Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-22
The Political Mill
BY G. Could Lincoln.


the fifth congressional district almost
on the eve of the converting Of Con-
gress has threatened to upset the Re-
publican majority of one. Mr.. Acker-
mans death followed closely on the
heels Of the death of the late Senator
Dwight w. Morrow, also Of New Jersey.
The Republican Governor of the State
has authority to appoint to fiji the
Morrow vacancy until the general cleo
ton in 1882. and the only question Is
which one of the Republican senatorial
possibilities he will appoint. In adj
dition, New Jersey Is the only State
which has a Republican Governor
holding gubernatorial election this
year, That election will be watched
closely and the result will be regarded
as a possible indication of what may
happen in the presidential election in
1882.
Under the laws of New Jersey the
Governor may issue a call for a spe-
cial election to fill vacancies in the
House, but the call must be issued
many days in advance of the special
election. There is also a law In New
Jersey which specifies that after an
election for Congress is held the can
vassers of the vote are to meet % days
after the election to canvass the vote,
and that no certificate Of election can
be issued until the canvass has been
made. Exactly 46 days remain until the
opening of Congress on December T.
The Republican congressional leaders
are anxious that the election to fill the
Alderman vacancy should be held In
time to have Republican here to vote
in the House organization fight. One
report here today was the Governor OF
New Jersey would issue a call for the
special election today or tomorrow to
be held December /, with nominating
primary on November II. Further
more, the Governor would call together
a special session of the Legislature to
put through law permitting the can
vass Of the vote on December 4, thus
making it possible for the successor OF
Mr.. Alderman to come to Washington
for the opening Of the session Of Con-
gress. The Republicans feel fairly con-
f1dent of carrying the fifth district. for,
even as bad as times were last Fall, Mr.
Alderman carried the district by prac-
tically two-to-one vote over the DEM
ocratic candidate.
4 +
So far as elections are concerned
this year is really an of year" There
is an election of a Governor in Mis-
sisSippi and similar election in New
Jersey That is the sum total Of guber-
material elections. A half dozen Va
cancieS in the House are to be filled, and
that is as far as elections of national
interest 60 However there are also
a nun Der of State Legislature contests
to be held which are not without ma
tional significance. For example, the
elections in New York State, where
Tammany Is engaged in an attempt to
upset the Republican control of the
Assembly hoping thereby to put an end
to the Legislative Committees probe
into the activities of Tammany lead
ers and Tammany appointees in New
York City. Mississippi, of course, will
elect a Democrat to succeed Gov. Bilbo.
The New Jersey race, however. is CIV
ing the Republicans a lot of concern
and the Democrats lot of hope.
The G. O. p. has nominated for Gov
ernor former Senator David Baird, jr.,
who served in the Upper H0lse for a
few months after Ambassador Walter
Edge had resigned and until Dwight
w. Morrow cCIl5 take over the Sena-
torial Job. A few months ago it did
not look as though the Republicans
had show in the gubernatorial cleo
ton. The Democrats have nominated
Harry Moore, former Governor and
popular. With times hard and many
men and women out of work, the pros
poets Of Democratic victory looked
bright and the Democrats still insist
they are going to carry the State
h1ndily on November 8, election day
The Republicans lately have been perk-
ing up bit in Jersey and are insisting
that Baird, after all, has a chance
They are working desperately to gel
their voters to came out, knowing that
there are more Republicans than Dem
ocrats in the State. In off years. how
ever. the Republican voters have shown
comparatively little interest in State
wide elections. 1t seems to take a
national election to get them warmed
up enough to go to the polls This
year many of the Republicans are in
a Sullen frame of mind and may not
bother to vote, even if they do not go
the length of skipping over the DEM
ocratic side of the fence.
X x x
It has been announced from Albany
that Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt on
Monday night will speak over the
radio in vigorous defense of the proposed
reforestation amendment to the State
constitution. This is the amendment
which former Gov. Al Smith SO
vigorously attacked in his Tammary
Hall speech a week ago. Apparently
Gov. Roosevelt has accepted the gage
thrown down by AL Smith in this mat
ter. Smith said during his address in
Tammany Hall he intended to speak
further about the reforestation amend
ment. 1t looks as though these two
outstanding figures in the Democratic
party may be hooked up in a debate
OF this amendment during the re-
malnoer OF the campaign this Fall. II
seems strange issue for the Governor
and the former Governor to fall out
over, after being fast friends for years
II Gov. Smith is bent on preventing
the nomination for President of his oil
friend, Gov. Roosevelt, this may prov,
as good pretext for split as another
The talk now Is of q union of Smith
Walker and Curry strength to prevent
Gov. Roosevelt's having a majority
even, of the New York delegation &
the next Democratic National Conven,
ton. If Gov. Smith lends himself Il
such a plan, however, it does not lool
as though he could possibly win Thu
nomination again himself. And further
If 1t were broadcast over the country
that such a combination, includinl
Tammany leaders, was aimed at Roose.
welt. it would probably strengthen hin
more than ever with the voters in Other
States. There might be an element o.
danger, however. to the Roosevelt can.
didacy II the New York organization
could make it appear he would not bt
strong enough to carry New York State
in the general election in 1882.
X
Gov. Clifford Pinchot of Pennsyl.
vania blew into Washington Tuesday
and rushed up to the Capitol to confer
with a number of Progressive Republi-
can Senators One of them was Brook.
hart of Iowa. Mr.. Brookhart declined
to say what was the subject CT the
conference between himself and Gov
Pinchot, leaving the implication that
it had something to do with the
aspirations of the Pennsylvania Gov.