been some talk Of pressing
into service as presidential candi.
date Gen. John j. Pershing. who com.
the American Armies abroad,
but his boom, if it ever amounted to
such, came really in 1920. In the
present preconvention campaign he
has not yet been mentioned seriously.