Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
Political Rumblings.

sconced in the White House. has be-
come q fruitful topic Of discussion. New
party alignments are predicted, and the
prospect Of upbuilding really strong
Republican organization in the South is
discussed particularly in the light Of the
announcement recently made by Presi-
dent Hoover that the Republican or
CARNATIONS in three of the Southern
States must be cleaned up or there will
be no further Federal patronage han
died through those organizations.
Outside Of the talk of strengthening
the G. O. P. in the South, there is little
discussion Of the future of the Re-
publican party. Most of the discussion
centers about what is to become Of the
Democratic party. So far, no one has
been abls to predict with any certainty
just what is to happen to the party Of
Jefferson, Jackson, Cleveland, Wilson
and, finally. Smith. The Democrats in
the past have discarded presidential
candidates who have been unsuccess-
full at the polls, except the late William
Jennings Bryan. Three times Mr.,
Bryan was the party standard-bearer
and three times he failed. Grover
Cleveland tried to stage a comeback
and did so, after he had been President
and then lost second continuous term.
But Parker and Davis faded rapidly
from the political picture after their
defeats in presidential elections.
Immediately following the election on
November 6 last. with Mr. Hoover car
rying the country overwhelmingly,
there was wide comment that former
Gov. Smith of New York had Shot his
bolt and was through" politically. This
may be the fact, but there is more and
more dissent arising to such a state
ment of the case. Indeed, already there
is a militant group which believes that
the star of the former Governor Of New
York has by no means set, that four
years more Of education and work on
| the part of his friends will see him in
a stronger position than ever before, and
that in 1882 he will be able to carry the
solid South" four States Of which he
lost In the recent election, and the
! country along with them. It is evident
that this group intends to work assid-
uously to bring about this result. Their
argument will be that If the Democratic
party is to continue as national party,
and not become merely party of the
Southern section of the country, 1t must
continue to support Gov. Smith. 1t
looks with satisfaction to the TACT that
Smith carried Massachusetts, and Rhode
Island, and is urging that he will have
a good chance to carry New York and
other Eastern States four years hence,
particularly II a real drive for prohibit
ton enforcement is staged in those
States.
So much for one group, the Smith
die-hards. There is another group OF
Democrats, however, who hail from the
West, which takes no stock in the talk
of Smith in 1882. This group looks to
Midwestern Democrat to carry the
party standard in the next presidential
election. No one from New York State,
they say emphatically, will have look
in for the Democratic presidential nom
nation, thereby eliminating Gov. frank
! lin D. Roosevelt along with Smith. The
West, they insist, is through with New
York leadership in the Democratic
party And there is some reason to be-
lieve that the delegations from the
States of the West which went to the
Houston convention to vote for Smith
this year will not do so again.
The Democrats Of the South are try
ing to catch their breath after the tor
nado that hit them last Fall. Except
those who are opposed to prohibition,
they are not talking Smith. These same
Democrats Of the South are seeking to
build up their own political fences be-
fore the coming congressional election,
and they look askance upon the efforts
of the Republicans to rear a real party
in their section Of the country, capable
of eiecting members Of Congress as well
as of carrying the States for Hoover or
any other Republican nominee for Pres
ident.
The Democrats, of all factions and
groups, are waiting for something to
turn UP. In the meantime the Repub-
licans are watching with considerable
satisfaction as Mr.. Hoover takes the
reins Of Government more strongly into
| his hands.