Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-26
The Political Mill


Democrats who have been reviling
the Hoover administration for the last
two years are not unnaturally somewhat
panied at the assertions OF Senator
Wesley L. Jones, Republican chairman
Of the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee, that Tammany controls the Nation
al Democratic organization. Tammany
Is In the hmelight. It Is under attack
for alleged corruption and no one seems
to doubt that there has been wide graft
and corruption In New York City, where
Tammany rules. Therefore, the charge
that Tammany dominates the National
Democratic party comes with . dull
sickening thud
Senator Jones asserts that Tammany
was In the saddle at the last Demo-
cratic National Convention, In the
sunny South, when Alfred e. Smith,
former Governor of New York and q
Tammany sachem. was nominated for
President. He goes further and says
that Tammany Is still in control and
that it has sent word to Gov. Franklin
D. Roosevelt, widely mentioned Is q
probable nominee Of the party next
year, that it would not stand idly by
while he sought TO win support for his
Democratic presidential boom among
the bigots of the South and West"
The Republican Senator insists that
the Democrats cannot well continue to
throw mud at President Hoover with
one hand, while stroking the back Of
the Tainmany Tiger with the other"
This presents real problem for the
Democrats. A Republican Legislature
In New York has ordered q legislative
inquiry OF the government Of New
York City. That government is Tam
many controlled, and Tammany is the
Democratic party in New York City,
In the mind Of the public. Indeed, the
whole Democratic party OF the Empire
State Is linked with Tammany in the
public eye. The coming inquiry, there
fore, is likely to cause a lot of en-
barraSsment to the Democrats in the
State, which cast e6 votes in the party's
national onvention-the largest dele
cation by far. But the Republicans
have made it even more difficult for
the Democrats by selecting former
Judge Samuel Seabury, an 1ndepend-
ent Democrat, who cannot be reached"
as the chief counsel for the Legislative
Investigating Committee. This was q
clever move. It takes away from the
investigation the character Of q mere
partisan attack upon q Democratic city
government by Republican Legisla-
ture.
The Republican attack upon the
Democratic national organization, head
ed by Chairman John j. Raskob and
by Jouett Shouse, chairman of the Ex-
ecutiYe Committee, win be declared un-
fair. But it is political warfare very
like the warfare that has been conduct
ed by the Democratic organization in
the last two years. It is true that Gov.
Al Smith made his start as a Tammany
Democrat and that he has maintained
connection with the organization. But
Gov. Smith never allowed Tammany
to put anything over" on him while he
was in the Governors chair. That is
one OF the reasons that good many
OF the boys" turned against him q
year or two ago and declined 20 20
along with the new Tammany'' idea
advanced by Gov. Smith and his imme-
date supporters. Instead they elected
as head Of Tammany Hall one Of the
old district leaders, John F. Curry. Gov.
Roosevelt has not been connected with
Tammany. But he is now placed in
the position where he must stick by
Tammany or 60 along with the crowd
that is out to clean up" the city gov
eminent OF New York. The Governor
was under fire from the Democratic
press in his own State last year because
he declined to order more investiga-
tons of the courts in New York City.
They charged at the time he was Yield
Ing to Tammany Hall.
\
Gov Roosevelt's decision now In re-
gard to the charges fled against Mayor
. Jimmy" Walker by the City Affairs
Committee, and to the legislative in
vestigation, is likely to have a good
deal to do not only with his own politi- |
cal future, but with that Of his party
nationally. If he strikes out boldly at |
corruption and graft, even though 1t hits |
the Tammany leaders, he Is likely to be
acclaimed throughout the country. II |
he pussyfoots, and the legislative in
4uiry turns up a lot Of scandals, he
will lose caste. On the other hand, If |
Tammany Is demoralized and In any
measure broken down, the chances Of the |
Democrats carrying New York City by |
heir usual great majority grow Slim |
ner. It Is a tough nut to crack.
There Is one Democrat In New York, |
however, who is likely to be in the pub |
lie eye, favorably, for months to come. |
That Is Judge Samuel Seabury, the |
chief inquisitor into the affairs Of New |
York City. Judge Seabury was at one |
time q justice Of the Supreme Court !
Of New York and later q member Of |
the Court of Appeals Of New York. In |
1915 he left the bench and ran for |
Governor on the Democratic ticket. In |
that year New York went for Charles |
Evans Hughes for President and Sea- |
bury went down to defeat before his |
Is no longer young man, but he is |
vigorous and highly regarded In New /
York City and throughout the State. |
he will loom up as q national |
figure as q result of the coming inves-
legation remains to be seen. Other In
In New York, among them |
Chief Justice Hughes, have gone far
In their public careers.
+ + y
The Tammany Investigation not only
presents O problem for the Democratic |
rational organization, but it gives the
Democrats Of the South, who are dry |
md intent upon keeping the party dry,
/ weapon which they are not likely to |
De slow to use against the control Of |
he party by the wet Democrats of the
North and East. Senator Robinson Of |
Arkansas led the attack on the Raskob
In the recent meeting Of
he Democratic National Committee.
Mr. Raskob appeared to come out Of
he fracas in command Of the situa-
ion. But while the Democrats ma
ionally may swallow wet candidate
md might even make a moist gesture
n their party platform, though that
S more remote prospect, they are not
likely to take candidate who Is mixed
Up in Tammany scandals.
X \ \
The Republicans see a chance TO
hammer their Democratic opponents in |
his New York situation now developing.
I offers them a chance to drive home
wedge between the Democrats Of the
North and East and those Of the South
- Il