Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-04
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Gov. AuTeO Il. SHlieli VA 1Nc" AON -
about to become active again, If the
reports from New York are accurate.
No claim Is made yet that he is TO De
candidate for the presidential nomi-
nation of his party in 1882. But Al
Smith is dynamic personality. He has
been a leader for years, and, as ms
friends point out, he received upward
Of $4,000. 900 votes in the 1928 election,
a greater number of votes than any
other Democratic candidate for Presl-
dent ever received. And If Gov. Smith
gets back into the old game of politics
there are thousands of his friends who
will begin demand that he be again a
candidate for Chief Executive.
+
The return of Gov. Smith to the fiell
of active politics is to be staged, 1t Is
said. at the next Democratic convention
in New York State this Fall. The con-
vention meets at Syracuse September
80 and 80. 1t is not difficult to guess
that Delegate Smith will cut quite
swath in the convention. He has
already been listed as a Tammany
delegate from the tenth assembly dis
trict, the district in which he lives. His
activities this Fall are to be devoted
largely to aiding in the denomination
and reelection of his friend, Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. He may make
speech or two for the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. Indeed, 1t has already
been reported that he WIN make one
speech for the Democratic ticket in
Massachusetts,, where the Democrats
are hoping to win a United States
Senatorship and elect many of the
members of the House. His first effort,
it is said, however, will be for Franklin
Roosevelt, whom a great many people
have already picked as the next stand
ard bearer of the Democratic national
party.
Gov. Roosevelt in order to be nomi-
mated for President in 1882 must win
the governorship of the Empire State
again this Fall. A defeat now would
likely put him out of the running. He
already has the handicap of having
been the unsuccessful Democratic can
didate for Vice President as a running
mate for Jimmy" Cox of Ohio in 1920.
The Republicans, however, up to date
show no signs of being able to wreSt the
governorship from Mr.. Roosevelt in
November. If AL Smith throws his
support in the 1882 Democratic ma
tional convention to Roosevelt 1t is diff
ficult to see how Roosevelt can fail to
win the nomination. Gov. Smiths fol-
lowers are almost fanatical in their
support of the former Governor 1t may
even be difficult to persuade them to
vote for another New Yorker for the
presidential nomination.
r y X X
There is not the slightest doubt that
the Democratic supporters of Smith
have viewed with great deal of salts
faction the drubbingS to which anti
Smith Democratic leaders have been
treated in the States of the South last
year and this. In spite of the fact
that soon after the last presidential
election some of the Democrats of the
South raised a demand for John j.
Raskob, Smiths personal friend, to take
himself out of the picture by resigning
the chairmanship Of the Democratic
National Committee on the ground that
Raskob was wet" and thorn in the
side of the party in the South, Mr..
Raskob has stuck on. And when the
news was flashed from Texas the other
day that Representative Box, who while
Democratic whip of the House a year
ago demanded the resignation of
Raskob had been defeated for renomi-
nation, it gave the organization leaders
quite a thrill. JoSephus Daniels. former
Secretary of the Navy under Woodrow
News and Observer, is another of those
Democrats who have publicly demanded
that Raskob resign in the interests of
party harmony Mr.. Daniels has not
sought any Office at the hands of the
voters, however, and he has not been
classified for thus daring. If Tom"
Hef1in is defeated in Alabama next
November, what shout is likely to go
up from the regulars who supported
Smith in 1923 and who are insisting
upon the retention Of Mr.. Raskobl If
Heflin should be defeated for the
Senate, it is now suggested in some
quarters that he might become imperial
wizard of the Khan.
Xxx X X
There Is, of course, the reverse side
of these victories of the regular Demo-
cratic candidates for ONCE in North
Carolina, Virginia, Texas, etc. They
emphasize the fact that the Democrats
can win when Smith is not on the ticket
in those States
The Democrats will watch with keen
interest to see what Gov. Roosevelt and
the Democratic State Convention of
New York have to say about the liquor
question. 1t is generally taken for
granted that Roosevelt will be wet
enough to suit Gov. Smith and the
other opponents of national prohibition
in the party.
The vets among the Republicans Of
New York have been raising a lot of
noise In the last eight months. Their
State convention promises to be fine
row over the liquor question. Both sides
are proclaiming confidence in the out
come. The drys have been too strong
for the vets generally speaking in past
Republican conventions. DR.. Nicholas
Murray Butler, battler for years against
prohibition, is likely to be a leader in
the fight to have the Republican con-
vention go on record as favoring repeal
or modification of the dry laws. Former
Senator Wadsworth, active in the wet
leadership, and Gen. James G. Harbord
are expected to have their parts in the
struggle. while State Chairman William
j. Maier and the dry wing of the party
which supported President Hoover
heartily in 1928 will be in opposition.
The latter are seeking to prevent any
mention of prohibition in the party
platform. If they win 1t will be some
what OF q compromise for the IA
natical drys wish a plank in the plat
form declaring for prohibition and its
enforcement. The VETS on the other
hand, are clamoring for a distinctly wet
plank.
Four States hold party primary cleo
tons tomorrow. They are Kansas, Mis-
souri,, Virginia and West Virginia. Two
days later come the primaries in Ten
nessee, and then on August IL Alabama,
Arkansas, Nebraska and Ohio Out on
the Kansas prairies it locks as though
Henry Allen, now serving as Senator
under appointment. would win the Re-
publican nomination. The opposition
to him is split three ways.
The Tennessee primary promises to
give Senator Brock. Democrat, the
nomination for the short term" the
remainder of the unexpired term of the
late Senator Tyson, which ends next