Evening star., 1927-04-13
Politics at Large
BY 6. Could Lincoln.

Chairman William NJ Butler Of the
Republican national committee. who
left here yesterday for a swing across
the continent in the interest Of the
Republican party. has figured it on:
that the chairman Of the committee
could do worse things than mix with
the folks back home Instead of sit
ting in Chicago. New York or Wash
inSton and sending for the members
Of his committee. state chairmen and
other keymen in the party. ne is going
out to their own baiiwicks to talk
war plans to them for the national
campaign next year. This is not d
new departure entirely for the chair
man of the Republican national com
mittec. The Republicans have shown
themselves fOrehanded in the past
In 1920. when Democratic administra
ton wGs at the head of the Govern
ment. win Hays, then chairman Of
the Republican national committee,
and his aids had been at work q year
and q half before the election, and in
1924 John Adams of Iowa, chairman
until Mr.. Coolidge was nominated aud
selected Mr.. Butler to handle his cam
paign. was actively at work months
before the Republican national couVen-
tion.
Still there is an element Of novelty
in Mr Buffers ross-the-Continent
trip. No other chairman has done
quite that, until at least the camCaign
was really on. His first stop will be
Chicago. There he will talk with a
number Of Republican leaders. He
may hear something about the Low
den boom. and the chances the former
GovernC" of Illinois has % obtain dele
gates IN his home State. Indeed,
Chairman Butler probably will have
his car pretty close TO the ground In
the Western and Middle Western ter
ritory to determine just how strong
the LoWden movement. now sponsored
by some of the farmers organizations.
really is. From Chicago Mr.. Butler
goes to Denver. Colorado is no new
stamping ground for the former Sena-
tor from ssachusetts. For the
better part Of two years when ne was
a young lawyer. Mr.. Butler lived in
Colorado, alternating between Denver
and Boulder. and for a number OF
wears thereafter he visited Colorado
for his clients annually Many Of them
had money loaned on farm property.
He knows much better. therefore, than
many give him credit for. the
struggles Of the farmers and cattle
men Of the West, and the real prob
lem that confvonts them.
X y x
During Mr.. Buffers brief stay ir
Washington yesterday he commented
on the great interest which was mani
tested in Boston in the Butler" Borah
debate over prohibition. staged by the
Roosevelt club Of that city. Mr.. But
Ter was one Of the DISTINGUISHED
guests who occupied seats on the plat
form. There was no doubt about the
enthusiasm Of the audience. both for
and against the prohibition amend
ment. he said Mr. Butler, however,
made no representation about the at
titude of the Republican national CON
vention on the prohibition issue. 1t IS
quite certain. hoWever. that he does
not agree with Or. Nicholas Murray
Butler that the party must nominate
q wet candidate ON q wet platform to
win at the polls next year.
X x <
1t would he strange thing it, in
his travels during the next month or
six weeks Chairman Butler did not
the strength OF President Coolidge
throughout the country. and the etti-
tude of the party leaders and the peo-
pie generally toward his denomination
and reelection. Indeed. the informa-
ton CLEANED by the chairman may
have its influence on the selection of
the Republican party for the Presi-
dency a year hence.
The only issues which the Eepubli-
cans at present have to face If they
nominate the President for another
term next year are the so-called third
term issue ard the farm issue, as eX-
emplified in the McNary- II uCeu farm
relief bill which the President vetoed
last session Of Congress. If Mr.. Cool
idge is renominated and the Demo
Gratis should name Gov. Al Smith of
New York. the country would, in q
measure. weigh in the balance the
abandonment Of one tradition against
the abandonment Of another. Either
the tradition that no man should have
more than eight Years in the White
House, or the tradition that no Cath
olic should be Chief Executive Of the
Nation, would have to go overheard
under such conditions.
X X x X
There have recently been a number
of f1arebacks from the South in regard
to the Smith boom for the Democratic
nomination. There are still some
Southerners who do not believe that
the New York governor should be
nominated or that he could be elected
If nominated. 1t was widely an
nounced that Senator Carter Glass of
Virginia. former McAd0o supporter,
had predicted the election of Gov.
Smith provided he left the wet issue
alone. and that former Secretary of
the Navy Josephus Daniels of North
Carolina was ready to support the
New Yorker. But recent statements
by both Senator Glass and Mr.. Daniels
have discounted these reports. Both
say they do not favor the nomination
of Gov. Smith, though neither has said
they would not support him If NOM
mated by the Democratic convention.
Mr.. Daniels. like Senator Glass, is
strong for a dry.
Surely no candidate for the presi-
Dental nomination ever faced greater
hurdles than does Gov. Smith. He
must overcome the objection Of the
drys TO a wet candidate and he must
overcome the prejudice of many
protestants to the nomination of a
Catholic for President. Either issue
might halt or daunt the stOutest
candidate. Yet the governor still con-
tinues to loom as the strongest can
didate at the opening Of the next
Democratic national convention. If
the fight becomes too. intense against
him before the convention, however,
it is thought in some quarters that he
might voluntarily step aside. Such
action on his part. many of the
Democrats believe, would save the
party much trouble and many heart
aches. Certainly if he did step aside,
it appears he would have the power
to name the candidate.