Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-13
The Political Mill

presented. 1t is a G. o. P. gathering
without most of the wheel horses
to direct it and put power and punch
into the orders that 60 out to the
delegates. 1t is a convention without
the Smoots, the Reeds, the Watsons ano
even without the left wing leaders, the
Borahs and La Follettes. Many of the
delegates and observers here ARE asking
just who and what is to be the direct
ing force in the convention hall and in
the conference rooms. II 1t was a
Democratic outfit the chances for rue
tions would be infinite. Republicans
are more used to party discipline. Who
ever heard. for example, Of a Hilles OF
a Williams leading a revolt-an open
revolt-against a Republican admins
tration? The Republicans had their
big kick-up in the Republican conven-
ton of 19l2-in Chicago, too-but the
revolters then had a Theodore Roose-
welt to head them. There is no Roose-
welt on the ground here now.
And so, notwithstanding the rather
leaderleSs situation in which the Re-
publican hosts find themselves in Chi
cago today, it looks as though the pro-
gram will go through. That program
Hoover and the denomination of Vice
President Curtis and the adoption Of a
party platform in conformity with the
idea OF the administration.
The platform will contain the Gar
field" prohibition plank. That plank
will declare, it is expected, for resub-
mission Of the eighteenth amendment,
and probably leave the form of the
question of resubmission to the Congress
of the United States. In the flnal
analysis, 1t Is Congress which will have
to draft the resolution Of reSubmission.
So the Republican leaders are saying
that the best way out Of the mess Is to
declare in the platform for resubmission
and let it 60 at that. But even such
plank is distasteful to the leaders OF the
dry organizations in Chicago. There
are rumors that claim they have been
double crossed" by the administration
and that they are bitter against Presi-
dent Hoover, although the President has
apparently kept his hands of, except
that he has sought to check the extreme
wet group In the party and TO prevent
II from forcing the adoption OF an out
and-out prohibition repeal plank. They
are sore. however. Some of the drys are SO
sore that they are talking OF third lnoe-
pendent candidate, but the majority OF
them have not reached that point. NOR
is any decision in such matter HKely
to be reached until after the drys nave
seen what the Democrats DO on the
prohibition issue in their national con-
vention. Furthermore, these cry ieao-
ers of dry organizations have 10 go pacK
to their constituent bodies 1or lhstru
tions. They cannot set up new indie
lot ThpU nave
to finance such campaign.
If the drys finally feel that they must
take some action in protest against inc
two old political parties, they can MOCK
to the standard of the National PROM
bition party, which some OF the oiu-
timers are threatening 10 RAISE again.
and which Is expected to hold con-
yention in Indianapolis early In July.
If that does not appeal to them, they
NAV make an attempt to ind an lnoe-
pendent dry candidate for the presidency
and get back OF him, building up new
party organization.
But the more ominous threat OF the
drys is to wage a stay-at-home cam
paign against the Republican national
ticket if the G. o. P. goes too lar, IN
their estimation, along the primrose
path and repeal of national prohibition.
They point to the fact that hundreds OF
thousands of dry Republicans in 1881
failed to vote in gubernatorial election
when Tuttle, the Republican candidate,
came out wet, and made 1t possible lor
Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt to win by
some 725,000 votes. Well, II they 90
anything like that next November ana
Roosevelt is the Democratic nominee
is difHrnlt
out what might happen to President
Hoover 1t is just such questions that
are agitating the Republican leaders
and calling for calm and sensible
action. With all the clamor OF the
vets on one side and the drys on the
other, it's tough job for the leaders to
reach a conclusion, however.
The administration is keeping In close
touch with the national convention. 1t
has secretary of State Stimson, Secre-
tary Of the Treasury Mills, Secretary OF
War Hurley, not to mention Postmaster
General Brown, on the spot, all cabinet
officers and close friends and supporters
of the President. Two of the Presi-
dents secretaries, Walter Newton and
Lawrence Richey, are here. Mr.. Hoover
has every facility. therefore, of COM
municating his wishes on important
matters to the convention and its
leaders.
Chicago has been the scene Of many
national conventions. Up to date, this
Republican convention has given rise
to little excitement, except over the
prohibition question. Efforts have been
made to fan into life q revolt against
the denomination of Vice President
Curtis Actually, the members of the
National Committee have talked them
selves into a frame Of mind where they
feel that the convention may take the
bit in its teeth and nominate some one
"Who?" And they reply, Il don't know"
Some of them profess to believe that
Gen. Charles G. Dawes would snap up
a nomination for Vice President. Others
are talking-and more recently-of
making Charles D. Hilles, Republican
national committeeman from New York,
a vice chairman of the National Com
mittee. the vice presidential candidate.
That Is supposed to be grapevine stuff,
the low down. The members of the
National Committee were entertained
Saturday night at dinner by Chairman
Fess at country club outside of Chi
cagO. Inere Lne gossip over the vice
presidential nomination flowed rapidly,
and the reports brought back were that
the sentiment for some other candidate
than Curtis had been great. Mr.. Cur
tbs, however, still has votes of many OF
the delegates to back him. and spokes-
men for the administration here de-
clare without reservation that the ad-
ministration forces Will support him.
x X X
James A. Farley, Democratic State
chairman OF ew York and the Roose-
welt field marshal, has been in Chi
cago the last day or two. He is here
in the interests Of the Roosevelt can
didacy. He is SO confident Of Roose-
velts nomination for President by the
Democratic convention that he Is talk
ing now about how many votes the
New York Governor will get in the
presidential election next November
He visualizes for Roosevelt 345 votes
of the electoral college, far more than
enough to elect. He insists that Roose-
welt can win, even If he should fail
~ nj TlliYniS