Evening star., 1932-04-18
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

| AT another and belated Jefferson
day dinner" Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt
OF New York is expected tonight to
answer his distinguished Democratic
adversary for the Democratic presiden-
tial nomination, Alfred E. Smith
These Democratic dinners are grtfing
to be q habit. They provide forums AT
] which Democratic leaders may lamhaste
the Republicans and each other. Mr.
Smith promised to take off his coat
| and vest and fight to a finish any can
didate for the Democratic presidential
| nomination who persisted in making
speeches aligning the masses aoainsf
the rich at this time, at the Jefferson
day dinner In Washington last Wednes-
day. His speech was interpreted as a
direct attack on Roosevelt, whose radio
aooress earlier declaring in favor Of the
forgotten man" and the little man"
was supposed TO be Mr.. Smiths par
ticular target. Gov. Roosevelt did mt
come TO the Washington dinner He
chose rather to travel to territory which
is more friendly to his candidacy, the
West. And tonight he will have his
innings. II he takes a swat at Mr.
Smith he will at least have the defense
| that he was first attacked bv Smith as
demagogue. The interest which the
Roosevelt-Smith row has deyeloned is
| intense. At present it has wiped almost
everything else of the Democratic
boards. But when 1t all SINNERS down
the only question 1t raises is can smith
prevent the nomination OF Roosevelt for
president. No one expects Mr.. Smith
70 De nominated himself any more.
A great deal has been written about
the smith Following around the country
ABOUT the 100000 votes that were
cast Tor Mr.. Smith, while President
noover was rolling up approximately
22,OOq,O 900 votes. In every contest that
has arisen so far in widely separated
States where Smith locked horns with
Roosevelt. Smith has come of second
best, even in States where Smith was
believed to be particularly strong. as in
Wisconsin and Maine and New Hanp-
| shire. There has been no ground swell
among the voters for Smith. Indeed
the ground swell. If there Is any. has
been for Roosevelt. The Roosevelt
Democrats do not believe that the Smith
attack on Roosevelt is to have an in
| effect on the prospects OF their candi-
/ date. Indeed. they believe that it will
| help Roosevelt in the long run. The
| point they make is that Smith has
presented himself to the American pub
| lie as the defender Of the rich, while
| Roosevelt has been pictured as q de-
| fender OF the poor. This may be en-
| tirely unjust. But 1t is the picture
which the anti-Smith, pro- Roosevelt
Democrats are painting.
| Roosevelt tonight will speak in Min
neSota where. the delegation to the
Democratic National Convention was
instructed for him not so long ago,
much to the disguest Of the Smith and
nti-Roosevelt following. 1t may be
| that he will content himself with merely
continuing his interest in the for
gotten man" and let it go at that,
without any attack upon Smith himself.
Every knock, it has been said, is
boost. And Smiths knock at Roosevelt
seems to have boosted Roosevelt's
chances with many people. Roosevelt
has kept quiet under many attacks by
opposing Democrats and has lost no
thing in so doing. II he comes out and
delivers q slashing attack on Smith to-
night, he will merely succeed in adding
to the fire which is already burning
fiercely enough.
The trip Of Gov. Roosevelt into the
West to deliver his first political speech
since he openly announced his candi
dacy fer the Democratic presidential
nomination raises momentarily the
question Of q running mate for Roose-
velt if he becomes the Democratic
nominee. II the North and East IS to
have the presidential nominee, the vice
presidential nominee probably will go
to some other Sections-to the West, the
Middle West or to the South Ohio,
| probably, would be the ideal State for
Democratic vice presidential candi-
date to run with Roosevelt. When in
| 1920 Ohio had the Democratic presi-
Dental candidate the Democrats picked
Roosevelt himself as the running mate
of the then Gov James M. Cox Of Ohio.
That same year the Republican presi-
| Dental nomination went to the late
| President Harding, also from Ohio, and
| the Republicans turned to Coolidge
| of Massachusetts, for Vice President
although it had been planned by the
leaders to 60 farther West to Wisconsin
and select the then Senator Irwin Len
root of Wisconsin.
| y X
| Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri
| all would be good territory in which to
pick a running mate for Roosevelt the
Roosevelt Democrats say. Some of
them would like to go farther South,
| 10 heHluCky, 1OT WllcIc oClld-
tor Barkley has thrown his support to
Roosevelt and become keynote speaker
and temporary chairman of the Demo-
cratic national convention. Others
would go to Arkansas, where Senator
Robinson. the Democratic leader of the
Senate and running mate Of AL Smith
| in 1928, has stepped aside, virtually
! in favor of Roosevelt There are those
who would like to persuade the Dem
ocratic convention that it should name
Speaker John N. Garner of Texas for
the vice presidential place, provided.
of course, that Mr. Garner would be
willing to relinquish his post as Speaker
Of the House for such place.
| X
| In Ohio the Democrats have several
vice presidential possibilities. Newton
| D. Baker, who is himself mentioned as
a dark-h and long-Shot candidate
| for the presidential nomination, 1t is
said by his friends. would add great
weight to the Democratic national ticket
| If he could be persuaded to run with
Roosevelt. Then there is Gov. George
White. who will have the Ohio delega-
ton with him when the convention as
sembles for the presidential nomination.
! It is not considered likely that James
| M. Cox. who was the party standard
bearer in 1920, would be willing to re-
verse the ticket Of that year and be a
running mate as vice presidential can
didate with Roosevelt in 1882. Cox.
too, has his lightning rod up, just in
case anything should happen to tie up
| the coming national convention OF the
| Democrats and the convention should
be compelled to pick compromise can
! didate. Finally, there is Senator Rob-
! Dull AF Nhn nayot
who carried the State by big vote in
1880. Buckley is a young and vigorous
man 1t is true that he is up for re-
election as Senator this year. and the
Democrats would like to continue him
in that body If they can. But the
probabilities are that If it becomes nee
essary TO take a vice presidential can