Evening star., 1932-05-19
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Gov. Franklin d. Roosevelt Of New
York, in his quest for the Democratic
presidential nomination. has split New
England with Alfred E. Smith, with
three States sending delegations to the
national convention for Roosevelt and
three for Smith. Yesterday the RooSe-
welt Democrats won in Vermont. They
had already obtained delegations for
Roosevelt in New Hampshire and Maine.
Smith, on the other hand, has the
delegations from Massachusetts,. Rhode
Island and Connecticut Because Of
the more populouS States of MaSsa-
chuSetts and Connecticut, Mr. Smiths
slice OF the New England vote in the
national convention will be considerably
more than that of Gov. Roosevelt.
Nevertheless. the results of the New
England primaries and State conven-
tions do not leave Gov. Roosevelt
without support from that section of
the country.
Out In Oregon the Democrats will
elect tomorrow their delegates to the
party's national convention by the pri-
mary route. In Tennessee, Demo-
cratic State convention will select the
delegates Both States are expected to
pick Roosevelt delegations Yesterday
Roosevelt, in addition to the Vermont
delegation, added to his crop of dele
gates the six delegate votes of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, elected in primary
and instructed for Roosevelt South
Carolina Democrats in State convention
also picked a delegation favoring
Roosevelt, although it is minStructed.
However. the convention gave its in
dorsement to the New York Governor.
1t won't be long now before the whole
list of States and territories has COM
-pleted selection Of delegates to the
Democratic National Convention. So
far there have been few upsets. Speaker
Gamers victory in California came as a
surprise to many, who had figured that
Roosevelt would win there And in
New Hampshire, the Roosevelt managers
jolted the Smith and anti-Roosevelt
people by carrying their whole delegate
slate to victory. But beyond these hap
penings there have been few changes
from the predicted results Roosevelt Is
going into the national convention with
great mass OF instructed, pledged and
favoring delegates Whether he will win
the presidential nomination is still to be
determined. There are Democrats who
continue to insist the New York Gov
ernor never will be nominated" The
odds, however, continue to favor Roose-
welt. One Of the few big delegations
still to be chosen is that from Indiana
If Democrats in the Hoosier State are
correct IN their predictions, Roosevelt
will have that delegation with him, too.
Virginia holds a state convention on
June to elect its delegates to the
Democratic National Convention. There
is not the slightest doubt that the dele
CATION will be instructed to support
former Gov. Harry Flood Byrd for the
presidential nomination. Mr.. Byrd has
been and is a prominent figure in the
Democratic party He is vice chair
man of the Democratic National Com
mittee. He demonstrated his executive
ability during his service as Governor
of Virginia. II elected President, he
has the qualifications to make him a
good Chief Executive. That he can
win the presidential nomination how
ever, is exceedingly doubtful. He has
at best only an outside chance. He
stands for plank in the Democratic
national platform calling for reSubmiS-
sion of the eighteenth amendment He
however, halls from the South, and SO
far the Democrats have not shown any
inclination to pick Southerner for
their standard bearer. Their fear is
| that sectionaliSm might injure his
chances. 1t is high time that the
Democrats left such fears behind them.
The South has been the cradle of the
Democratic party for years and years
If Mr.. Byrd fsils to win the first place
on the Democratic ticket this year, he
may have good chance, a much better
chance, for second place
In New York City and the ramifca-
tions of the Legislative Committees in
vest!gation Of that city'S government
may finally be found the answer to the
Democratic presidential race Judge
Samuel Seabury. counsel for the COM
mittee, has brought his inquiry to
point where 1t touches Mayor Jimmy"
Walker Within the next few weeks
Judge Seabury is expected to make his
case against the mayor. If he does and
the case goes to Gov. Roosevelt, the
New York Governor will be called upon
to decide whether Walker is to remain
as mayor or is to be ousted. Should the
Seabury investigation show that the
mayor is guilty of wrongdoing. the
mayor will have to go. That seems as
plain as the nose on George Washing
tons face The New York Governor
could not keep the mayor in office under
such circumstances if he wanted to,
and there is reason to believe he has
no desire to keep him in Office under
such circumstances. If Walker goes
out under a cloud. his influence will be
gone Nor will Tammany be in a posi-
ION to rally to his defense outwardly, at
least The Tammany leaders might
undertake to let Roosevelt down in the
election in New York City next No
vember But they would be in no po-
sition to defeat him for the Democratic
nomination in June, merely because he
had removed a discredited mayor OF
course. the Seabury investigation may
not show that Mayor Walker has been
accepting bribes or handling his office
corruptly in any other ways. In that
event, there will be no removal from
! Office and business will continue as
usual
The Roosevelt candidacy has been
favored in recent months by the With
! drawal Of several potential cardldates
for the Democratic presidential nomlna-
ton. The latest was the firm decllnatlon
of Owen D. Young to be considered as
candidate Mr.. Young said in effect that
he would not accept a nomination il II
were offered to him. That, after all,
is the only and final way OF taking
ones self out of the race for the NOM
nation But the Roosevelt opposition
has been disappointed because num-
Der of potential favorite son candidates
have faded from the picture. Senator
Robinson of Arkansas, Democratic
leader of the Senate, declined to be a
candidate, and Roosevelt will have the
Arkansas delegation. Senator Barkley
Of Kentucky took similar action and
lined up the Blue Grass States dele-
cation fCr tho Nput Worker Senator
Hull of Tennessee, Senator Pat Har-
/ rison of Mississippi are others who
might have gone to the national con-
uartinrn aS faNnrita son CandldatCS Ii