Evening star., 1931-06-04
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

race 1or the Hepupllcan preSldentlaI
nomination next year. What they hope
and expect is that the Pennsylvania
Governor may make trouble for Presi-
dent Hoover, or at least create the
impression that President Hoover is
distinctly unpopular. But these Demo-
Gratis, like the anti-Hoover group of
Republican Progressives, have no IL
lusions about the ability of Gov.
Pinchot to win the presidential nomi-
nation. They do not believe that Gov.
Pinchot or any one else can wrest the
Republican nomination from President
Hoover II he is candidate to succeed
himself. On the other hand, it is quite
true that the Democrats have con-
vinced themselves that the present ad-
ministration is widely unpopular
throughout the country and for that
/ reason they would, they say prefer the
denomination of President Hoover by
| the Republicans to the substitution of
| another Republican candidate for Mr..
| Hoover. Some of them have gone SO
far as to say that their real fear is
ton may stampede to Calvin Coolidge.
Mr.. Coolidge, they admit, as candi-
date for President next year might
prove strong before the people.
X !; X X
The chances are, however, that the
former President will not permit him
self to be drafted by the Republican
National Convention. OF course, there
are number of Coolidge admirers and
number Of men in the Republican
party who made lot Of money in busi-
ness during the boom times when Mr..
Coolidge was President who would well
h 1ic ~ f.,t I,,kN fIay. kio1
race. Mr.. Coolidge, however, cannot be
successfully criticized for lack of COM
mon sense or political acumen. 1t is
probably as obvious to him as it is to
others that If the depression does not
pass and there Is great deal of un-
employment and hard times continue
next year, the Republican nomination
IS likely to be hazardous affair, to
say the least, and that If times really
improve there will, in all probability, be
no stopping the denomination and re-
election of President Hoover. The for
mer President is not likely to deceive
himself or permit others to deceive him.
After he had issued his famous II do
not choose to run" statement while he
was still in the White House, a men,
Der OF the House who was much grieved
at Mr.. Coolidge'S declination to be con-
sidered for the candidacy called at the
White House and expressed great regret
at Mr.. Coolidge's decision. Mr.. Coolidge
replied that If he should be candidate
and be reelected within two years he
would be one of the most unpopular
Presidents" the country had had. Per-
haps Mr.. Coolidge at that time was
looking forward to the possibility of a
business depression, since business has
always had its ups and downs, or per-
hapS he felt that no man could remain
in the White House for 10 years con-
tinuously and retain his popularity with
the people.
Rumors are going the rounds, how
ever, that there is a plot afoot to tie
up the Republican National Convention,
through the candidacy of Pinchot,
Norris, Borah, Johnson, and then bring
about the nomination of Calvin Cool
idge. There is some indication, how
ever, that this so-called plot originated
in the active mind of a leading Demo-
crat and was broached in a bon mot
that the Democrats would win the next
election If President Hoover did not
issue an I do net choose to run state
ment and Calvin Colidge did not, for
his part, issue a choose to run state
ment." The Coolidge suggestion has
been kicking around, however, for a
lO1iB CluAc. 1uc OpPOllcIILS VI EISSlueilG
Hoover among the Republican Pro-
gressives would not welcome a substitu-
ton of Mr.. Coolidge for Mr.. Hoover
on the Republican national ticket next
year. Not at all, according to their
own statements.
4 * \ 4
The Republican presidential prefer
ential primaries next year, held in a
widely scattered number of States, in
Guiding Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, New
Jersey, the Dakotas, Nebraska, ETC., are
likely to tell the tale pretty well of
| what is to happen in the Republican
National Convention. 1t may be that
State here or there may be carried
by a favorite son candidate against
President Hoover in these primaries.
1t may be that a Progressive Republi-
can may pick up the delegates in a
number of the Northwestern States,
but that fact is not likely to prevent
the denomination CT Mr.. Hoover, or in
any degree to tie up the national con-
vention. It will be remembered that
Wisconsin, for example, sent a Norris
instructed delegation to the last Re-
publican National Convention, that
Frank o. Lowden Of Illinois had many
delegates, too, and that Indiana in
structed fer Senator Watson, and Kan
saS for Vice President Curtis, but,
despite all these opposing delegations,
Mr.. Hoover was nominated without de-
lay. It is true that conditions may be
vastly changed when the convention
meets next year, but there does not
seem to be much doubt that the Presi-
dent will go into the convention with
a greater number of delegates pledged
to him than there were in 1928.
X X X
The report comes from Philadelphia
that "Bill'' Ware, boss Of the Republican
machine in that city, has been sup
planted by Sheriff Thomas Wilbur
Cunningham at the annual reorganiza-
ton meeting of the Republican City
Committee. Ware was not present. He
was at Atlantic City. Notwithstanding
his absence and the action OF the COM
mittee with regard to Cunningham, 1t
is by no means sure that ware Is en-
tirely out of the political picture. He
has shown himself in the past the most
resourceful of the lot, and he is likely
to continue a power behind the throne.
The Philadelphia City Committee took
shot at Gov. Pinchot and his presi-
dental aspirations, adopting a reSolu-
ton calling the Governor party
wrecker with only two ambitions, one
to punish Philadelphia, which has never
supported him, and the other to sup
plant President Hoover in the White
House.
The bill, which now seems likely to
pass the Massachusetts, State Legisla-
ture, redistricting the State to meet the
requirements of the new apportionment
of the National House, will eliminate
one of tv'o veteran members of Con-
gress from the Bay State. The bill
combines, in effect, the districts which
have been represented and are still rep
resented in the present Congress by
Representative Frederick w. Dallinger
! and Representative Robert Luce, the
eighth and thirteenth districts respec-
lively. Both are Republicans. Dali
linger first came to the House about
! 16 years ago and Luce IL years ago.
Both have been prominent in the House.
| Dallinger sought nomination to the