Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
ROOSEVELT MAY FIND
LEAD A DISADVANTAGE
Democratic Situation Year Before Con.
vention Susceptible of Many Vari.
ances-Tammany Jinx.

the eve of it. To express it this way Is
misleading. 1t is not case OF the
leaders passing judgment on Roosevelt,
giving him the nomination or denying
it to him. To put it more broadly and
more accurately. the Democratic nomi-
nation next year will be determined by
the net Judgment of party leaders, TAX
ing into account wide variety of sets
or conditions.
Power in Smiths Voice.
In arriving at decision by far the
/ most powerful voice will be that of for
mer Gov. Smith of New York There
will be more delegates in that conven-
ton loyal to Smith for Smiths sake
Roosevelt will have the delegates from
his own STATE of New York and have
them in a loyal sense. but even in the
/ New York delegation there will be many
a delegate who will look to Smith for
| leadership. AS respects others of what
is called the New York group OF
States"-such States AS Massachusetts,,
Connecticut. Rhode Island, New Jersey
and part of Pennsylvania-the delegates
from those States will pay their primary
/ loyalty to Smith If Smith should
want the nomination for himself they
would be for him ioyously. II Smith
should tell thin the best thing is to
nominate Roosevelt. they would vote for
/ Roosevelt If Smith should tell them
/ any one else-for e%ampl', Newton D.
Baker or Gov Albert Richie of Mary
/ land or owen D. Young-the delegates
from the New York group of Stats
would follow Smiths Judgment. Smith
will have command of larger number
Of delegates than any other one leader
The present state of mind of most
n fhaca loodare lie noifhpr for
welt nor against him. More or less I'M
consciously there is holding back from
the man who Is in the lead. In private
conversation they tend to present argu-
ments against Roosevelt. This is one OF
the penalties inherent in Roosevelt's
position. Any one so far "out in 'front.'
becomes, so to speak, ION trial" He is
critically watched. AS respects many
actions he is damned If he does and
damned If he doesn't. He becomes a
white horse and shining mark.
Claim of New York State.
In the argument that Roosevelt can
! guarantee the carrying of New York
State leaders reply that so can Smith, y
or so can owen Young" Or they re-
ply that If conditions in November
1882 are as favorable to the Democrats
as now then any good candidate can
carry New York State. To the argyll
ment that Roosevelt's record as Governor
1 of New York should count in his favor
leaders reply: IF we're looking for the
best governor, how about Albert Richie.
who has been continuously Governor of
Maryland for a longer period than any
other Governor of any State in all Amer
lean history" To any argument about
Roosevelt being satisfactory to the vets
they say in effect: IF the party is
going wet at all. it had best go 100 per
cent wet. and the wet candidates who
have long and unequivocal records on
this question are Smith and Richie -
When Roosevelt was recently Endorsed
by Col. House the Democratic leaders
recalled the colonels association with
Woodrow Wilson. and argued that he
has no franchise to deliver the Wilson
strength to Roosevelt, that the real heir
to Wilson's strength should be Newton
D. Baker incidentally, 1t is hardly to
be doubted that Baker is the man Will
son himself would favor were Wilson
still living)
1t is one Of the handicaps inherent in
Gov. Roosevelt's being in the front of
the race that the leaders tend to take
the virtues for granted and seek out his
limitations Leaders argue that Tam
many is a handicap to Roosevelt I'M
necessary for the party to take on its
shoulders. The leaders know there is
ahead series of unacceptable explo-
sions of scandal about Tammany. They
fear that Roosevelt in his responsibility
as Governor of the State may on some
occasion make a miSstep. The miSsctep
would consist of failing to be sufficiently
ruthless toward Tammany. What the
country expects from a Roosevelt" they
say, lis not judicial attitude toward
Tommany, nor a strictly legalistic atti-
tude; what the country expects from q
Roosevelt is the scourging of Tammany'
Tammany troubles the leaders much.
They apprehend that Roosevelt might
be nominated for President; that there
after in the height of the campaign a
major Tammany scandal might blaze
into the newspapers and that Roosevelt,
who would still be Governor of New
York, might be obliged to make deci-
sion fatal in either outcome. If he
should be lenient with Tammany the
country would turn against him; if he
should be really stern with Tammany.
Tammany might cause him to lose New
York State.
The fact IS, no Democratic leader
having Statewide power is committed
10 nominating Roosevelt. excepting, per-
hapS, in New York State, and even in
New York there are powerful leaders
who would prefer to see another nomi-
mated. There is no band wagon rush"
for Roosevelt yet. There Is not likely to
be. Taking the national Democratic
leaders as a group it is accurate to say
Of them that they are following a policy
Of keeping the situation open until the
eve Of the convention.