Evening star., 1932-03-14
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

York and Gov. Alfalfa Bill MURRAY
lock horns in their first test Of strength
in the West tomorrow. The North
Dakota primaries show them both en-
tered. Al Smith is not in this contest.
The New York Governor has the ad-
vantage Of name widely known in the
West. He has been put forward as
another Roosevelt" likened, at least to
that extent, to the late "T. R." whose
distant cousin he Is. The Governor of
Oklahoma. on the other hand, has bene-
fitted in his campaign for preferment
by the picturesque nickname which he
picked up long ago on the Western
prairies. Gov. Murray, moreover, has
been campaigning in the State of
North Dakota himself, while Gov. Roose-
welt has had to rely upon his friends
IN the state and by some outside speak
ers. But Roosevelt has the Democratic
organization with him; he was first in
the neld, and he has the advantage of
tne TACT tnat ne Is considered a likely
winner OF the Democratic presidential
nomination and Murray is not. The
Roosevelt people seem to be exercised
particularly over the fact that because
there Is no real contest in the presi-
Dental preferential primary on the Re-
publican side a lot of the Non-Partisan
League Republicans and other Repub-
Nans may f1op over and vote In the
DcSocratic primary a7d vote for Muir
ray.
However, there is a very real Renub-
lican contest in the only fight that really
counts in North Dakota. That is the
fight for the election of DELEGATES To
the National Convention. The regular
or Hoover Republicans have put a slate
OF delegate candidates in the field, al
though they have not entered the Presi-
dents name in the preferential pri-
mary. The Non-Partisan League Re-
publican group, sometimes called pro-
gresslVe. has entered a slate of dele
gates, too, an uninstructed list. II
enough OF the Non-Partisan group
should go over to the Democratic side
OF the primary, it might insure the elec-
t1on OF the Hoover slate of delegates.
However, 1t has been generally expected
That the Non-Partisan uninstructed list
OF delegate candidates would win in
tne Republican contest tomorrow. North
Dakota reported to be hotbed Of
dlScontent. 1t has been asserted time
and again that the farmers would reg
lister their resentment against the pres
ent conditions by voting against the
Hoover administration. And now it is
asserted. too, that they will vote for
Murray as against the Governor of New
York on the ground that Murray rep
reSentS greater contrast to existing
conditions than does Roosevelt.
4 X
Sh0uld PooSavaIf u,ix, or,- 1E,,--.,,
in this country, his candidacy will lump
forward still further, and Murray who
has been beating the woods for weeks
and has obtained an almost unbelievable
amount Of publicity in his hunt for
delegates to the national committee,
Will suffer distinct loss. As matter
OF fact, no Democrat really expects
Murray to get anywhere in the race
for the presidential nomination. The
anti-Roosevelt faction in the party,
however, has jumped at the candidacy
OF Murray as It has at other candi-
dacies, including those Of Al Smith and
Speaker Jack" Garner, as another log
for the barrier to be constructed across
the path Of the New York Governor.
The Democrats of the old Bay State
have been able to come TO no agree
ment in their contest of over AL Smith
and Gov. Roosevelt The Democrats
supporting Smith have declined it is
reported, to sccede to the demand of
the Roosevelt Democrats that the dele
cation. after Mr.. Smith shall have been
unable to win the nomination, turn to
Roosevelt. They are going the whole
hog In their support sof Smith and
against Roosevelt That being the case,
the Roosevelt Democrats in Massa-
chusetts, headed by Mayor James M.
Curley Of Boston, are to place a COM
plete list of delegate candidates in the
field. Curleys name is likely to lead
the list Of Roosevelt delegate candi-
dates, and Curley is hard man to
beat. Furthermore, there are a lot of
district delegates to be elected in Massa-
chusetts, and it is rather generally con-
ceded that Roosevelt will pick up a
number of district delegates. Any gains
that Roosevelt makes in Massachusetts,
are real gains and will be 50 considered.
Massachusetts has been regarded as
essentially Smith territory, Just as much
a though Smith were the "favorite son"
candidate of that State Smith has
been held unbeatable in Massachusetts,.
If he loses number Of districts, the
victory really goes to Roosevelt, even
though Smith may have a majority Of
the delegates. ~
Senator Robert M. La Toilette of
Wisconsin has proposed national
presidential primary to be held on
June Z. a week before the Republican
National Convention meets in Chicago.
His bill really calls for referendum
vote of the people In the separate
States on their preference for presi-
Dental nominations, both Republican
and Democratic. Senator La Toilette
belongs to the faction OF the Republican
party that is strongly opposed to Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover. In statement ac-
companying the introduction of his bill
the Wisconsin Senator admits that
there is no chance whatever Of pre-
venting the denomination of President
Hoover at the Republican National
Convention. Without using Mr.. Hoo
ver's name, Senator La Toilette gives
this impression, saying:
Unless the American People are af-
forded popular vote in advance of
the Chicago conventions, the Repub-
hcan nominee will be named by dele
gates controlled by the use of Federal
patronage The Democratic nominee
will be named under the two-thirds
rule as the result of secret deals and
trades among the bosses of powerful
political machines in the larger cities
of the country. The representation
from the South in the Republican con-
vent1on VIII exceed by SO seats that of
any previous convention. In neither
convention will more than 90 per cent
of the delegates be under instructions
as result Of a direct vote of the people
on the leading candidates"
X
Inquiry among Republican and DEM
ocratic leaders indicates, however. that
the La Toilette bill has practically no
chance whatever of being enacted into
law. At best, it could only request the
States to hold such a referendum or
primary vote. Congress does not have
the power TO compel the States to en-
gage in such referendum Other pro-
posals have been made in the past to
bring about a Nationwide presidential
preferential primary, among them one