The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-13
NO ONE MAN
Is IN CONTROL
Chief ASSERTS
Turns on Political Writer,
RidiCuIing Charges in
Open Letter.
SLASHES AT ,RUMoRS
1882 Presidential Nominee
Will Not Be Hand
Picked, He Declares.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press star Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13-Reports
Of undercover maneuvering to hand
pick the Democratic presidential
candidate next year have provoked
disavowal from John J. Raskob,
wealthy Democratic national COM
mittee chairman, that he had
bought and paid for the party"
For weeks washington has been
filled with whisperings of Demo-
cratic intrigue. Most of them are
to the effect a handful of Demo-
cratic leaders quietly are undertak-
ing to lay banana peel in the path
Of Governor Franklin d. Roosevelt
Of New York, regarded as one Of the
chief contenders for the nomination,
and that the way is to be cleared
for Owen D. Young of New York.
Also it has been asserted that
Raskob, multimillionaire anti-pro-
hibitionist, has underwritten the
Democratic party and intends to
exact as his pound Of flesh, the
right TO name the next candidate.
Written by Frank Kent
This charge, in substance, was put
into print recently by Frank R.
Kent, political correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun.
Though the Sun is Democratic,
Kent is one Of President Hoover's
journalistic intimates and because
he often is credited with rejecting
White House views Democratic pal
iticians watch him closely.
Raskob now has turned on Kent
in an open letter to him.
when you liken the Democratic
party to common harlot that can
be bought and sold, used and abused
at WILL Raskob wrote to Kent, you
tramp on the toes Of millions Of
Democrats who are proud of their
heritage, glory in the traditions of
their party and resent your in
suits"
"NO One Man in Control
AS to the charge that he in
tended to hand-pick the party
presidential candidate, RasSob said ::
1.-THE Democratic party is not and
will not be controlled by any man
or small group OF men.
"Unselfish, patriotic service to
ones country easily can be viewed
by selfish, suspicious people as a
prize paradox, but thank God the
country is overflowing with unset
fish. patriotic citizens who are only
awaiting the 1882 national elections
to follow a leader carrying Their
banne:."
Raskob denied he has stood re-
sponsibIe personally for party debts
OF nearly $1,00c,0 00.
Party Deficit Reduced
Raskob said close friends of
Smith had reduced the party's def
icit and that the money he loaned
the national committee was to be
repaid. He said plans are being
made for a nationwide money-rais-
ing campaign.
The Democratic chairman also
denied ever having been Repub-
lican. as had been charged when he
left his post as one of the directors
OF General Motors to manage Alfred
E. Smiths presidential campaign in
1928. He said he generally had voted
the Democratic ticket, though he
had been an independent until he
affiliated with the party.
Raskob declared it had been al
legged that he changed to the Demo-
cratic party because former Cover
nor Smith was a Roman Catholic.
He charged a strong group in the
Republican national committee" had
been "fomenting religious and class
hatreds during the past two years
and prostituting the Republican
party to gain ballots from nisin-
formed abused and misguided
public.