Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
ROBINSON PUSHED
AS g CANDIDATE
Determined Friends Watch
Him Hold Senate Power
by Relief Appeal.
BY WILLIAM HARD.


Senator Joseph T. Robinson Of Ar
kansas is resolutely backed bv many
determined friends for the Democratic
presidential nomination Of 1892, and
!. their enthusiasm has not been dimin-
ished. but increased, by the Senators
recent earnestness in representing to his
senatorial colleagues the acute condi-
tons and the heavy needs Of the
drorght-stricken regions Of the South
land.
Three Southerners are continuously
mentioned as possible Democratic presi-
Dental nominees. They are Gov Richie
Of Maryland, eX-Gov. Byrd of Virginia
and Senator Robinson. Gov. Richie,
being a wet, is out Of harmony with the
sentiment CT most of the Southern pop
ulation on the prohibition question.
Ex-Gov. Byrd has been less in the pub
lie eye lately than is productive of in
creasing political strength. Senator
Robinson, being opposed to the repeal of
the eighteenth amendment and being in
the very pupil of the public eye all the
time, has gained a great deal of new
political strength in many Southern
districts during the lest few weeks.
1t is claimed for him BIZ his friends,
and it IS. indeed. admitted By most ncn-
fscticnal Co'erverT, that Senator Ecb-
1nson IS toda7 showing a very consid-
cradle capacity fer lad .r5h.p in his
dealings with his acknowledgements on
the Senate floor He several times re-
Gently has been able to pcll an abso-
lVtely solid Democratic vote on a roll
call test of the appealingness Of his
policies. For a few moments last De-
cember his overtures of Cooperation"
toward the White House threatened his
hold upon the approval and LOYALTY of
some of those followers. but his subse-
quent strenuous assaults upon the
White House in the matter of drought
relief and in othsr matters seem quite
to have restored him to his former lead
ership influence.
He'd Real Leader.
It is urged on his bchalf by his parti-
sans That any man who can exercise
and exhibit eny leadership at all on the
Senate floor in the midst Of SO curiously
and professionally independent and
fractions Senators of the United States
Is leader indeed
Senator Robinson's talents as a lead
er have been of long and slow growth
The Senator has been a Federal leeis-
lator for almost Is years. He was in
the House of Representatives for 10
years: He will have been in the Senate
Tor eight years on the 10th of next
month. He has always been scharac-
teTtzed by great robustness of body and
mind. His difficulty was that this
ROBUSTNESS was close to being the equiv
alent of violence
Young Joe" Robinson was more
than vehement. He was passionate
He was easily moved to words of wrath.
In TACT, he was easily moved to deeds
OF wrath. He sometimes discounted
himself by his own outbreakings. Ex-
per1ence has taught him self-disci-
pine. BY the time he was appointed
last year to be delegate to the Lon
don Naval Conference he had become
abundantly able to consult the temper
o. others as well as his own.
Moderate Now.
In proportion as the Senator has
conquered himself, he has been the
better able to conquer others. Starting
OF with a self-destructive Tendency
toward spontaneous combustion, he has
arrived at being a considerable illus
tration of the text that He that is
slow to anger is better than the mighty.
ana he that ruleth his spirit than he
that taketh a city"
Except for the vocal infections and
the palm-smiting gestures of his ora
tory. he Is today man to whom the
word moderation is fully applicable.
His demands for drought relief out of
Federal public funds have been more
moderate than much local sentiment
behind him might have required On
points of fundamental economies he
could be called neither reactionary nor
radical and, for that matter, neither
conservative nor progressive.
On the politically critical economic
question of electric light and power he
goes moderately along with those who
are for firm regulation of power COM
panies and stops short of associating
himself with the public ownership and
operation ultra-enthusiasts.
Silent on Revision.
On the politically critical social and
moral question of prohibition he voted
in the Congress to submit the eight
zenith amendment to the States; he
voted to sustain President wilson's veto
OF the Volstead law; he objects to the
repeal of the eighteenth amendment
and he declines to be interviewed on
modification"
# the policies of the Democratic
party in 1882 should drive 1t toward
needing an especial support from the
West, the geographical argument on
behalf Of Senator Robinson would be
greatly stressed. The outstanding po-
tential dry Southern nominee, he is
also the only outstanding really West
ern potential nominee.
He plays golf with zeal. He shoots
ducks and hooks fish with aptitude and
energy. He reads detective stories with
av1dity. He would seem to be able,
even If he is not nominated, TO console
himself.
(Copyright, 1917