Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-21
The Political Mill
BY C. Could Lincoln.


ISOLATION Against the Eighteenth
Amendment, that at least 20 seats in
the House now held by drys will be oc-
cupied by vets in the next Congress
ANY such gain in the strength of the
vets would be politically significant, to
say the least. But an estimate is one
thing and the election results next Mo-
vember are another. 1t Is true that in
several of the primary elections so far
held wet candidates have won over
their dry opponents. This is true, for
example, in Tennessee, where Edward H.
Crump, a wet, has been nominated in
place of dry Democrat. Mr.. Crump
is in the Memphis district, wet spot in
the State. While his election, which Is
expected, will give the wet group in the
House another vote, it does not neceS-
sarily mean that Tennessee is any wet
ter today than it was before the NOM
nation of Mr.. Crump. AS 1t happens,
Mr. Crump has been a power in Demo-
cratic politics in Memphis for many
years and the organization of which he
Is leader has functioned with all the
Smoothness of well oiled engine.
X X X
One thing appears probable, however,
and that is an increase in the group
OF wet members of the House in the
next Congress. There does not at the
present writing seem to be the slightest
chance OF dry's taking a seat now held
by wet congressman. And some of
the hitherto dry members of the House
have either Topped over all the way and
now are willing to stand for repeal of
tkR eighteenth amendment or at least
are becoming moist and are willing to
vote for modification of the Volstead act.
1t is possible that in the Senate the
vets may gain a seat or two. too. But
when these gains are all chalked up,
the drys are likely still to be in the
has a total of 435 members and the
Senate SO. Just how strong the wet
group has been in the present Congress
Is not determined. But no one has
placed the number of vets as greater
than a hundred and 1t may be appre-
Gladly less. A gain of Is or 80 seats
by vets would scarcely make an impress
sion on the voting strength Of the drys.
1t would, however, have a distinct
psychological effect and bring about an
increasingly strong drive by the wet or
ganization to win more seats in 1882.
~
The victory of former Senator Gore of
Oklahoma, running as a wet, in the
State primary held recently for the
Democratic nomination for the Senate,
Gore still has to defeat Senator Pine,
the Republican nominee. Owing to the
dissension in the Democratic ranks,
Mr.. Gore may not win out. If he loses
the vets viii have gained little in the
end.
clifford Pinchot becomes the Repub-
lican nominee for Governor of Pennsyl-
vania by virtue of the vote cast in the
primary last May and by the decision of
the State Supreme Court, just handed
down, denying the petition of Francis
Skunk Brown, one of his opponents,
that the vote in Luzerne County be
thrown out because of the use of per
forated" ballots. If the court had de-
cided against MFR. Pinchot, the former
Governor would have run as an inde-
pendent candidate in three cornered
race with Brown and the Democratic
nominee, Hemphill. The decision OF
the State Supreme Court, while it has
cleared the atmosphere in one respect,
has clouded it in another. The vets
in Pennsylvania have been furious ever
since Pinchot won the nomination.
Brown was wet enough to suit Bill
Ware and the Philadelphia Republican
organization-which Is wet enough.
Former Representative Phillips, how
ever, ran as candidate of the wringing
Eighteenth Amendment. He polled be-
tween two and three hundred thousand
votes. If all these wet votes had been
cast for Brown, or good portion of
them, Pinchot would have been defeat
ed. The drys have been laughing up
their sleeves at the way the vets de-
feated themselves in the gubernatorial
primary.
What the Ware organization in Phila-
delphia will do about Pinchot has been
question. The suggestion has been
advanced that it would not support
Pinchot, that 1t might run Brown or
another candidate as an Independent,
or that it might even throw its strength
to Hemphill, the Democrat and wet.
It seems quite clear, however, that II an
independent were put In the field he
would merely divide the opposition to
Pinchot. The chances that enough Re-
publicans would vote for Hernphill to
bring about the defeat Of Pinchot also
appear slim. 1t looks like Pinchot
victory. All the candidates for ONCE
backed by the Ware organization won in
the Republican primary except Brown,
who lost to Pinchot. Included In the
list is Secretary James j. Davis Of the
Department of Labor, who was nomi-
mated by big vote over Senator Grundy.
Mr.. Davis election apparently Is as
sured despite any claims that are adj
Vanced by the Democrats. Davis has a
strong personal following in the State.
The Philadelphia organization plays the
game. 1t Is not likely to run out on the
regularly nominated Republican ticket.
1t could scarcely gain by bringing about
the election of Democrat as Governor
or Senator
X
The resignation of Claudius II. Hus-
ton as chairman of the Republican Ma
tional Committee and the election of
his successor Senator FesS of Ohio, |
and Robert H. Lucas of Kentucky as
executive director of the national or
ganization has galvanized the Repub- |
lican National Committee into action. |
Statements attacking the Democrats |
and replying to Democratic attacks are /
being sent out by the dozen. While
Mr. Huston remained as chairman the |
National Committee was
silent and grave. All the attacking was |
done by the Democratic publicity bu-
reau of the party'S National Committee. |
The Republicans are making up for
lost time.
X X
Down in Maine" the congressional
State election and State elections are
to be held September 9. The Pine Tree
State still clings to the early election
date. 1t has been the custom to look
to Maine to give an inkling of the way
the political wind is blowing. Strongly
1t is expected that the
State will go as usual this year. But
the Democrats will do their best to cut |
down Republican majorities this year,
and the Republicans, on the other
hand, are working hard to make as
good a showing as possible. Wallace
White, the Republican nominee for the
Senate, is regarded as virtually elected.
The only question is how great his ma
jority will be.