The Bismarck tribune., 1931-11-16
(Official City, State and County
Newspaper)
Foreign Representatives
SMALL. SPENCER, LEV1NGS
& BREWER
(1ncorporated
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTO
Mr.. Baker of Ohio

l. Mr.. Baker of Ohio
Six months or even two months
hgo it seemed probable that Cover
nor Franklin D. Roosevelt Of New
York would be the Democratic can
didate for president in 1882.
At this writing he still remains the
favored choice, but many who ough:
to know are willing to bet their
money against him. Reasons for This
change in the Democratic situation
lie. Of course, deep In the fundamcI-
tails Of politics, but the ostensible an.
kwer is Newton D. Baker Of Ohio.
It is an old axiom in politics that
"you can't beat somebody with no.
BODY and this seemed to explain
the plight of the Democratic anti
Rooseveltians. They were agreed
that they didn't want the man from
New York and yet they could not
agree upon a candidate to oppose
him. There are evidences that this
difficulty has been bridged and shat
Baker is the man. Bakers own ideas
on the subject are not available. He
has not said he wants to run for the
presidency. But his background Is
such that he will find it difficult 70
resist if a considerable number Of
his friends ask him to do so-and it
seems a safe bet that they will.
Roosevelt has been more recently
in the public eye and there is good
reason to believe that he would run
strongly in some sections of the
country where the Democrats have
been weak in recent years.
But the fact remains that the busi-
ness leaders Of the Democratic party
are none too friendly to the New
Yorker. They regard him as much
too liberal to suit their ideas. His
activities have brought down the Ire
of the power interests and more than
q few believe he would be unsafe to
have at the helm in so far as super
vision of the national expenditures
is concerned.
It is this group which is pushing
Baker to the fore. It feels he would
be more conservative If elected-and
the Democrats are making no secret
of their idea that they have more
than a chance to win the presidency
next year.
Articles about the one-time secre-
tary Of war are beginning to appear
In the magazines. A heavily docu-
mented serial on "When Mr.. Bake,
Made War" recently was completed
in the American Legion magazine
which goes to more than q million
ex-servioemen In the country. It was
good reading, more than ordinarily
interesting to q war veteran, and oi
such nature as not to do the Ohioan
any political harm. Quite the con.
trary, In fact.
Political commentators In newspa-
pers and magazines are suggesting
him as presidential possibility and
McCalls magazine this month car.
ries biography. This. again. is flat.
tering rather than otherwise.
It stresses the modesty Of the mar
and the fact that he always has beer
reluctant to seek public office; it en-
phasizes the fact that he is quiet
family man, whose chief joy i
|grubbing potatoes" in his garden;
it lets one know that he has had
more than passing success as a law.
yer and yet is not rich; it gives ons
the idea that he is candid, straight.
forward and honest.
For instance, it drives home the
fact that, when Baker left office q.
secretary Of war after having di.
rected the expenditure Of billions oi
dollars, he was a poor man. Anc
here Is zone well calculated to en-,
dear him to many Americans: Baker
was one Of the lawyers in q case In
volving the estate Of one of the Nc
Cornicks in California, q matter a
some $4o,o0o,o0o. What is more. h
won the case and it Is said of hin
that he refused to allow his client
one Of the women in the Mccormick
family, to suggest to the court tia
he be allowed a fee of cold millics
dollars. He is quoted Is saying tina
this sum was "far too much" TIL
amount Of his fee will be determine,
by the courts but has not yet bee
fixed.
Add to this the fact that Baker !
the son OF . confederate veteran ans
was born in the south but has live
many years in the north; that he
politically wet but personally dry