Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-30
The Political Mill
By C. Gould Lincoln.

4 Il
The report comes out Of Albany tina
Tammany has decided to oppose Gov
Franklin d. Roosevelt for the presi
Dental nomination and to support A
smith: Tanlrnany, it appears, however
| Is not going to nominate the mex
Democratic candidate for President
This does not mean that Tamrnany vii
not have a part in the nomination i
| 1t wishes. But it does mean that Tam
| many, single handed, is not to decide
who Is to be the partys candidate. 1
| may, on the other hand, be able Il
stop" a candidate whom it does no
desire nominated. 1t may be able K
prevent the nomination of Franklin D
RooSevelt-though that is still a mat.
ter Of doubt--but it certainly Is not
going to be able to nominate AL Smith
or any other candidate If 1t let's It bt
known that the man is Tammany's can.
didate.
In the first place. the country pretty
we'll credits Tammany with having
nominated the last Democratic presi-
dental candidate, If the truth were
told, this Is not fair to AL Smith, who
had made great Governor of New
York State and was an outstanding
national figure, Tammany or no Tam
many. However, Tammany got the
credit in many minds. And Al Smith
wearing the Tammany label, was de-
feated badly in 1928. The rest Of the
Democracy is asking why it should look
to Tammany for another candidate, OF
for the same one that IL put forward
in 1923. In the second place, Tam
many is under fire right now, With an
investigation by the State Legislature
into the government of New York City
Tammany's particular bailiwick, about
to begin. The chances are that Tam
many, as a national asset will be a
liability to any candidate rather than
an aid.
It does not appear quite clear yet,
however, that Tammany, through its
leaders, has determined to turn thumbs
down on Roosevelt and seek to nomi-
nate Al Smith again. New York Dem
ocrats are said to discount the report
that the scheme was cooked up at a
dinner given last week in the home Of
Joseph j. Murphy, Democratic leader
in Troy, which was attended by John
F. Curry, Tammany chieftain, and 9TH
ers, including John H. McCooey, the
Democratic leader of Brooklyn. But the
Tammany leaders might as we'll under
stand, according to Democratic leaders
in Washington from other parts OF the
country, that they are not going to say
next year who is to be the Democratic
candidate for President, and further.
that former Gov. Smith cannot be again
nominated, not next year at least. 1t
takes a thirds vote in Democratic
National Convention to nominate cam
didate for President. The Democrats
here say that they simply are not going
to repeat the performance that took
place in Houston, Tex, three years ago.
X
Former President Coolidge's name was
put forward in the political gossip IN
washington last week as possible con-
tender against Mr. Hoover for the Re-
publican presidential nomination. In
deed, the organization which Col. Hor-
ace Mann is seeking TO set up IN tne
Southern States to control delegates 70
the next Republican National Conven-
ton is reported to have Mr.. Coolidge
in mind for the nomination. To some
of the political leaders 1t looks as though
the colonel, who has fallen out with
the Hoover administration, is hitching
his chariot to the fame Of the former
President in an effort to make headway.
4 X X r
Republican leaders. however, doubt
that Mr.. Coolidge will permit himself
and his prestige to be used in this mat
ter. Practically all of them, barring
Col. Mann and some of the Progressive
Senators, seem to be certain that moth
ing can or will stop the denomination OF
President Hoover, unless Mr.. Hoover
himself should take himself out Of the
race-an entirely unlikely contingency.
AS one prominent Republican puts 1t:
aIf Mr.. Hoover cannot be renominated
and reelected, the Republican nomina-
ton is of no value to any other Repub-
lican at this time" This was the view
taken by the late Champ Clark, Demo-
cratic Speaker of the House, when
Democrats who were disgruntled with
the Wilson administration came to him
in 1916 and urged Clark to make the
race for the presidential nomination
against Woodrow Wilson in that year.
Massachusetts, State Legislature,
through a special committee, is trying
to frame a bill to redistrict the State so
that it will have only Is members OF tie
House in the Seventy-third Congress IN
stead of l6, which it has at present.
The reapportionment of the House
makes this necessary. The Legislature
Is Republican and the Governor, who
must sign the redistricting bill, is Demo-
cratic. The Bay State voters are OF the
opinion that a bill which the Legisla-
tlIre puts through will not be approved
bv the Governor. The Republicans,
under the present districting of the
State, elected IL of the Is members OF
the present Congress. The Democrats
insist that they should have greater
1t looks as though,
lseisIation failing, the next Massachu-
setts delegation will have to be elected
''at large" with all the candidates run
ming in a Statewide contest. This will
not please some of the members now
sitting. However it will be presi-
Dental year, and also there will be an
election of a Governor. II the Repub-
Iicans elect a Governor and Leg1sla-
ture in 1882, they will then be able to
.edistrict the State as they desire. They
are willing to wait and take their chance
rather than to give in to the Democratic
Governor now, it is said.
X X
Up in North Dakota the Legislature |
simply took the bull by the horns and
instead of trying to redistrict the state |
nto two districts instead OF three, wiped |
,ut the old district lines and provided |
'or the election of two members Of the |
House "at large" South Dakota, which |
ilso had to come down from three seats |
n the House to two seats, combined the |
irst two districts into one and left the |
Did third district. This does not ap- /
pear to be a fair division, since the |
population in two districts now put into |
ne totals $4,000, while the population !
n the old third district Is only 5000. |
Il a referendum can be had which will |
lalt the administration of this legisla-
ion, then South Dakota also will elect |
wo members of the House "at large"
leXt year.
X
In the early days of the country there |
we're no congressional districts. Mem !
,ers of the HOUSE were chosen. by the |
roters of the entire State. 1t was in |
842 that Congress provided for the