Evening star., 1932-05-16
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

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Roosevelt's pre-convention campaign
will be greatly disappointed If the Sun
flower State delegation Is not instructed
for their candidate for the presidential
nomination. If reports are correct, the
delegation will favor the New York
| Governor. There is some interest, too,
| in political circles here about what is
done with regard to Jouett Shouse,
chairman Of the Democratic National
Executive Committee. 1t has been un-
derstood that Mr.. Shouse, who Is slated
by the Committee on Arrangements to
be permanent chairman Of the Demo-
cratic National Convention, is persona
non grata with many of the Roosevelt
people The opinion was expressed to-
day, however, by friends of Mr.. Shouse
that he would be picked for delegate-a
large in the Kansas convention.
H. D. Kissenger of Kansas City, Mo-,
| In q letter to the Editor of The Star,
| suggests that the Democrats, in their
search for q presidential candidate
might;
| "See the undertaken
With Newton D. Baker"
He adds that he Is likewise con-
vinced that the Democrats would;
| Surely get stung
With owen D. Young"
But he is capricious politically for
he adds that it need not be inferred
! that Miss Democracy;
Cannot win the belt
Without Roosevelt"
Nor does Mr.. Kissenger cotton to
| AL Smith, whom he pictures as turn
| ing "on the man who fights for the
man at the foot OF the ladder.
The present week will see delegates
to the Democratic National Convention
picked, too, in Montana, tomorrow
! where Roosevelt has the support OF
| both Senator Wheeler and Senator
Walsh. New Jersey will elect its dele
gates in a State primary. They, the
| Jersey Democratic boss, Frank Hague
| insists, must be for Al Smith and any
way, against Roosevelt. Hague Is the
head and forefront of the anti-Roose-
welt campaign among the Democrats.
Not very chubby toward the Governor
of q neighboring State. Connecticut
| is expected to choose 16 delegates 1or
Smith tomorrow. New Mexico today
selects its delegates in State conven-
| ton, Oregon holds State primary
| to elect delegates to the national con-
ventions on May 20, and the Distrlct
of Columbia has a primary to PICK
| its representatives to the Democratlc
| National Convention on Wednesday.
south Carolina. Tennessee. Nevada and
Vermont also select their delegates
| this week and Roosevelt managers hope
to have them all.
Under the leadership of John F. Cos
| tello, Democratic national committee
man, and John B. Colpoys, chairman Oh
the local Democratic Committee, vaIl-
oals factional difficulties among the Dis
trict Democrats are said to have been
ironed out and the prospects are for
the election of an uncontested delega-
| tion. It may be said that 1t Is expected
the District will, under the unit rule,
cast its six votes in the National Con-
vention for Franklin D. Roosevelt, de-
snite the fact there will be among the
| delegates some anti-Roosevelt Senti-
ment. Furthermore, 1t Is expected that
| the urinary will show that the delega-
| tion has been instructed for Roosevelt.
The six votes that the National Capital
will bring to the Roosevelt standard
may not nominate the New York Gov
ernor, but it will have its effect ana
| furthermore will be q reminder OF the
days of 1920, when a delegate to tnY
| Democratic National Convention fron
the District Of Columbia placed Roose-
| yelt in nomination for Vice President
and started the movement which
| BROUGHT about that nomination. The
reelection Of Mr.. Costello as national
committeeman for the District and Mrs
]. Borden Hartman as national COM
mitteewoman Is said to be assured: ms
Democratic organization in the District
is conducted with both skill and EN-
cheney by seasoned politicians. At
tempts have been made in the past to
wrest control from Mr.. Costello and
they might be made now. But those
who might like to oust Costello are not
at all sure they would not in the end be
defeated II they tried it. So they COM
promise and go along with him.
x&*
The Roosevelt campaign managers
are making sure that Roosevelt dele
gates are picked for membership In the
committees on rules and credentials OF
the coming Democratic National Con-
vention. They are anxious TO nave
working majoritieS in both those IN
portant committees. The time may
come when they desire to break the
two-thirds rule OF nominating Demo-
cratic candidates for President ana
Vice President, depending on the out
look for Roosevelt as the convention Is
on the eve of meeting. Furthermore,
the Roosevelt managers do not wish
any slip up in the seating OF Roose-
welt delegates In cases where contests
for delegate seats may arise. They are
not so anxious about the membership
Of the Platform Committee, for they
believe their candidate will be able TO
stand on the platform written by the
convention. But they do not intend
to let the organization of the conven-
tion get away from them, not II they
can avoid 1t.
Speaker John N. Garner. candidate
for the Democratic nomination 1or
President, has opened fire on President
Hoover, the prospective Repupnean
nominee for President. He insists tnat
Mr. Hoover issues too many statements
and injures the country thereby and
that Mr. Hoover "has to be advertised.
The Speaker has been pretty wen ad-
vertiSed himself in recent months. Mr..
Garner, however, has been extremely
chary about stating his own views on
public questions Of Importance. For
example, no one has yet been able 10
drag q word out Of him about national
prohibition He may figure, like Roose-
welt and other Democratic presidential
possibilities, that he will be able to
stand on any platform declaration re-
garding the eighteenth amendment that
the national convention may write INTO
the platform.
Speaker Garner has had his own
troubles since he became the presiding
officer Of the House and the titular head
Of the Democratic party in that body.
He may have more. For example, 1t has
been revealed that steering commit
tee" to deal with the question OF reiief
legislation has been set up by much the
same coalition which threw the monkey
wrench into the House leadership wnen
the revenue bill and the economy Dill