Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-11
Politics at Large
By C. Could Lincoln.

| Dy Os OOutQ Lincoln.
AL Smiths up to Now" an autobiop-
raphy running in the Saturday Eve
ming Post, is intensely interesting. part
ly because OF the light it sheds on past
political events. From Now On" II
and when it may be written, however,
will not show the former Governor of
New York as candidate again for the
office OF President, Mr.. Smiths closest
friends and advisers are now insisting.
Many OF them do not see Mr.. Smith
in the picture of the future, except per-
haps as an advisory assistant. They
take seriously the statement made by
Mr.. Smith the day after election last
year, when he said, II do not expect
to be again candidate for public of
fee" They read into it a statement
by the former Democratic candidate
for the presidency that he will not be
candidate for Office" ever again. In
deed, party leaders who have been the
| closest to Gov. Smith, including Chair
man John j. Raskob take the view
that he will not seek the presidential
nomination in 1882 or 1896, and that
he would not take 1t If it were offered
to him. Before the next Democratic
national convention is held, however,
it may be necessary for Mr.. Smith to
make another and even more definite
statement to this effect. Otherwise
there is likely to be a considerable
block in the convention which will look
hopefully to the former Governor of
New York.
The Democratic From Now On" re-
quires not a little consideration by the
leaders of the party. Some of the Re-
publican national committeeman who
have just been in Washington, electing
their new national chairman, Claudius
H. Huston of Tennessee, assert that If the
Democrats do not nominate Mr.. Smith
three years hence, there will be dis
gruntled group of Smith followers In
many of the Eastern States who will
be decidedly lukewarm to any other
candidate the next Democratic national
convention may nominate. But that is
the way of the Republicans. They never
can see anything bright ahead OF their
Democratic opponents.
X
With Smith out of the picture, as his
most intimate friends and political fol-
lowers now insist he is, where will the
Democrats turn for leadership? Will
they advance Senator Joe" Robinson,
the party leader in the Senate for many
years and their candidate for Vice Pres
ident last year, and make him the
standardbearer next year? Some of
them are strongly in favor of such a
program, believing that the Arkansas
Senator, because Of his long services to
the party, is entitled to the step-up?
Will the Democrats take a wet or dry?
Will he be man of the Middle West, of
the Far West, of the South or the North
and East? The South has been the
backbone of the Democratic party for
years. 1t has produced the great bulk
Of the electoral votes cast for Demo-
cratic nominees for President. The
problem has been for a number of years
whether the South shall cast its lot in
with the agricultural West or with the
industrial East 1t does not appear
able to make common cause with both.
Woodrow Wilson carried the country in
1915 against Charles Evans Hughes. al
though he lost the great State of New
York. His victory was won in the West
for reasons that have been told many
times. 1t was the South plus the Mid
die West and the West which reelected
him. Perhaps the Democrats will swing
to dyed-in-the-wool Wilson Democrat
for their next candidate. Newton D.
Baker of Ohio. former Secretary of War,
might fill the bill.
At the present time, however, both
the old political parties are giving more
attention to the campaign of 1880 for the
are to 1882. The Republicans have
reached the conclusion that President
Hoover will be the next candidate
There was chorus of approval of Mr.
Hoover and his administration from the
committeeman from all sections of the
country who gathered here this week
It was insisted that Mr.. Hoover, fol
example, is 100000 votes stronger today
in Illinois than he was when he carried
that State by an overwhelming vote last
November. This from Roy o. West
former Secretary of the Interior and al
present Republican national commit.
teeman for Illinois. The Democrats
prefer one war at time, and are givine
| their attention to building up an or.
! ganiZation which will upset the Re
| publican control of Congress. The,
| have become unusually active for thu
| length of time before an election, under
the leadership of Jouett Shouse Of
! Kansas, now chairman of the executive
| committee. He has been travelling abou
| the country, seeking to impress upol
! the local Democrats the need of perma
| nent and persistent organization. HI
! goes to Boston to talk to the MaSsa
| chuSettS Democrats the end of this week
The Republicans will stage severa
hot primary campaigns next year fol
senatorial nominations. This will b.
the case in Iowa and Illinois, for ex.
ample. One of the Iowa seats in thu
| Senate Is held by Democrat, Senator
Steck. The Republicans regard thi.
seat as certain to be won by theil
party. Hence the scramble for thu
nomination. Gov. Hammill appears al
present to have the inside track. Rep
resentative Dickinson of Iowa, long &
| prominent member of the House and &
leader in the fight for farm relief how.
ever, has thrown his hat in the rims
| twice. But along comes a popular de.
mand for the nomination of Fedora
Judge William S. Kenyon, who former.
| ly was Senator. Judge Kenyon is keep.
! ing quiet. 1t seems almost a foregont
conclusion he could have the nomina.
ton if he would lift his hand. He i:
very popular in the State. Just tht
other day the Webster City Freeman
Journal, published in Mr.. Dickinson.
own district, came out editorially fol
the drafting of Judge Kenyon for tht
are not hurrying to the hustings fol
| the senatorial nomination. It is ex.
pected they will insist upon Senator
Steck's making the race to succeed him.
! self.
| X X X
Mrs. Ruth Hanna Mccormick, Rep.
resentative at large from Illinois, ha:
been campaigning actively in Illinoi.
this Summer. while Senator Charles
Deneen, to whose seat she aspires, ha!
been compelled to be on the job hers
| in washington as member of tn;
Senate finance committee handling tn:
| tariff bill. Mrs. Mccormick has no
finally burned her bridges behind her
She may yet decide that it is better t.