Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

Despite the fact these are the "dog
days." the political mill keeps on turn
ing over. Up in Philadelphia. where
William S. Ware for years has domi-
mated the Republican organization
things are happening which may cause
real row in the ranks of the G.. o. r.,
all because Mr.. Ware cannot see eye tc
eye with big Tom" Cunningham, sheriff
of Philadelphia County, anG several of
the other political leaders in the mat
ter of selecting a candidate for mayor
Cunningham and his supporters arc
favoring George H. Biles, who used tc
be director of public works when w. F.
Kendrick was mayor. Ware distinctly
does not want Biles for the lob. anC
threatens to back j. Hampton Moore.
Moore was at one time a member O
Congress and later mayor of Philadel-
phia on reform ticket. He was beaten
for mayor by the present incumbent.
Harry Mackey. So the war seems to be
getting under way, with all kinds o.
strange alliances. It was in 1919 that
Moore was elected mayor, supported b.
the late Senator Penrose. over the can.
didate favored by William s. Ware.
X X X
There have been several attempts
by lesser leaders to succeed to the
leadership which Ware has held. and
even continued to hold after he had
suffered stroke of paralysis and had
been denied seat in the United States
Senate because Of excessive expenditures
and alleged corruption in the election.
But Ware has been too smart for them
IN the past. IT may be that now his
power Will be broken. though it is early
to say. He has always shown himself
resourceful. 1t will be interesting to
learn the attitude Of Mr.. Ware. IL he
retains control, toward the proposed
denomination of President Hoover next
year. 1t was Mr.. Ware who broke the
silence over the position of the Penn
sylvania delegation at Kansas CITY in
1928 when Secretary Mellon was hest
tating to say whether the delegation
would be for Hoover or not. Ware issued
a statement declaring for Hoover and
1t was all over but the shouting. There
have been reports that Ware has not
been pleased with the attitude of the
administration toward him since March
4. 1929 Gov Clifford Pinchot is said
to have desire to make a bid for the
u. .. p. presidential nomination and
to take a Pennsylvania delegation tn
the next national convention pIedgedJ
10 vote for his nomination. Probably
nothing more strange than support for
Pnchot by Ware could be imagined.
But when Ware is found backing 7
Hampton Mocre it looks as though
almost anything could happen in Penn
sylvania politics.
The Pennsylvania Republicans have
TO select new national committeeman
to take the place of Gen. w. w. After
bury, president of the Pennsylvania
Rallroad, who has resigned that Office.
Atterbury has preached doctrines that
nave not appealed to the adm 'nistratton
N recent months. The Hoover Repub-
means 1t appears must strengthen their
INES IN the Keystone State.
x x x
;. Within the last few days Gov. Frank
I'm d: Roosevelt and former Gov. AL
down together at luncheon on Long
Island. If appearances mean anything,
tnere Is nothing amiss with their friend
snip, despite reports to the contrary
however, Gov. Smith continues to main
tam a steadfast silence regarding his
cholce for the presidential nomination
next year All kinds of theories are
advanced. Some Democrats insist that
COY smith wishes the nomination him
J
Young to Roosevelt. And now the idea
is advanced that Gov. Smith is with
hoIoing his approval until the wetness
OF the candidate can be well estab-
!shed Tor the coming national cleo
ton. There have been hints that
Roosevelt's degree OF wetness was not
quite sufficient to suit Smith. But that
Is mere surmise. 1t does appear, how
ever, that Smith is anxious to have
the Democratic platform adopted next
year declare for repeal or modification
of the eighteenth amendment-after
all, modification is a repeal in this
case. Gov Roosevelt ran for Cover
nor OF New York on a wet State plat
form both in 1923 and in 1880. 1t is
uncomfortable that he could ever run
for President as anything but an op-
ponent of the eighteenth amendment.
But there are certain out and out vets
who Zegard prohibition as a vital issue
and not one on which the Democratic
party should straddle. Among them
John j. Raskcb, chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Committee, manager of
the Smith campaign for President in
1928. Smith himself has declared pro-
hibition is far more of an issue with the
American people than waterpower.
X
Roosevelt. on the other hand. while
opposing the eighteenth amendment.
has rather indicated that the economic
issues are the main issues in the coming
campaign-hard times, the tariff,
waterpoWer etc. His support in the
South and in some of the Western
States comes because the Democrats in
those sections believe he will not stress
too much the wet and dry question if
he be nominated. These Democrats do
not want their party committed to the
wet cause by a platform declaration.
This platform row looms as the big
fight in the Democratic national con-
vention next year. There will be a
demand by the ultra-wets that the
Democratic party do not ''pussy-foot'
on this issue, but come out for re-
turn of the control of the liquor traffic
to the States.
Ever since President Hoover startled
the country and the world with his
proposed suspension OF intergovern-
mental debts in an effort to help Ger
many stave off financial and economic
and probably governmental collapse,
efforts have been made to estimate the
political effect of his proposal in this
country. 1t has been declared that
the President by his vigorous leader
ship in this matter helped himself
greatly, especially in New York. Since
his original debt suspension proposal,
which is now an accomplished fact, Mr..
Hoover has taken part. too. through
Secretaries Stinson and Mellon, in a
London Conference to help Germany
with short-time credits, and was re-
sponsible in large part for the plan
there adopted.
X X
It begins to look as though Mr..
Hoover, while not having that in mind
when he acted, will have helped him.
self politically in a number of States
where he needs help. For example, in
Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois and In