Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11

lin Roosevelt. TO make this Statement
runs some risk Of misleading, for the
state Of mind Of any man or group ID
. thing not always probable by con-
crete evidence. A mans state Of mind
h not always known clearly TO himself
An that y nneant to be said here y
that some Of the ShrewdeSt Democratic
leaders and political observers outside
New York have been at pains to f1nd
out what 70 In the minds Of the New
York leaders. The conclusion of the
leaders outside New York 10 that the
New York leaders are not Of q mind
TO nominate Gov. Roosevelt and are of
q mind to nominate, or try 10 nomi-
nate, Owen Young.
To say this u the present drift Of
the New York leaders Is TO say 1t "a
the present drift Of the dominant ma
tional leaders, for everybody knows the
New York leaders are in the Democratic
saddle In the national sense.
Devoted 70 GOvernOr.
It il not here meant to say that the
New York leaders intend TO practice
any deviouSness or unfairness against
Gov. Roosevelt. On the contrary, they
think highly Of him; they have perso-
nal affection for him; they are devoted
TO him. Their state of mind adverse to
giving him the Democratic presidential
nomination might conceivably change
az the result Of course Of events,
which, however, Is unlikely to happen.
Probably these leaders would feel per
sonally relieved and pleased II events
should develop that It would make It
seem prudent. safe and otherwise agree
able TO nominate Gov. Roosevelt. They
would be glad, or at least satisfied, If
the breaks" should force Roosevelt
into having an indisputabIy logical and
obvious claim on the nomination.
But the present conclusion arrived at
by shrewd Democrats outside Of New
! York, upon which conclusion these
Democrats outside New York are chart
ing their own course. Is that when the
1892 Democratic convention comes the
New York leaders will not be for Gov.
Roosevelt and win be for Owen Young,
If Young Is willing.
Too Far Out IN Front.
Gov. Roosevelt is suffering the handi-
cap, familiar to every experienced poll
tician ana PreSident-maker, Of being
"out In front" too far in advance Of the
convention. For almost q year already,
and certainly since Gov. Roosevelt'g
rather spectacular victory in the New
York election last November, he has
been looked upon as the outstanding
Democratic presidential possibility. A
man In so fierce q light as that incurs
liabilities which would never be thought
Of II his name were not thrust into the
situation until the eve Of the conven-
ton.
Such . man h too closely watched.
Small mistakes, faint errors Of jEdg-
ment which normally would be COM
pletely overlooked, now cause leaders
70 shake their heads. A man In that
position gives offense to little local
party leaders here and there, and the
aggrieved petty leader thinks his best
way TO- get even Is to oppose the up
ward progress Of the presidential pos
sibility.
Even the virtues Of such O man as
Gov. Roosevelt, In such a position as he
now has, fail to count as heavily for
hin - they should. The public, the
newspapers and the leaders become IA
miliar with his good qualities; there
Is nothing new for them 10 learn-no
new stimulus to the glow of high en-
thusiasms which Is almost indispensable
70 putting over" Q candidate. A man
IN Gov. Roosevelt'S position runs the
danger Of becoming "shopworn."
Health Called Handicap.
The handicaps to Gov. Roosevelt,
which have developed and are now re-
taydtng him, reveal themselves In any
conversation with those national lead
ere Of the Democratic party In whose
hands Mr.. ,Roosevelt's fate lies. They
say his health Is q handicap. II you
reply that apparently Gov. Roosevelt's
health has not prevented his making q
record IS Governor Of New York which
the state evidently approves-then the
counter reply II dubious shake of the
head and remark, not necessarily con-
vineing. that 'the presidency II q DIFF
Another handicap Is the record Gov.
Roosevelt has made by speeches and
actions On the. waterpower issue. That
Gov. Roosevelt 10 on the so-called anti
power side Of this issue IL one of his
assets IN the normal political sense. Or
oinartly those national leaders respon-
sible for the fate Of the Democratic
party would welcome this asset, because
1t means votes. But man who makes
speeches and takes steps on any issue
over aS long period as Gov. Roosevelt
mas on waterpower Is likely TO fall into
lapseS Of language or thought which
seem more radical perhaps than they
are, In any event this appears to have
happened IN Gov. Rooseveit's case. The
fact 10 that New York business leaders
who had no objection at all to the
course Of Gov. Alfred Smith about
waterpower have become alarmed at
what they consider the less clear-cut
course Of Gov. Roosevelt.
Another handicap to Gov. Roosevelt
has to do with ex-0ov. Smith-not at
all smith personally, but the followers
of Smith.
. The immense personal following of
ex-Gov. Smith among the voters are
either beginning to ask, or else the ma
GlonaI Democratic leaders fear they win
ask, with respect to the Democratic
presidential nomination, "If Gov. Roose-
velt, why not ex-Gov. Smith?" There
Is validity Ia this point Of view and
there Is political dynamite in it.
II "Anti-POwer'' and wet.
Gov. RooSevelt's availability for the
Democratic presidential nomination Is
based on conditions which are identical |
with those that made Gov. Smith avail |
able In 1928. The reasons for nomi- |
mating Gov. Roosevelt are mainly three: |
He has striking record as a vote
getter in carrying New York State; he |
IS, TO use rough and inexact phraSe, |
anti-power," and he Is wet"
Tnese are the same three reasons that |
made Gov. Smith available in 1928: Exc |
Gov. Smiths friends are likely to OBJ |
SerVe that the causes upon which he |
was pioneer in 1928, "anti-power"
progress during the ensuing time. Since |
sx-Gov.. Smiths causes have made |
why should he not be the
oenenciary OF that progress? Why
should he not be given the honor Of
eaolng the same causes in q new cam
oaign in which, according to common
assumption, these causes and the Demo-
ratio, party already win be stronger
han In. 1878.
The fact Of history and Of politics
ma statesmanship and Of causes In
very fleld Is that the pioneer rarely
caps the fruit Of the victory to which
Usually dies on the battIeneld: the later