Evening star., 1932-02-28
boom FOR GARNER
REACHES MATURITY
Order and Organization in
Candidacy of Texan Are
Lacking, However.
BY the Associated Press.

! Nv the Associated Press.
The presidential boom for Speaker
John N. Garner, which first saw light
at a meeting of his neighbors last Fall
at Uvalde, Tex, now has passed safely
through the adversities of infancy and
attained a stature of measurable pro-
portions.
AS 1t stands today, the movement to
make this direct-Speaking plainsman
the Democratic nominee still lacks the
order and organization customary for
presidential candidates., but it has
gathered into more or less nebulous
union some unquestionably important
elements Of strength.
First, there is the Texas Garner-for-
President Club, organized recently at a
wide meeting 1t promises to send
to Chicago a militant and harmonious
Garner delegation-one of the largest
among the States. 1t is no favorite- son
venture. 1t already is distributing auto
mobile posters and negotiating for a
special convention train of boosters.
Many See Advantages.
Next there is large group of Gar
ner'S associates in the House. from every
section, who love and respect him for
himself, and who presumably do not
overlook also the advantages to them
selves which might result from election
to the presidency of one who knows so
well their own legislative problems on
Capitol Hill.
Then there is scattering of ad-
mlrers In many States, attracted by the
Speakers personality and new-won
fame, and impressed by the possibility
that his nomination might be the key
to party harmony.
There are enlisted on his behalf sew
eral national figures who nave, or at
least have had, a considerable following
of their own in the part, including
William G. McAdoo and William
Randolph Hearst.
Finally, there are party leaders, en-
tirely friendly to Garner, but unwilling
for various reasons openly to support
him, who are talking up the Garner
candidacy as one means Of preventing
FRANKLIN d. Roosevelt or anyone else
from foreclosing the nomination in
advance.
Altogether, this amounts to an i'm
pressive show of strength. But there are
important obstacles, too. and not even
Gamers best friends expect his candi-
dacy to sweep along pathway Of
roses.
1t is very difficult to conduct a sue
ceSsful campaign without q close knit
and comprehensive central organization.
The task Is still more difficult when as
in the case of Garner the beneficiary
himself casts about the movement an
air OF distinct uncertainty by his re-
fusal to become an active candidate.
His friends appear undecided what to
do about 1t, how far to go toward
putting his name in or keeping it out
Of the scramble for delegates.
Remain R0osevelts Friends.
Many of these friends are friendly
also to Roosevelt, as indeed the Texas
delegation itself was assumed to be
prior to the advent of the Garner
boom. They distinctly do not want to
make a fight which will antagonize the
Roosevelt wing of the party; for II
Roosevelt is nominated. they want to be
on good terms with him, and if he is
stopped they hope to swing much of
his strength to Garner.
Still deeper lies a reason having to
do directly with Gamers present prob
leyns as Speaker 1t is realized that
much of his present popularity is
anchored in the solidarity of his con-
troll over the narrow Democratic ma
jority In the House. 1t is not unrea-
sonable to suppose that If his candi-
dacy becomes a threat to Roosevelt
some of the Roosevelt men in the
House will be disposed to cut the ground
from under him
Thus it might happen that the very
prestige which now forms the central
prop of his availability, would be seri-
ously impaired before convention time
Happy in Speakership.
Beyond all this lies the fact that
Garner is happy in the speakership,
and would not expect to be happy in
the presidency. He loves simplicity and
cherishes privacy and boon companions
He is past so, and Independently
wealthy. What attitude he himself
may take eventually toward the &C
tivities Of his friends, even they do
not know
He laughed when the presidential
boomlet was born at Uvalde, but he is
not laughing now. He has known too
many Presidents to assess lightly the
trials and sorrows of the highest office.
In the broadest sense, then. his can
d1dacy remains in a transitory stage,
even though it has taken a place of
und1sputed prominence in party affairs.
A great deal of water must run under
the bridge before any one can take
the final measure of John N. Garner