Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-05
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

center Of the Agricultural revolt" for
| the last decade, and dominates Repre-
sentative L. j. Dickinson on the Re
publican ticket for Senator. Mr.. Dick
inson supported the Hawley-Smoo
tariff bill. His chief opponent In the
was Gov. John Hammill. who began
his campaign by saying that the tarin
bill, for which Dickinson had voted in
the House. would cost the Americans
something like forty billions Of dollars.
1t Is true that the governor modifled
this statement later, reducing the sum
considerably, but he stuck to 1t that
the tariff bill was a terrible blow TO
the farmers. But the farmers marched
to the polls in Iowa and supported
Dickinson. No wonder the Republican
leadership Of the House is rather tickled
over this performance. There has been
tremendous amount published in the
newspapers and in the Congressional
Record about the prairies of the West
being af1ame against this tariff bill.
No one will deny that Iowa is an agri-
Is any conhagration going on there
over the tariff, it certainly did not
manifest itself in the senatorial primary
| there on Monday. Dickinson not only
won. but he won by an impressive
margin.
Perhaps the victory of Dickinson
will have something to do with the
final consideration of the tariff bill in
Congress. Such straws, showing how
the sentiment stands in important
States like Iowa, for Iowa is regarded
as an index of the farm sentiment, is
not without considerable effect on the
| legislative situation in Washington.
Dickinson in his campaign claimed that
the new tariff bill would be benefit to
the farmer. Gov. Hammill claimed
that it would work just the other way.
It's political axiom that it is a tough
job to defeat a sitting governor of
State in a primary election. In the
| first place the governor must have had
| considerable support to get himself
| elected chief executive of his State. In
| the second place, through control of
| State patronage, a governor has an OPP
| portunity to build up for himself con-
| siderable political machine during his
term of office. Notwithstanding these
| advantages, Mr.. Dickinson has been
able to prevail against his opponent.
X X
Senator Daniel r. Steck, the sitting
Senator from Iowa, Is the Democratic
nominee. He was without opposition.
Iowa is so overwhelmingly Republican
! that when Republican leaders are twit-
| ted this year aborA the possibility of
| their losing a number of Senate seats
in the November election they usually
come back with the statement: We'll,
we'll pick up seat in the Iowa cleo
ton" Unless something entirely I'M
foreseen happens, they will. Senator
| Steck was elected in 1924 because SEN
ator Brookhart, his opponent, went out
on a limb for the La Toilette presi-
Dental ticket that year. The regular
Republican organization moved over in
q body to the support of Steck and
thousands of the rank and file followed.
thereby bringing about the election of
that was not. determined finally until
after contest In the Senate itself.
X y X
On Saturday the Democrats of North
Carolina are going to decide whether
| Senator Simmons, veteran leader, is to
| be ousted from his present place Of
power because of his opposition to the
Democratic national ticket in 1928,
| headed by former Gov. AL Smith Of
New York. That is the sole issue which
has been made against him by the OPP
position, led by Josiah w. Bailey, who
is seeking the senatorial nomination in
the primary election. Many of the
political observers in the Tar Heel State
are predicting that Senator Simmons
| will be defeated But Senator Simmons
| himself does not take that pessimistic
view Of the situation. He is convinced
| that the people who have stood back
Of him In so many fights in the past
will continue to back him at the polls
this year and that he will be nominated.
| It Is true, too, that the Simmons peo-
big vote in the country districts,
where the anti-Smith and dry senti-
ment has been particularly strong. In
some of the cities where the wet senti-
| ment has gained ground, the Bailey
people will receive, 1t Is said, large
| measure of support, Notwithstanding
the fact that Bailey himself is dry.
Any one except Simmons, is the plea
of the vets, however.
Senator '"Tom" Helm Of Alabama,
another leading opponent Of the AL
| Smith ticket in 1928 among the Demo-
Gratis of the South. is watching with a
great deal of interest the result Of the
| primary in North Carolina on Satur-
| day. The Democratic organization,
which remained regular in 1923. Is seek
ing to get rid of Mr.. Helm in the COM
| ing senatorial primary there. Despite
| every effort he has made to be per-
mitted to take part in the Democratic
W.
| been unsuccessful He is without the
party ramparts In all probability he
will be compelled to run as an indie
| pendent candidate, which may initiate
considerably against his chances OF sue
| cess Senator Simmons has been per-
mitted to enter the Democratic primary
Any effort to exclude him from that
primary might have caused breach in
| the Democratic party which would have
sent the State Republican again, and
the party leaders perhaps were VIE
enough to realize that. Rising in the
Senate yesterday. Senator Heflin made
Joint defense of himself and Senator
Simmons for the course they pursued in
the 1928 presidential campaign.
Bailey, Senator Simmons opponent
in the race for the Democratic sena-
torial nomination, is said to be one of
the most brilliant lawyers in the State.
At one time he was editor of the lead
ing Baptist weekly publication in North
Carolina. He was appointed collector
of internal revenue under the Wilson
administration. Despite this dry rec
ord, Bailey was one of the managers
for the Smith people in the pre-con-
vention campaign in North Carolina.
Simmons led the fight against him
and his wing of the party in that cam
paign and defeated him. Bailey has
sought to make the issue the boiling by
Senator Simmons In 1928 of the Smith
ticket He asks the Democrats of
North Carolina if Senator Simmons Is
to be trusted not to bolt the Demo-
cratic ticket in 1882 Senator Sim
mons adherents, on the other hand.
insist that If Mr.. Bailey's candidate in
1928, Al Smith, is again nominated by
the Democratic national convention in
that year they will not stand for him
any more than they did in 1928 1t has
made bitter fight in which many