Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-24
Roosevelt and Illinois.

Chicago's new Democratic mayor,
Anton J. Cermak, leaps into the lime
light as q member of the President
making group in the Democratic party.
The Chicago mayor advances for eX-
ample, the opinion that Gov. Franklin
d. Roosevelt of New York is wet
enough" to suit the Democrats of
Illinois. Furthermore, after talking
with former Gov. Alfred E. Smith. Mr..
Ce-mak expresses the opinion that Al
Smith does not intend or expect to
be q candidate. for the presidential
nominal ton next year and that "in a
general way" Smith is friendly to
Roosevelt. While the mayor does not
commit himself definitely to the New
York Governor for the presidential NOM
nation, he makes it appear that Roose-
welt Is by no means unacceptable to
himself and other Illinois Democrats.
Mayor Cermak, having. ousted Big
Bill" Thompson from office in Chicago,
bulks bigger and bigger on the Demo-
cratic horizon in Illinois. There is
every likelihood that he will be a power
in the delegation which Illinois will
send to the Democratic National Con-
vention.
The new Chicago mayor speaks with
a frankness which Is denied some
politicians. When he left Gov. Smith
after talking to the New Yorker
for more than an hour, Cermak
put out the suggestion. or rather the
assertion, that Smith does not intend
to be a candidate for the presidential
nomination. Gov. Smith has MAIN
tanned silence regarding his own
political plans for many months.
Scarcely had he been defeated in the
1928 race when he was besieged with
inquiries as to whether he would ever
run again. To these inquiries the
New Yorker replied in effect that any
man was fool who said what he would
do so far in advance of a national
campaign. And that, up to date, has
been his last word on the subject. IN
doubtedly he has been urged many
times to- allow himself to be put for
ward as candidate for the 1882
nomination. Many Of his devoted
friends and supporters favor such a
course.
With the Chicago mayors assertion
that Gov. Roosevelt is wet enough for
the Democrats of the Windy City, the
Roosevelt boom gets another boost. A
few days ago Joe" Guffey, former
Democratic national committeeman OF
Pennsylvania, and at present a real
power in Pennsylvania Democratic poll
tics, made the bald assertion that Gov.
Roosevelt would have sixty-six OF Penn
sylvania's seventy-two delegates at the
Democratic National Convention, first
last and all the time. Pennsylvania and
Illinois, outside of New York, have the
largest delegations in the national con-
ventions. With New York they can
probably dominate the situation and
force a nomination.
The Roosevelt band-wagon is fast
becoming crowded. The New York
Governor declines to talk national
politics for publication. He is still
not an avowed candidate for the NOM
nation. How much longer he will be
able to maintain such an attitude Is
doubtful. At any rate, it will not be
many months until the presidential
preferential primaries open in nearly
a score of the States. 1t is then that
candidates. become more and more
open. Some of those who would oppose
the nomination of Gov. Roosevelt are
beseeching Newton D. Baker Of Ohio
to get into the race That State is
one of those which hold a presidential
preferential primary next Spring. But
no candidate may be voted for in that
primary unless he gives his consent.
So far Mr.. Baker has been reluctant
to enter the lists.