Evening star., 1932-05-05
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Speaker John N. Garner of Texas
took on two New Workers, the present
governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
the former governor, Alfred e. Smith,
and beat them both in the California
presidential preferential primary on
Tuesday. Perhaps it was case of too
much New York. Every one, among
the Democrats, seems happy about the
outcome of the primary except the
Roosevelt supporters. Up in New York
AL Smith, who ran third, commented
pleasantly on the personal compliment
paid him by the Californians who
voted for him. Mr.. Smith did not
appear to be disturbed over the fact
that he had run third in a State where
he rolled up more than 100000 votes
in the 1928 presidential election. He
may have been more gratifled at the
jolt which had been handed to his
old political ally and friend, Gov.
Roosevelt. than he was discouraged
over the defeat of his own candidacy.
If the California primary checked the
Roosevelt band wagon. at least it DEM
onstrated rather conclusively that the
Smith wagon has come to complete
halt. 1t will matter little. so far as
Mr.. Smiths own candidacy is concerned,
whether Mr.. Smith picks up Connect
cuts l6 votes In the Democratic Ma
tional Convention, or even If he gets
New Jerseys delegations at the insti-
CATION of Mayor Frank Hague. There
is just one thing that many Democrats
appeared to be willing to bet on today.
That is that AL Smith will not be the
party nominee for President.
Just how far the California victory
will resuscitate the dropping candidacy
of Speaker Garner remains to be seen.
1t has given his friends In Texas and
in Congress q chance to cheer. But
the Speakers boom took terrible tum-
be after the fiasco in the House over
the revenue bill More recently the utter
failure of the Democratic leadership OF
the House to handle the economy bill,
so-called, put another crimp in the
Speakers ambitions 1t Is unlikely that
Mr.. Gamers candidacy will receive any
material support in the great States OF
the Middle West, according to Demo
Gratis from that section. Indiana, ONO
and Illinois. for example, Will not turn
to the Speaker.
Mr.. Garner has kept mum on the
prohibition question so far. But II ne
is to be a real candidate for the presl-
Dental nomination of the Democratic
party, he is not likely to be able 10
maintain that silence much longer: IL
served his purpose in California, Where
the dry sentiment is especially strong
in Los Angeles County, the great popu-
lous county Of the State today. Roose-
welt and Smith are both out in the
open in their opposition to the retsn-
ton Of the eighteenth amendmene,
The California drys quite naturally
rallied to Mr.. Garner, who has had
dry record in Congress since the days
of 1917 when he voted against submls-
sion Of the eighteenth amendment. He
voted for the Volstead act and for the
JoneS-Stalker "five-and-ten" law and
for all kinds of dry enforcement pro-
visions He halls, to be sure, from
dry district in Texas.
But the Speaker probably realizes
that bone dry Democrat Is not going
to be the presidential candidate Of his
party in this year 1882. 1t will be up
to Mr.. Garner to make some kind OF
public statement regarding prohibition
before the convention assemblies, unless
he Is willing to be content with the
support of the Southwest and the
South. And such support will never by
itself nominate a presidential candi-
date. The Democratic party in the
great States of New York, Illinois.
Pennsylvania. Ohio and practically all
of New England. not to mention Mary
land and Wisconsin, has espouSed the
wet cause. Mr.. Garner will have to
stand at least for a re5ubmiss.on of the
eighteenth amendment to the people.
Some of the wet Democrats will insist
that he go even further and declare
himself inimical to the eighteenth
amendment.
Mr.. Gamers California victory un-
doubtedly will be acclaimed by favorite
scn candidate5 for the Democratic pres
trotting along at 20 clip there seemed
little chance for any of these favorits
sons. But first Al Smith in Massachu-
sets and now Garner in California
have demonstrated that the New York
Governor Is not unbeatable in primary
States, provided the primary Is picked
with care. The outlook. for example,
for Gov Albert G. Ritchie of Maryland
and for that long shot, Newton d.
Baker of Ohio has cheered up quite
a bit in the last two or three weeks.
Gov, Ritchie's friends expect that
great deal of the Smith strength in
the Democratic National Convention
will be transferred to him at the proper
time. Indeed, Gov. Ely of MaSsachu-
sets during his trip into the South Tor
he Governors conference in Richmond
indicated to some of his friends that
Massachusetts, delegates, if Smith could
not be nominated, would likely swing
TO Ritchie.
Mr.. Baker still clings to his asSer-
tion that he is not candidate. But
Ohio has long been mother OF Presl-
dents" And the Democrats, II they
do not take a New Yorker may Wen
turn to the Buckeye State for canol-
date. OF course, Ohio has otner sons
who might fill this bill acceptably.
There is Gov. George White, VINO VIII
have the vote of the Ohio delegation
on the first ballot at least. And for
mer Gov. Jimmie" Cox, the Demo-
cratic standard bearer in 1920, would
like to have the nomination very much
if all reports be true. Senator Robert
]. Bulkley. who won the senatorial cleo
ton in Ohio in 1880 by big vote and
is strong opponent OF the eighteenth
amendment into the bargain, also may
be an Ohio prospect for the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination. All OF
these Ohio presidential possibilities, by
the way, are no longer, If ever, COM
mitted to the dry cause. Baker as
member of the WickerSham Commits
on declared fatty for repeal OF the
eighteenth amendment. George White
was elected as dry when he ran for
Governor two years ago, but he has
come out in favor of resubmission OF
the eighteenth amendment. Cox has
declared many times the need for doing
away with national prohibition.
x =
The anti-Roosevelt Democrats are all
smiles today. They have reason to be
after a period of the blues. But the
New York Governor is not out OF the
picture yet. AS is pointed out by his
supporters he will in all probability
go into the convention supported by