Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
Davis Hat in the Ring.

Formal announcement is now made
by Secretary James j. Davis of the
Department of Labor that he will be
a candidate for the Republican sena-
torial nomination. The lines for a Bit
ter factional fight in the keystone state
have already been drawn. The State
organization is backing Senator Joseph
r. Grundy. But MI Davis has back
of him the Ware organization in Phila-
delphia He has in addition those
Republican leaders out in the State who
arc not in line with the organization
which is supporting Grundy.
The fight for the seat now occupied
by Senator Grumpy goes back four years
or more. 1t promises, however, to be
as hot as ever, If not hotter, with the
Secretary of Labor and Senator Grundy
at each others political throats. -Four
years ago the seat was occupied by
Senator George Wharton Pepper. Will
liam S. Ware. then a member of the
House and the acknowledged boss In
Philadelphia Republican politics, was
ambitious to enter the Senate. Former
Gov Pinchot saw an opportunity to
enter the Upper House of Congress and
cast his hat in the ring Out of that
three -cornered fight, Ware emerged
victor. But the Senate would not seat
him because of the large expenditures
made in the primary campaign and
because of charges of corruption.
Grundy at that time was backing Gov
Fisher for the gubernatorial nomina-
ton and Pepper and Fisher were allied.
Mr.. Davis points to his record as
Secretary of Labor during the Hard
ing. Coolidge and Hoover administra-
tons He promises a fair deal for
labor and for business. 1t is to be as
sumed that his candidacy will make its
appeal to organized labor, for he has
been popular with labor. Senator Grun-
cy, on the other hand has for years
been president of the PENNSYLVANIA
Manufacturers Association, and it NAV
be expected that the PENNSYLVANIA
manufacturers win line up pretty solid
ly for him in the coming campaign.
Perhaps Mr.. Davis is counting ON Just
such a campaign, with the mantlfac-
turerS on one side and labor on the
other. Neither Mr.. Davis nor Sena-
tor Grundy has been a candidate for
elective Office before. But Senator
Grundy has been the power behind the
organization in many a past political
battle as the raiser of campaign funds.
Not since Senator Carter Glass of
Virginia resigned from the office of
Secretary of the Treasury to become
Senator in 1920 upon the death of the
late Senator Martin, has a member of
the cabinet sought to enter the Senate
from the cabinet circle. Former Sena-
tor Elihu Root left the ONCE of Secre-
tary of State to become Senator from
New York in 1909. Mr.. Davis has not
indicated that he intends to resign his
place in the Hoover cabinet to make
the campaign against Senator Grundy
for the senatorial nomination. There
is nothing to compel him to do so un-
less it should be feeling that his re-
tention of his present ONCE might be
embarrassing to the President, who
naturally wishes to avoid being drawn
into party primary contests in Penn
sylvania or elsewhere. However, with
Senator Grundy remaining in Office and
with Secretary Mellon of the Treasury
reported to be ready to support Senator
Grundy, it does not appear that Mr..
Davis will trespass on the proprieties
by retaining his present Office.