Evening star., 1932-04-04
The Political Mill
By 6. Could Lincoln.

pass. 1nlS IL n Sdu piOW lOT GlOSe VINO
wish to stop Roosevelt" The latest
to desert the favorite son candidate
ranks is Senator Joseph T. Robinson
of Arkansas. The Democratic leader
of the Senate in brief statement de-
clared his intention not to be a can
didate and left the Arkansas delegation
to its own devices. The delegation, it
is reliably reported, will support Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Demo-
cratic National Convention.
The withdrawal of Senator Robin
son from the presidential race came
only a few days after the determina-
ton of Senator Barkley Of Kentucky to
take himself also out Of the race
Barkley went even further and de-
clared himself for Roosevelt. It looks
now as though both the Kentucky and
Arkansas delegations had fallen into
the Roosevelt bag. Earlier still Sena-
tor Hull of Tennessee and Senator
favorite sons four years ago, had taken
themselves out of the picture, also
largely in favor of Roosevelt.
Outside of Alfred E Smith. the rest
of the field opposing Roosevelt indivld-
ually belong in the fsvorite son class.
This is true even of Ritchie OF Mary
land, White of Ohio, Garner of Texas
and Murray of Oklahoma not to men,
ton Moore of New Jersey, Lewis of Illi-
nois and Byrd of Virginia. Some of
these gentlemen may go into the con-
vention with few delegates other than
those from their own States They are
likely however, to be few, indeed, in
view of the rough manner in which
Roosevelt has ridden them down in the
primary elections so far held.
Although Alfred E. Smith is not in
the favorite son class. particularly so
since it is entirely unlikely he will have
the backing of the New York State
delegation when the convention opens
he probably will have not more than
hundred delegates pledged to him. The
task of the Roosevelt Democrats,
which is to prevent the nomination OF
the New York Governor, is becoming
increasingly difficult.
Newton D. Baker of Ohio. sometimes
referred to as the outstanding dark
horse candidate for the Democratic
presidential nomination, is in pretty
much the same kind of a jam as that
in which Charles G. Dawes found him
self in 1928. At that time Gen. Dawes
might have been real contender for
the Republican presidential nomination
if he had been willing to ignore the
claims of Frank o. LoWden of Illinois.
Dawes hung back His friends hoped
that when it had become impossible for
Mr.. Iowden to be nominated the con-
vention would swing to Dawes. But
nothing like that happened. When
Lowden was out, Hoover was in. 1t
was all over. Today Mr. Baker is
hanging back so that his friend. Gov
White of Ohio, shall have the Buckeye
State delegation. Mr.. Baker and his
friends do not believe Gov. White will
be nominated, nor does any one else
White is to have the delegation so as
in the Ohio State primary. With White
out of it after the first few ballots the
strategy would be to swing the delega-
ton to Baker. However, Baker may
meet the same fate that met Gen.
Dawes. Like Gen. Dawes in 1928 Mr..
Baker today denies that he is a candi-
date. To win a presidential nomina-
ton nowadays without being an active
candidate is a herculean task, requir-
ing q tremendous amount OF subtlety.
y 4
John F. Curry. leader of Tammany
Hall, caused a stir here last week when
he said that the New York delegation
was committed to none, neither RooSe-
velt nor Smith. If Mr.. Curry has any
thing to do about it the New York
delegation is scarcely likely to be COM
mitted to Smith. The present leader
of Tammany Hall has had no love for
Smith in the past He became Tam
many leader in spite of Smith Mr..
Curry let fall another remark while in
Washington which was not calculated
to boost the chances OF Smith for the
Democratic nomination. He said he
didn't know whether Smith was really
a candidate or not. That has been one
of the principal stumbling blocks in the
path of the Smith candidacy. So many
people, like Mr.. Curry have not been
fide candidate. In Massachusetts Mayor
James M. Curley of Boston, who dis
likes Smith as much and more than
Mr.. Curry dislikes him, has been ring
ing the changes on the suggestion that
Smith after all is not a candidate,
much to the annoyance of Mr.. Smith.
Smith has been compelled also TO send
word out to Wisconsin that he is can
didate and that he is not planning to
withdraw in favor of Roosevelt.
Wisconsin holds its primaries for the
election of delegates to the Republican
and Democratic national conventions
tomorrow Roosevelt and Smith are
contending for the delegates there
While there seems to be difference of
opinion as to the outcome, Roosevelt
looks to have a better chance, and GER
tainly Roosevelt is likely to have a
ma ajCrity of the delegates The La Fol-
lette Progressive Republicans are back
ing list of delegate candidates pledged
to support Senator Norris of Nebraska
for the Republican nomination. The
regular Republican group has in the
field a list of candidates ready to vote
for President Hoover. The La Toilette
hold on Wisconsin is still strong Even
so, the delegation is apt to be divided,
with some of the delegates for Mr..
Hoover.
Within the next few months members
of the Republican Progressive group in
the Senate will have to decide whether
they will support President Hoover for
reelection, go over to the Democratic
candidate, or Sulk in their tents. 1t
does not appear now that any one of
them is to head a third ticket Senator
Norris of Nebraska and Senator Blaine
of Wisconsin both supported AL Smith
in the presidential election in 1928. 1t
will not be difficult for them to cam
paign for the Democratic nominee for
President this year, particularly if he
should be Roosevelt of New York Sem
ator Nye of North Dakota has suggested
that he may not support Mr.. Hoover II
conditions remain as they are. Condi-
tions may change. however, and Nye
NAV he found in the RpDnhlican camD
1t appears that Gov. George F. Shafer,
a regular Republican, is actually going
to make the race for the Republican
senatorial nomination against Senator
Nye In view of the situation in North
Dakota, Nye should have the better of
the Governor in this contest. However,
there are a number of persons who
would willingly do their bit to remove
Senator Nye from the Senate because
of his activity as chairman of the Sem
ate Campaign Investigating Committee
in 1880. 1t is not difficult to believe
that Mrs. Ruth Hanna Mccormick
he