Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
WET STAND OF ROOSEVELT
MAY NOMINATE ROBINSON
In Event of Deadlock on New Yorker,
Arkansan's Service to Smith
May Count.

Gov. Ritchie Of Maryland-because Sem
ator Robinson could be and was OF
service to them in holding the South
ern Democratic drys in line for Gov.
Smith in 1928, whereas Gov. Richie
had, under the circumstances, nothing
that he could deliver. Senator Robin
son was not wholly successful, but he
risked everything and had nothing to
gain.
So much for that part of it. All that
one can say must be put IN series OF
"ifs" If there is in 1882 formidable
division between vets and drys in the
Democratic party, if the drys have
enough delegates to constitute any
thing more than third, If it becomes
perfectly clear that the Democratic
drys will not consent to the nomination
of Gov. Roosevelt or any other avowed
wet--in that combination of ifs" 1t
would be quite according to the rule of
politics for the vets, including Gov.
Roosevelt, to say to Senator Robinson,
and to say generously and whole.
heartedly in effect "All right. it Is
apparent we cannot get it, so well let
you have 1t"
Wet Gains Threaten Possibility.
Such an outcome is possibility only.
1t is prevented from becoming posi-
Un1by, IL 10 CNNh 4AdAAOW Ga
probability, by the plain fact that the
Democratic party in the Nation as 9
whole has been taking long steps to-
ward the wet position, through their
State organizations going wet in the
large Northern and Eastern States. If
this momentum goes on, the drys may
not be able. to command even a third
in the 1882 Democratic National Con-
Yention.
- =
immediate aspect of Gov. RooSevelt'S
chances. They have been impaired,
seriously, by the recent scandals in
New York City's Tammany. BY this
cause, Gov. Roosevelt's chances have
been reduced both in the eyes of the
public, and, more Importantly, in the
eyes of the national leaders of the
party.
The national leaders know or sur
mise, more about these scandals than
the public does. Rumor that passes
from mouth to mouth among the party
leaders say the scandals will go fur
ther, that they will reveal conditions
hitherto unparalleled even in Tam
many, and that the scandals will fill
big headlines for the nearly two years
until the Democratic National Conven-
ton in 1882.
That Gov. Roosevelt has no faintest
part in the scandals, no participation
and no condonment is completely UNI
derstood. Nevertheless, If the next two
years should see a series of explosive
scandals affecting the Democratic or
ganization in New York City, the re-
suit would be a doubt on the part of
Democratic leaders whether it is pru-
dent to give their partys presidential
nomination to a Democratic Governor
of New York.
Gov. Roosevelt has come to suffer
another handicap. AS the probability
OF his nomination comes closer, the
national leaders scan his chances and
his equipment more and more closely.
Some of them discuss his health That
/ Gov. Roosevelt'S health has not pre-
vented the affairs of New York State
from being administered capably is ac-
cepted. But some national Democratic
MISUNDERSTANDING wet ones and ones
who are personally friendly to Gov.
Roosevelt-feel that a campaign for the
presidency and after that the presi-
dency If it should be won, puts upon
a mans physical equipment such bur-
den as in wisdom ought to be put only
on the most robust.
Young Draft Movement Seen.
If the Democratic national leaders,
including the wet ones feel that for
any or all reasons it is inexpedient to
nominate Gov. Roosevelt for the presi-
dency, they will take. in sequence, two
steps. Some of them, indeed, are al
ready in the way of taking the first of
these steps Their first step will be
an attempt to draft owen D. Young.
Mr.. Young has personal reasons, in
Guiding his own health. and also his
possibilities of usefulness in other fields,
which will cause him to be reluctant
to be drafted. One feels almost certain
in saying, as of today, that the cup will
be placed in Mr.. Young's hands; if he
rejects it he will be obliged to do so
with as formal and convincing a re-
nunciation as any man ever made.
If Mr.. Young should refuse, fatty, the
second step of the Democratic national
leaders would be to consider ex-Gov.
Harry Byrd of Virginia, brother of Ad-
miral Byrd. Ex-Gov. Byrd is a dry.
But he is not dry in a sense that makes
him repugnant to wet leaders. Byrd
as a dry is much as was Gov. Roose-
welt as a wet before he made his recent
announcement That is, Byrd is a dry
of the sort that the vets think would
not resist reasonable working out Of
the prohibition difficult.