The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-04-02
The Political Mill
By G.. Gould Lincoln


two years are not unnaturally some
what panied at the assertions of Sena-
tor Wesley l.. Jones, Republican
chairman of the Senate Appropria-
lions Committee, that Tammany con-
trolls the National Democratic organi-
cation. Tammany is in the lime
light. 1t is under attack for alleged
corruption and no one seems to doubt
that there has been wide graft and
corruption in New York City, where
Tammany rules. Therefore, the charge
that Tammany dominates the Nation
al Democratic party comes with dull
sickening thud.
Senator Jones asserts that Tam
many was in the saddle at the last
Democratic National Convention, in
the sunny South, when Alfred E.
Smith, former Governor Of New York
and Tammany Sachem, was nomi-
mated for President. He goes further
and says that Tammany is still in con-
troll and that is has sent word to Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, widely men
toned as a probable nominee of the
party next year, that it would not
"stand idly by while he sought to win
support for his Democratic presiden-
tial boom among the bigots of the
South and Vest" The Republican
Senator insists that the Democrats
cannot well continue to throw mud at
President Hoover with one hand,
"while stroking the back of the Tam
many Tiger with the other"
This presents a real problem for
the Democrats. A Republican Legis-
lature in New York has ordered a
legislative inquiry of the government
of New York City. That government
is Tammany-co and Tammany
is the Democratic party in New York
City, in the mind of the public. In
deed, the whole Democratic party of
the Empire State is linked with Tam
many in the public eye. The coming
inquiry, therefore, is likely to cause
| lot of embarrassment to the Demo-
Gratis in the State, which cast SO
votes in the party's national conven-
tion-the largest delegation by far.
But the Republicans have made it
even more difficult for the Democrats
by selecting former Judge Samuel
Seabury, an independent Democrat,
who cannot be reached" as the chief
counsel for the Legislative Investi-
eating Committee. This was clever
move. 1t takes away from the in
vestigation the character of mere
partisan attack upon a Democratic
city government by a Republican
Legislature.
The Republican attack upon the
Democratic national organization,
headed by Chairman John j. Raskob
and by Jouett Shouse, chairman of the
Executive Committee, will be declared
unfair. But it is political warfare very
like the warfare that has been con-
Quoted by the Democratic organiZa-
ton in the last two years. 1t is true
that Gov. AL Smith made his start as
Tammany Democrat and that he has
maintained connection with the orga-
nization. But Gov. Smith never al
lowed Tammany to "put anything
over" on him while he was in the Gov
ernor's chair. That is one of the
reasons that a good many of the
"boys" turned against him year or
two ago and declined to go along with
the "new Tammany" idea advanced
by Gov. Smith and his immediate sup
porters. Instead they elected as head
of Tammany Hall one Of the old dis
trict leaders, John F. Curry. Gov.
Roosevelt has not been connected with
Tammany. But he is now placed in
the position where he must stick by
Tammany or go along with the crowd
that is out to "clean up" the city gov
eminent of New York. The Cover
nor was under fire from the Demo-
cratic press in his own State last
year because he declined to order
more Investigations of the courts in
New York City. They charged at the
time he was yielding to Tammany
Hall.
Gov. Roosevelt's decision now in re-
gard to the charges filed against May
or Jimmy" Walker by the City
Affairs Committee, and to the legisla-
tive investigation, is likely to have a
good deal to do not only with his own
political future, but with that of his
party nationally. If he strikes out
boldly at corruption and graft, even
though it hits the Tammany leaders,
he is likely to be acclaimed through
out the country. If he pussyfoots,
and the legislative inquiry turns up a
lot of scandals. he will lose caste. On