The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-08
Republican and Democr a tic
Strings Will be Pulled From
Behind Scenes

washington, June From the DAYS
OF Thomas Jefferson and Alexander
Hamilton down to the present, politi-
Cal posses have played major part
III the making of presidents. Pending
events at Chicago this month will
have no exception.
Convention delegates may vote, cheer
and stage wild parades around the
convention hall-but the decisions up
on which they act usually are made
in advance at quiet conferences be-
tween the men who pull the strings
from behind the scenes. It has been
estimated that 1000 of the lisa dele
gates to the Democratic convention
this year will be controlled by Is or
80 men,
The Republican bosses will have
little to do this year except to go
through certain formalities, such as
the denomination of President Hoover,
and write prohibition plank which
seems to have been framed in ad-
vance.
Some of the most powerful Demo-
cratic leaders, however, are opposed
to Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of
New York, and they hope they can
get enough help from other powerful
bosses whose position is as yet uncer-
tain to keep Roosevelt from the NOM
ination and to nominate their own
choice.
There is much doubt whether they
can do that because there is no solid
1irp1Iro ~,
blocs in the northeast such as has
killed off leading candidates in both
parties in the past.
X X X
The really potent figures at the
Democratic convention will be the
candidates themselves. 1t is accepted,
for instance, that Roosevelt, with 500
or 600 delegates, will be able to have
very loud voice in picking the ncmi-
nee in case he shouldn't be nominated.
And Smith. with perhaps couple of
hundred more, also will have a say.
Speaker Jack Garner with 80 or more
delegates and various favorite sons,
some of whom can control their state
delegations to the finish, also might
be influential.
The local boss who is expected to
have the largest group of delegates
under his hand is John F. Curry, lead
er of Tammany Hall. Curry, white
haired, beyond middle-age man who
plays an excellent game of bridge, will
have the "a votes of New York and
thus far he is the only one who knows
what he is going to do with them.
ments with some upstate New York
machine leaders, announced conf
IDENTIFY that the "a would be voted
under the unit rule. There are Roo
sevelt delegates in the group, but APP
parently they won't be able to help
themselves. The unit rule, often i'm
posed by state conventions, requires
delivery Of the whole delegation vote
as a unit to the designated candidate.
The strongest boss in the anti-Roo-
sevelt group is Mayor Frank Hague
of Jersey City, who will deliver New
Jerseys 80 for Smith and connive as
he never did before to destroy Roose-
welt at the convention.
Beside such men as Hague. Ma
tional Chairman John j. Raskob and
Executive Chairman Shouse will be
of little effect except as they may
use personal influence and persuasion,
although they also are counted anti
Roosevelt.
Hague is a machine boss in the
strictest sense. He also is Demo-
cratic national committeeman and
Aol- i,,fn in,
conventions. He is amiable, affable,
well-tailored and two-fisted. They
call him the Prince of Wales of Jer-
sey City,"
He has been under all kinds of fire,
including graft charges, but always
energies victorious and smiling, still
able to deliver tremendous majorities
in Hudson county. He is more pow
erful than ever, having recently elect
ed Democratic governor.
His ambition is to help elect DEM
ocratic president, for Republicans still
have all the federal patronage in New
Jersey as elsewhere.
Mayor Anton j. Cermak of Chicago,
the former Bohemian immigrant lad
who hates to be called Tony by any
but his very best friends, probably will
control the So votes of Illinois. They
are pledged to Senator j. Ham Lewis,
but not for long.
When the state Democratic chair
man recently said most of them were
for Roosevelt. Cermak up and told
him that he was mistaken-that their
second choice was Melvin A. Traylor.
Tom Pendergast of Kansas City has
developed lately as the undisputed
Democratic boss of Missouri and will
control SO delegates which are loosely
pledged to ex-senator Jim Reed.
X X X
He is said to be hard-boiled and ex-
tremely practical. Some of the Roo
sevelt people think that he will come
across for their man, but definite in
formation is lacking.
Former Governor James M. Cox
probably will direct most OF the Ohio
delegation. Senator Robinson Of Ar
kansas and Governors Byrd OF Vir-
GINA and Richie of Maryland pre-
sumably will control their delegations.
Joe Guffey of Pittsburgh, whose po-
litical influence was supposed to have
been slipping, appears to have made
good his boast that &C of Pennsylva-
MAS 76 delegates would be for Roose-
welt. Senator Huey Long. undisputed
boss of Louisiana, has promised the
states uninstructed 20 for Roosevelt.
The southern leaders, such as the ia
nous Boss Ed Crump of Tennessee,
have generally lined up for the COVER
nor. j
4 \ y
Among the Republican leaders you
might say that the boss with the |
greatest strength was Walter F.