Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-11
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln.


leaders and wheel horses Of the two
parties will not be engaged In the
coming campaign. But 1t does mean
that men in a number of the key posi-
tons are new to them, and new 10
leadership In both Republican and
Democratic national politics Herbert
Hoover, for example, nominee OF the
Republicans for President, Is not new
AS an important part of the Federai
| Government. But he is new to politics.
| Gov. AL Smith, who is to lead the DEM
ocratic hosts to battle. has been gov
nernor of New York four times. But
| his leadership has halted at the borders
of the Empire State. Tammany, from
which Smith sprang has confined It's
| operations to New York and In large
extent to New York City.
The Republicans have chosen. under
| direction of Mr. Hoover, DR.. Hubert
Work of Colorado Secretary Of the In
terror, as chairman OF the Republican
| national committee. He Is new to that
| lob. After he has had 1t for a few
lmore weeks he may come to realize
| that silence, after all, is golden, par
| ticularly in chairman of a national
! political committee William M. Butler
! of Massachusetts, whom DR.. Work sue
| ceeds, rarely said anything for publica :
ton. taking leaf from the book OF
President Coolidge. whose silence mas
been little short of fine art.
| DR.. Work recently sent letter to the
members of the Republican national
committee in which he said, with
| other things, that religion and prohibit
| ton would be excluded in the Repub-
lican campaign as political issues. This
statement was surely Superfiuous. II the
Republican party is not to raise the re-
| lieious issue or the wet and dry issue,
why was 1t necessary to say anything
! about them? Gov AL Smith In ms
/ telegram to the Houston convention
! definitely laid down the proposition that
| if he we're elected President he would
! point the way to changes In the dry
| laws. which would bring about return
| to local option. 1t Is possible that
| announcement by DR.. Work might take
| the prohibition question out of the
! campaign, but decidedly 1t Is not
! probable
The drys have declared Mr.. Hoover
| satisfactory to them. For the chairman
of the Republican national committee
now to come along and announce that
| prohibition Is not to be an issue In the
Republican campaign for President
avoid a real issue. Furthermore, Gov.
Smith having spoken and having drag
| ged the prohibition issue directly into
| the campaign, If anything is to be said
! for the Republican side it seems only
reasonable that it should be said by Mr..
| Hoover, the nominee for President. 1t
! is not at all likely that any lieutenant
/ of Gov. Smith would have undertaken
| to say for Smith what he himself said
| about the wet and dry issue. after Smith
! had been nominated. Indeed, the
| Smith lieutenants are and have been
| during the preconvention campaign re-
markably silent Thereby they have
/ shown and are showing good political
/ judgment.
| The Democrats, too are about to pick
| a new chairman of the Democratic ma
! tional committee. Glen Shaver of West
| Virginia, who handled the campaign
| for John w. Davis four years ago, Is
| stepping out. MIR. Shaver has one great
satisfaction He is turning over to the
| new committee a solvent concern. When
| he took over the championship the ma
| tional committee was deeply in debt
! But during the last four years the debt
has been lifted and there is a comfort
able balance IN the treasury with which
| TO start the Democratic campaign. The
Democrats have no little confidence
that this year they will for once be
amply supplied with funds TO conduct
the national campaign. AL Smith, they
believe, has plenty of friends who can
and will supply the sinews of war. It
may be recalled that a single friend
contractor i'm New York, nut I'D
/ $4,000 for Smiths preconvention cam
! paign. There has been much talk about
| Senator Peter Goelet Gerry of Rhode
Island and about Owen D. Young of
| New York as the probable selection for
/ national chairman. Gerry Is wealthy
| and in position to go out and get
| money II IL Is needed. Young Is a very
| successful business man, we'll known to
I New York financial circles. From a
monetary point of view things look
brighter for the Democrats this year
than they have for great many years
! past.
There is lot of talk going the rounds
about the Democrats smashing" prece-
dent and going beyond sectionalism I'm
the selection of their vice presidential
candidate, Senator Joe" Robinson of
Arkansas. The truth of the matter Is
that Robinson is not only an outstand-
ing Democrat, leader OF the party In
the upper house but also that 1t was
considered extremely wise by the Smith
leaders to pick man from the South,
where the nomination of the New York
er has been a Sorer subject than In any
other part of the Union. Although
Smith has been accepted by the South
ern leaders, who desire to keep the
party united and some of whom actu-
ailN hal fh0f
chance OF election. there Is q tremen-
dous amount of bitterness among the
rank and file OF the Democrats OF the
Southern States. This has cropped out
more prominently In Texas, where
Smiths nomination was contaminated
than In the other Southern States SO far.
Senator Robinson. hailing from one of
the States of the solid South" is eX-
| pected to leaven the Smith loaf to the
Democrats OF that section of the coun-
try.
Senator Jim" Reed of Missouri Is
lining UP for Smith and Is expected TO
be a power in the campaign. There has
! been nothing In the past TO indicate
| that Reed would not follow this course,
| though he was the only Democratic
contender for the presidential nominal
truH tilla year WIN Iedly ScIlOuSiy
sought To win the nomination over
Smith, and who opposed bringing Smith.
wet. into the picture as the party
standard bearer. Before the convention
opened in Houston, Reed announced
that Missouri Democrats would Loyalty
support the ticket whoever was nomi-
mated. Although Reed sought support
of Democratic drys In the convention,
with the statement that prohibition had
no part In the national campaign, he
has been strongly opposed To national
prohibition. But once the Republicans
had nominated Herbert Hoover 1t was
foregone conclusion that Reed would
be found In the nnpoSing ranks In the