Evening star., 1932-04-28
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

We'll, I guess that will put a chock
under the bandwagon," commented Al
fred E. Smith when he read yesterday
the returns from the Democratic pri-
maries in Massachusetts, and Pennsyl-
vania. His comment effectually re-
moves the polite fiction that Mr.. Smith
Is not in this race to stop any one"
The bandwagon to which the Demo-
cratic standard bearer Of 1928 had ref
erence was the presidential candidacy
Of Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt of New
York.
The results OF these primaries will
undoubtedly give the anti-Roosevelt
Democrats heart to go on with the
fight to prevent RooSevelt's nomination
in Chicago. But just where do they
leave Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Smith?
In the first place. Roosevelt lost Massa-
chusetts to Smith, as every one ex-
pected he would lose. although by
greater margin. In the second place,
Roosevelt carried Pennsylvania against
Smith, victory which had been
claimed by the Roosevelt forces but
vehemently denied by the Smith and
snti-Roosevelt people. In both Penn
sylvania and Massachusetts, Smith had
the advantage of being backed by the
leaders Of the Democratic State organi-
Zations. That was true in Pennsyl-
vania as well as In Massachusetts,. And
in the keystone State Smith had rolled
up q million votes in the election in
1928. The showing he made in the pri-
mary there Tuesday was not indicative
OF any great desire on the part of the
voters to see him renominated.
Roosevelt. it appears, undoubtedly
hap intfft Nf InA @a1n %
Democratic national convention elected
in Pennsylvania, though just what the
division will be remains to be seen.
Roosevelt leaders are claiming So or go
of the 76 votes Pennsylvania will have
in the national convention. The Smith
estimate is that 40 of these delegate
votes will be for Al Smith.
The Roosevelt lead in the presidential
preference primary has grown to some
thing like $4,000, and may 60 to 30, 900.
In view CT the small vote cast in the
Democratic primary in Pennsylvania
that lead looms greater than 1t other
wise would. In Philadelphia, which was
supposed to reek with Smith sentiment,
Mr.. Smith received only 1900 votes to
5000 for Roosevelt. In 1928 276 900
votes were cast for Smith in Philadel-
phia. The vote in the primary Tuesday
did not indicate any great demand for
the former New York Governor for Pres
ldent, nor for Roosevelt, either. 1t
merely demonstrated again how over
whelmingly Republican Pennsylvania
really Is. Neither Mr.. Roosevelt. Mr..
Smith nor any other Democrat whom
the national convention may nominate
for President has. 1t seems. any more
chance of carrying Pennsylvania next
November than has President Hoover
OF carrying South Carolina.
1t looks as Though Gov. Roosevelt
had made tactical error in going into
the primary In Massachusetts. Had
he let that contest go BY default to
Smith, with all the Democratic leaders
there favoring Smith as they were,
Roosevelt would not now be in the po-
sition of having to explain why he
made no better showing In the Bay
State on Tuesday. The enthusiastic
Mayor Curley of Boston, however. led
Gov. Roosevelt to believe that there
was a chance to pick up delegates in
the Bay State. Mr. Curley was mis-
taken. Furthermore, the Democratic
leaders. including Senators Walsh and
Coolidge and Gov. Ely, were even more
intent upon smashing Mayor Curley
and his political smoitions than they
we're upon mashing Gov Roosevelt.
Now they are definitely aligned with
Smith and the stop Roosevelt" move
ment.
On the other hand. Smiths success
in Massachusetts, may have a very dis
tnct effect on the Roosevelt candidacy
in other States not contemplated by
the anti-ROoSe .elt faction. In the great
States Of the Middle West and West,
the Democrats are strongly against the
denomination of Smith. They have
taken to Roosevelt largely because nc
represented real rallying post against
Smiths hackers are going to try to
nominate Smith. they are likely to stick
closer than ever to Roosevelt.
As the contest between Roosevelt and
the field continues, one thing becomes
more and more apparent. The out
standing leaders in the present national
set up Of the Democratic party are in
tent upon defeating the New York
Governor, while the rank and file Of the
party has shown itself particularly
strong for Roosevelt.
1t begins to look as though the fight
in the convention would be largely one
between these anti-Roosevelt leaders
and the less well organized group of
Roosevelt people. These leaders
are shrewd politicians And strange as
1t may seem, most Of them come from
States which rarely 90 Democratic in
national elections. Frank Hague, the
New Jersey Democratic boss and vice
chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, Is one Of then. The Penn
Sylvania national committeeman and
State chairman, Sedwick kist!er, and
velt. Cermack. the new Democratic
mayor OF Chicago, who has demon
strated his hold on the Democracy of
Illinois in the recent primaries, is in
clined to play ball with the anti-Roose-
welt leaders, and so on down the line
Chairman Raskob of the National Com
mittee, 1t has been asserted again and
again, is strongly opposed to the Roosc-
welt nomination, and Mr.. Raskob mas
been the financial angel Of the Demo-
cratic national organization, not only
in the 1928 campaign, but also since
1923. Then there is John F. Curry.
leader Of Tammany Hall. Mr. Curry
has played an extremely clever game
so far. Neither coming out for or
against Gov. Roosevelt, but demon
SUfdIlnR MS ability W StlLB III
New York Democratic politics.
y
It takes ITO votes in the Democratic
National Convention to nominate a
presidential candidate under the two
thirds rule. II 385 votes are lined up
and cast for other candidates, and
never go to Roosevelt, he cannot be
nominated under that rule. The dan
ger to the Roosevelt opposition lies in
the fact that If Mr.. Roosevelt gets
over a majority of the convention vote
and within striking distance of the
necessary two-thirdS, delegates will flop
over to him. The anti-Roocevelt lead
ers are counting on the following dele
gates to the national convention:
Connecticut Cfor SMITH, 16; Illinois
for Lewis. 5S; Maryland Cfor Ritchie)
I6; Massachusetts, for Smith, 36;
Missouri Qor Reed, SO; New Jersey