Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-27
Politics at Large
By C.. Could Lincoln.

ern states. He mas natly announced
that the organization in Mississippi,
South Carolina and Georgia would not
be recognized In the distribution of Fed
ganization, by the States themselves,
with men in the leadership who will
command confidence and protect the
public service His Postmaster General,
Walter r. Brown, insists that his de-
partment will not recognize the leaders
of the Republican organizations in
those three States when it comes to
making post Office appointments, but
will seek the advice of citizens of the
States named who can be relied upon
to advise the department In the public
interest.
The heads of the Republican organ
izations in two of the States and the
former head Of the third have been
charged with trafficking in Federal ap-
pointments and have been under in
vestigation BY the Brookhart committee
of the Senate. Perry Howard Republi-
can national committeeman for Mis-
sissippi has been under indictment. and
while once acquitted. is to be tried
again. Joseph w. Tolbert, Republican
national committeeman for South Caro-
lima, has recently been the subject of
investigation by the Senate commit
tee Ben Davis, former Republican ma
tional committeeman for Georgia, has
been forced out of office, but is backing
a candidate for the place. Tolbert is
white and Howard and Davis are both
colored Friends of Howard and Davis
insist that the attacks upon them are
part Of program to make the Re-
publican party lilly white in the
South.
The position now taken by President
Hoover, the ttular and the actual head
of the Republican party today, may
have far-reaching effect in upbuilding
of Republican party in the States OF
the Solid South" Mr.. Hoover crashed
through the traditions which have kept
this group of States safely Democratic
in national elections since the days of
the reconstruction after the Civil War
He carried Florida, North Carolina,
Texas and Virginia. He carried, too, all
the border" States, including Tonnes
see and Kentucky 1t has been widely
proclaimed that this was not Repub-
lican victory In these States, but a de-
feat for Alfred E. Smith, the Demo-
cratic nominee for President, because
he was wet, a Tammany man and a
Catholic. But whatever the reasons for
tIlc NiSCOlJ VI NIL. E1OOttI III tllc SoUuIH-
ern States, the fact was developed that
these States can go Republican. Further
more there Is shreWd suspicion in the
South itself that many of the former
Democrats who voted for Mr. Hoover
welcomed the opportunity to vote RE
publican" in national affairs.
X 4 y x
In the past Republican organizations
in hn f,It1 ~
principally for two purposes. One was
| to send delegations to Republican ma
| tional conventions to help nominate the
Republican candidates for President and
| Vice President. The other was to parcel
| out Federal Offices In their States while
| a Republican administration was in
| power. In some of the States, particu-
! larly Virginia, North Carolina and Flor
| ida more recently, the Republicans have
built much stronger organizations. and
| have elected now and then members OF
| Congress.
| Republican Presidents, particularly II
| they sought denomination. might well
have been embarrassed had they under
| taken to ignore the Republican organi-
| cation and their leaders in the South
ern States. The cry has ever been that
| these Southern delegations would al
| that they were forced to in order to
maintain their control over Federal
! patronage.
| Mr.. Hoover In effect has told these
Republican organizations of the South
| that they must behave or they will have
| no pie He has held out the hope to
! the people of the South that they will
get a square deal from the Republican
administration and an honest Govern
ment if they will only help themselves
| In some quarters his action will be
| interpreted as an attack upon the
Negroes of the South, who have played
prominent part in some of the Re-
| publican State organizations. But there
| is nothing in President Hoover's state
ment which would eliminate the
Negroes, What he demands is clean
and honest leadership, and he has
drawn no color line.
| X X \ X
The Democrats of the South accord
ing to Senator Brookhart, chairman Of
the Senate investigating committee. are
strongly against the establishment oil
strong Republican organizations in theii
States. The Iowa Senator insists that
they much prefer to see the kind OF
Republican organizations, trafficking in
post Office and other Federal appoint
ments, which have 5ourished in some
of the States in the past.
The position taken by the President
now with regard to Federal patronage
/ in the South is an experiment. 1t is
an open invitation to the people of the
South who are Republicans or who be-
lieve that Republican administration
| Is better for the country to join in FORM
| ing strong Republican organizations
that will be able to carry some of those
States in the future.
The Boston Transcript has started a
| boom for Calvin Coolidge for the Senate.
| 1t has proposed editorially that the
| former President be nominated next
| year for the seat now held by Senator
| Frederick H. Gillett. There has been
no indication. however. that Mr.. Cool
| idge will choose to follow this course.
He could have been renominated and
reelected President in all probability
had he not made up his mind not to
run, but to retire from public office.
After the former President has been
out of Office for year it is possible he
may look differently upon the situation.
| Massachusetts, has had number OF
| great Senator's The Office of Senator
of the United States is one of honor.
| A former President from Massachusetts,
dead many long years, sought election
to the House of Representatives after
| he had left the White House. John
| Quincy Adams. Mr. Adams served for
a long time in the House. Mr.. Coolidge
| is familiar with the Senate. He pre-
! sided over that body as Vice President
and President of the Senate for two
and a half years.
One thing which may or may not
have an influence upon the attitude of
Mr.. Coolidge with regard to the sug-
gestion he run for the Senate lies in
the need of Massachusetts, to put its
best foot forward If 1t Is not to finally
be lined up as Democratic State. The
State went for a Democratic nominee
| for President last November and re-
elected Senator David I. Walsh. Demo-
GRAFT Mr.. Coolidge is regarded as the