Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-27
POLITICS STIRRED
BY HOOVER STEP
Southern Patronage Stand
Discussed in Effects on
Both Parties.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

ok D-ANxO LAH6EN1Ee
President Hoover'S pronouncement
on the subject Of Southern Republican
ism is considered one of the most re-
markable and extraordinary steps in
the history Of party politics.
Everybody who is at all interested
in politics discussed the statement to-
day effectively. its effect on the Demo-
Gratis, its relationship to the building
of State and county Republican or
ganizations in the South and what it
might do to the Negro groups in the
next campaign.
That Mr. Hoover himself instead of
the chairman of the Republican ma
tional committee should issue the state
ment was regarded as significant. Demo-
Gratis said 1t was an indication that the
new President was willing to give en-
phasis to the political side of his ad-
ministration from the outset and that
his promise to use Federal patronage
to build a political organization in the
South would come in for plenty of COM
ment, when the Democratic critics get
busy. MIR. Coolidge almost never made
a political statement and felt that even
in the campaign he should keep the
partisan slant out of his remarks Mr.
wilson's venture into partisanship in
his famous appeal of 1918 for Demo-
cratic Congress was Inflated.
Defense of G. O. r. Leaders.
Some of the Republican leaders from
the South, who have been struggling to
build up the party for many years de-
Tended the Hoover statement on the
other hand by saying that he alone
could vigorously inspire reorganization
of the party and that he had to take re-
sponsibiiity In situation which no
other Republican President had had the
good fortune to face-namely the cast
ing of electoral votes from Florida,
Texas, North Carolina and Virginia for
the Republican presidential ticket.
It is conceded, however, by the prac-
tical politicians that Republican party
cannot be built in the South from
the top down, and that tickets will have
to be placed in the field for all offices in
the State and county. This means
that Democrats who voted against
Smith will have to choose whether to
affiliate permanently with the Republi-
can party all along the line or merely
assume the status of independents who
wish to be free to vote for whomever
they please. This works out easily for
the individual voter, but 1t means en-
barrassment for the political leader or
the individual who is ambitious to rise
in politics. The spectacle of promi-
nent man who votes the Republican
ticket nationally trying to obtain
State Office on the Democratic ticket
would be as interesting as it would be
rare. Political strength isn't built up
that way.
Effect on Anti -Smithites.
The Democrats are of the opinion
that the Hoover statement will drive
the anti-Smith Democrats back into
their own party, the theory being that
many of them were expressing protest
in the last campaign rather than ac-
cepting the opposite party. and its prln-
ciples through the reputation OF Negro
committee men may be the basis for
a new viewpoint toward Republicanism
In the South on the part of former
Democrats.
There have been some suggestions
that the Republican national commit
tee be reorganized TO include members
at large so that whites who we're lead
ers might sit on the national commit
| tee from those States where Negro COM
mitteemen were elected or Negro MEM
bers sit on the committee in States
where white committeeman had won
the positions In other words. an effort
would be made to give representation in
some way to the 100000 Negroes of
the country.
1t has also been suggested that this
plan would permit representation for
| other groups, such as labor, which never
before had a voice in national Repub-
| lican committee affairs except in a
campaign. Bascom Slemp, former pri-
| vate secretary to President Coolidge,
and one of the best posted men on Re-
publican politics in the south, is spon-
soring the plan.
Mr.. Hoover's announcement opens up
party warfare in the South at time
when the Democrats have been having
their troubles in getting organized. II
affords a place for the Hoover Demo
Gratis to 60 If their brethren don't take
them back, and it marks possible line
of cleavage In State politics which, uE
to now, has been somewhat nebulous.
(Copyrieht, 1929