Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-12
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.


The Democrats opposed to the NOM
nation Of Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt
for President next year are Numbering
their guns In an effort to halt the ad-
vance OF the New York Governor
They must make their fight now unless
they are willing to see the nomination
in the Roosevelt bag. 1t Is an old axiom
in politics that 1t is impossible to beat
somebody with nobody. The Roosevelt
opposition must center around another
aSpirant II 1t Is to have q chance. The
three outstanding Democrats who have
been suggested as possible raflying posts
for the anti.RooSevelt forces are Newton
D. Baker Of Ohio, War Secretary in
the Wilson administration; owen d
Young, chairman of the board of the
General Electric Co. and Gov. Albert
Alfred E. Smith OF New York Is always
| in the background as q presidential
possibility. Yesterday in New York
Bernard Baruch, referred to as Dem
ocratic financier" and q strong sup
porter in the old days Of Woodrow Will
son, came out into the open with what
amounted to an Endorsement of the
candidacy of Gov. Ritchie, or at least
was widely so interpreted. Mr.. Baruch
mas been reckoned a member of the
anti Roosevelt group in the Democratic
party Tor some time. Along with him
, has been claSSed the chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, John
J. Raskob, and strong efforts have been
MADE TO link Al Smith with the Roosc-
welt opposition, too.
1t looks more and more as though the
liberal ND
democratic party are to come to grips
next year over the presidential nomi-
nation. Rallying back of Roosevelt are
the more liberal elements, and against
nm are, generally speaking. many of
the conservatives. Rightly or wrongly, the
progressive label has been tied tighter
and tighter to the New York Governor.
Some OF his friends in the West are
partly responsible for this, not the least
OF them that Republican, Senator
George W. Norris, arbiter Of Demo-
cratic presidential candidates. The
Democratic Senators from the West, in
Guiding Walsh and Wheeler of Montana
and Dill of Washington, have been
outspoken supporters of the nomina-
ton OF Roosevelt for long time. It
Is the argument of the Western Demo-
Gratis that Roosevelt could sweep the
west" against President Herbert Hoover
next year.
Roosevelt already holds the support
OF the Southern Democracy. which still
Iears that through some loophole AL
smith may again be the party nominee
!or PRESIDENT. His present job is to
nolo on to the support of Eastern
democrats. There are big business in
terests inimical to him-but not all
the Dig business interests. The power
interests particularly are aligned
against him. Without clubbing Gov.
Hltchie as friend of the power In
terests, 1t Is yet possible to say that
tnoSe interests than would Roosevelt.
Richie for months has been going
about the country making addresses on
an kinds OF subjects, but in the main
tney have been warnings to the people
TO get back to conservative business
methods and conservative methods OF
government. While he has continued
TO mention at intervals the "evils" of
the eighteenth amendment, Gov.
Rltcnie has sought to impress the
country with the idea that he is not,
as has been charged, merely concerned
with the repeal OF national prohibition.
He has discussed at considerable length
the relations between government and
industry and has declared that gov
eminent must not undertake to run
all the business of the country. He
has made two speeches in New York in
the last two days and makes q third
tonight. On Monday he speaks in
Pittsburgh, Pa, and only a few days
ago he was invading New England
II Is no secret that the Maryland Gov
ernor has taken opportunity to consult
with his Democratic friends as he
Travelled about the country. He has
been an avowed candidate for the
presidential nomination, in the opinion
OF the country, for a much longer time
imam any OF the others now dabbling
their feet in the stream.
There has been a great deal Of talk
about the wet issue in the Democratic
campaign for the presidential nomina-
ton. Gov. Roosevelt has been repre-
sented in some quarters as being not
sufficiently wet" to suit Raskob and
Gov. Smith, because he has sought to
stress the economic situation in the
country as the main issue for the Demo-
Gratis in the next campaign. It looks
more and more, however, as though
this wet issue raised against Roosevelt
were smoke screen. It Is noticeable
that the opponents Of Roosevelt, while
wet, are aligned with the more con-
sentative and big business elements of
the Democratic party.
X + 4 y
The Republicans are taking quite
seriously the fight they have on their
hands to elect a member of the House
in the first New Hampshire district to
succeed the late Representative Fletcher
Hale. The district contains many OF
the bigger cities of the State, and there
is political unrest due to the business
depression. Then, 100, the district has
elected Democrats in the past when
G. o. P. stock has been at low point
This happened in 1912, when Eugene
Elliott Reed, Democrat, was sent to the
House to represent the district and
again in 1922. William Nathaniel
Rogers was the successful Democrat in
the latter year. He may be the can
didate for the Democrats in the coming
special election which Is to be held
January S. Party nominations are
made in conventions there. Already
three candidates for the Republican
nomination have come forward, the
most prominent being John Bartlett,
former First Assistant Postmaster Gem
eral former head of the Civil Service
Committee, and at one time Governor
OF New Hampshire. He was mentioned
for a place in the Hoover cabinet, but
wound up as member Of the Canadian
Boundary Commission.
X \
Fletcher Hale carried the district last
year by about 5000 votes. There are
a lot of Democrats in the first New
Hampshire district, however, and even
in the Hoover landslide OF 1928, Hale
won over the Democrat by only $4,000,
and in the Coolidge victory of 1924 by
only 5000. The Republicans, II they
can avoid row over the nomination.
have a chance, but the Democrats insist
they will carry the district. The spe-
cial election comes at q time of wear
Ia-.L ..Ainrl,t I'm ,,n,. the fNo...-a..L