Evening star., 1932-09-10

Little sympathy Is aroused as the
Nation learns Of the resignation OF
Mayor James j. Walker OF New YORK
| His administration In the metropolis
stirs no enthusiasm, but national inter-
est centers on the effect on Gov. Roose-
yelt's candidacy for the presidency.
"The New York mayors martyr post
may be good theater' under the lights
of Longacre, where the allure OF his
personality and the I-should-care-at-
titude of a painstaking blaSe constit-
uency distort the perspective" says the
Minneapolis Journal independent Re-
publican), "but out here IN the wide
open spaces, where the evidence against
Walker and the defense offered in his
behalf can be, studied without bias, the
man appears to be no martyr" The
Goshen Daily News Times (Republiean)
saws: IF he really wished to play the
martyr, the mayor should have stood
his ground" In the opinion OF the
Roanoke Times (Democratic), "the
blast of defiance with which the mayor
made his exit from Office was quite In
keeping with the theatrical course he
has pursued at all times. He Is prob
ably one of the worst mayors In New
York City's history and, strangely
enough, one Of the most popular" con-
tinues this paper, which thinks this
curious anomaly Is to be explained
only on the ground of the inexplcable
vagaries Of the public mind" The Dam
bury Evening News independently
viewing the resignation as damaging,
suggests that admiration for the like
able Jimmie Walker must fold its wings
and sink away to dark places now"
and the Charleston, S. c., Evening Post
(Democratic) considers that Walker
has committed official suicide; his
course is of no importance and of little
interest outside Of the City of New
York" The youngstown Daily Vim
dicator independent Democratic) sees
him as having taken "the easiest way
out Of bad situation" since, as mat
ter Of fact, "the truth is he has been
out of the political picture for long
time, but refused to admit it."
~
The peak Of interest seems to center
around the effect of the whole matter
on the fortunes Of Franklin Roosevelt,
rather than on the fate of Walker. His
attack On Roosevelt is widely resented.
The New York Herald Tribune (Re-
publican), says: "The violent and
abusively worded claim that the resig-
nation is to escape an unlawful in
vasion of right or a political lynchlng'
will deceive no one" The Omaha Eve
ming World Herald independent Dem
ocratic), finds the Walker statement
wholly at variance with the truth"
As the Columbia (Mo) Daily Tribune
(Democratic) views 1t, ''his statement
is a whining plea for public sympathy,
and his charges of unfairness toward
him in his trial have nothing even fair
ly plausible to back him." The Nor
gantown Dominion News independent
Democratic) labels it "the final effort
of a politician, discredited in the eyes
of serious and fair-minded men, to ap-
peal to uninformed and prejudiced pop
ular support" The New York Sun (in-
dependenD blisters it with the adjective
"hysterical." and the Hartford Daily
Times independent Democratic) as
serts that "his charges against Gov.
Roosevelt are completely absurd"
IN fact, the Governor is strongly cham
pioned by many papers, regardless of
partisanship. Gov Roosevelt did his
duty ably in conducting the Walker hear
ing" attestS the Newark Evening News
independently. That mo one who has
followed the proceedings can deny that
the Governor gave to the mayor every
right and privilege to which Walker
was entitled" Is the contention of the
Oklahoma City Oklahoman Gndepend-
ent), pointing out that "the eminent
fairness Of the Governor stood out at
every point In the proceeding and Is
made all the more impressive by the
outburst of the retiring mayor" In
fact, his conduct of the hearing was
done so admirably that even Re-
publican papers have joined in praise