Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-14
The Political Mill
By C. Could lincoln.

Despite the fact that Congress has
adjourned politics has not. The coun-
try may be getting q rest from the legis-
lative turmoil on Capitol Hill, but it's
getting no rest from the politicians and
their talk. With the national campaign
still more than year in the ofing,
Republican and Democratic leaders are
belaboring each other, issuing state
ments by the yard for publication in the
newspapers and talking by the hour over
the radio. Just how much attention the
voters are paying to all this talk it is
impossible to say. Probably more at
tention than IL there was no business
depression and relatively no unemploy-
ment. The scramble for the Democratic
nomination for President is becoming
more and more active. And at the same
time the Democrats are striving des-
perately not to allow themselves to be
split over the liquor issue. They see
the promised land within reach. At the
same time they see the Josephus Danielses
ana the Dan MoodyS of the party
preaching against wet platform and
wet candidate, while the chairman of
the Democratic National Committee,
John j. Raskob; former Gov. AL Smith
OF New York and others are proclaim
Ing the need Of frank stand for pro-
hibition repeal or revision.
Economic issues, the tariff, uneIn-
ployment, old age pensions, anti
injunction legislation and the like are
to be the paramount issues in the 1892
campaign II the dry Democrats can
have their way. The wet Democrats
are willing to admit that the economic
issues should not be overlooked, but
they insist at the same time that pro-
hlbition must be q real issue. Jcuett
Shouse, chairman OF the Democratic
Executive Committee, In an address to
the Texas Legislature the other night,
said:
It do not consider prohibition the
paramount issue of the coming cam
paign." He added that he believed
that ascertainment of the sentiment OF
majority Of the party should be had
on this as on every other question OF
importance within the party. He was
defending the proposal CT Chairman
Raskob, made at the meeting of the
national committee here in March,
that the national committee members
consider the "advisability of q change
in the present unsatisfactory condi-
LlOLlo "a pIOIllUILLOu.
Texas was one of the four States OF
the solid South" which went for Hoo
yer and against Smith in the last ma
tional election. The drys are strongly
intrenched in the Lone Star State.
However, the fact that Mr.. ShouSe was
invited by the Texas Legislature to
address the body when 1t was known
4
pussyfooting on the prohibition issue
was regarded in some quarters as an
indication that the Southern Democrats
ale really as anxious to get harmony, IL
they can, within the party as are some
of the Democrats Of the North and
East and West. Mr.. Shouse also said
in his talk to the Texas legislators:
1T would be deplorable II the selection
of our Chief Magistrate and the di-
rectors of legislation who must guide
the destinies of the United States
should hinge forever on the question
OF prohibition, however grave and far
reaching that question may be-" No
one will quarrel with that suggestion,
wet or dry. But the vets want the
question settled once and for all their
way, and the drys vice versa.
So far the one man from the North
and East to whom the Southern Demo-
Gratis have cottoned is Gov. Franklin
D. Roosevelt of New York Roosevelt
has been among the people of the
South good deal in his effort for re-
covery from the attack of infantile
paralysis which afflicted him a number
Of years ago. They like him. Further
more, Roosevelt has cast about himself
a mantle of progressivism, and has in
chned to the idea of the Southern dry
Democrats that prohibition should not
be emphasized in the coming campaign
Southern Democratic leaders, the prae-
tical Democrats, admit privately that
the next Democratic nominee for Pres
ident must be in favor of some kind of
revision of the prohibition laws If he
is to win. The Southern Democratic
leaders are just as anxious to win as
are the leaders anywhere else. They
think that they can with Roosevelt
which is the answer largely to their
support of the New York Governor.
+ r
Reports have been published to the
effect that Senator Swanson of Virginia
has been asked to rally to Gov. Roose-
welt the support of Southern Demo-
Gratis; indeed to head the Roosevelt
drive for delegates in the South. The
Virginia Senator said today he had
never heard of such proposition. He
added that he favored the nomination
of former Gov. Harry Byrd of Virginia,
provided Gov. Byrd Is to be candidate.
But Senator Swanson, when asked If
he would consider a proposition that
he work for Roosevelt among South
ern Democrats, declared, II have Moth
ing to say" The Virginia Senator Is
canny politician as we'll as an able
Senator. It's too early for any of the
leaders to come out openly for a presi-
Dental nominee next year, and the
Southern Democrats have a habit Of
putting forward favorite-son candidates
from their States in order to hold the
delegations in line to be used to the
greatest purpose when the time comes
actually to nominate the presidential
candidate.
The name of owen D. Young, widely
hailed as the democracy's most promi-
nent private citizen, will not down in
connection with the presidential nomi-
nation. When convention time rolls
around Mr.. Young may be very much
in the picture or not at all. He is
not likely to halfway in and halfway
out. The Democrats do not wish to
they can avoid 1t. Their last big COM
promise, made at Madison Square Gar
den in 1924, got them nowhere. And
the day of dark-horse candidates seems
largely to have vanished Mr.. Young S
name is advanced by many New York
ers, and he is reported to be favored
over Gov. Roosevelt by Chairman Ras-
kob. 1t has been said that even Gov.
Smith may prefer Young to Roosevelt.
II that is true, Gov. Smith has said
nothing about 1t for publication.
Furthermore, Gov. Smith would have
to be pretty sure Of his ground before
he came out for Young over Roosevelt,
unless he was prepared to be charged
with 1ngratitude to the man who three
times placed him in nomination for
the presidency and who only accepted