Evening star., 1932-05-30
The Political Mill
By C. Gould Lincoln.

The "field" against one leading can
didate for the presidential nomination
has been the picture in many contests
for the Democratic nomination in the
past, and to some degree also in @.
o. P. nomination contests. Back in
1912, Speaker Champ Clark Of Missouri,
the early stages Of the Democratic
reached . majority of the delegate
votes going as high as 556 on the tenth
ballot, although he was never nomi-
mated. This was dozen votes more
than . majority of the convention
strength. He did not. however, have
. majority Of the votes when the f1rst
ballot was cast. The results OF that
ballot were: Clark, 440i5: Wilson, 1924:
Harmon, l48; Underwood, 117l2, and
q scattering OF votes to other candi-
dates. ++*
A dozen years later. in 1924. there
was another battle royal In Madison
Square Garden, New York, with the
field" seeking to tear down William
Gibbs McAdoo and succeeding. McAdoo,
although he had far greater block OF
delegates In the national convention OF
that year. never had a majority. His
was $50. It took however, 103 ballots
Of that convention to pick a presidential
candidate, John w. Davis of New York
and West Virginia.
Although It was clear before the
Democratic national convention of 1928
opened in Houston, Texas, that Alfred
E. Smith was to be the presidential
nominee of the party, there was field"
arrayed against the New Yorker, con-
sisting Of favorite-son candidates, put
forward in main by States where the
Democrats did not wish the nomination
OF Smith In that convention Smith
was nominated on the first ballot. re-
ceiying more than the two-thirds Of the
delegate votes necessary to win His
actual count on the first ballot was
73423 votes Of the LILO delegate votes
in the convention. In the field against
him were Senator Cordell Hull Of Ten
,, nessee, who received the highest number
Of votes next to Smith, II SIS votes;
former Senator James A. Reed Of Mis-
souri,, who had 48 votes; former Senator
Pomerene Of Ohio, Al votes; Senator
George Of Georgia, 52l2 votes: Jesse
Jones of Texas, 43 votes; Senator Pat
Harrison Of Mississippi, 20 votes. and
Representative Ayres of Kansas, 20
votes. There were several others who
received votes on this ballet too. Some
Of the delegations changed their votes
when 1t became evident that Smith had
won, and when this had been done
Smith had total OF 84923 votes. Ap-
went to Smith, although an effort was
made to have the nomination made by
reclamation" after it was clear that
Smith was to be nominated.
This year in the Democratic camp 1t
is the field" against Gov. Franklin D.
Roosevelt Of New York His opponents
insist that he will not have the neces-
sary two-thirds Of the 1854 delegate
votes when the first ballot is taken, or
ITO. 1t is generally conceded, however,
that the New York Governor will have
between 600 and 700 delegate votes on
the first ballot, and with the tide
running strongly his way, he may,
through changes Of vote. reach the two
thirds needed before the result of the
first ballot Is announced. He will be
In better position on the first ballot
than were either the late Speaker
Champ Clark in 1912 or McAdoo in
1924. With the exception of Senator
James A. Reed of Missouri, who is a
contestants against Smith in 1928 are
among those who will be put in nonina-
tion against Roosevelt in Chicago next
month. Ohio will have favorite son
candidate in the person of Gov. George
White, but Indiana will present no
candidate for the Democratic nomina-
tion. unusual in the Democratic history
of the Hoosier State
X y
With the Republican National Con-
verticn due to meet on June "A. little
more than two weeks of, and the Re
publican National Committee called to
assemble in Chicago on June to make
final arrangements for the convention,
there is still much speculation as to
the choice Of President Hoover for the
chairmanship of the National Com
mittee, the manager of his campaign
for reelection. The party leaders are
reported to have somebody in mind"
for the job. The announcement is
yet to be made, however Postmaster
General Walter F. Brown who has been
selected for national committeeman
from Ohio. it has been widely pre-
dicted will be the choice for the chair
manship of the National Committee.
Although Mr. Brown Is reported not to
desire the job, but much perferring to
icuiaul LII ilAS pIcSciII pOSl, llc WILL e~1hc
the Craftsmanship should the President
ask him to do so. Mr.. Brown has
been recognized as one of the leaders
of the wet wing of the Republican
party. If the National Convention
writes into the national platform a
plank calling for resubnission Of the
eighteenth amendment, plank that
many ardent drys will proclaim wet,
some of the Republican leaders figure
that the dry Republicans, upon whom
the President must count in the coming
campaign, may be further incensed II
Mr. Brown is put in charge OF the Ma.
tional Committee and the conduct OF
the national contest.
Another member of the Presidents
cabinet who has been frequently men,
toned for the position of national
chairman Is Secretary Pat Hurley OF the
War Department. Mr.. Hurley, like the
Postmaster General, insists he has no
desire for the Craftsmanship. But Mr
Hurley would take on the work If the
President asked him to do so. There
has been talk of returning to the man
who successfully ran the Coolidge. cam.
paign in 1924, William M. Butler OF
Massachusetts,, and his appointment as
chairman of the national committee
would be satisfactory to a number OF
the members of the committee. While
neither Mr. Hurley nor Mr.. Butler are
regarded as quite so wet as Mr..
Brown, they are supporters of resub-
mission of the eighteenth amendment,
too. The present national chairman,
Senator Fess of Ohio, is simon pure
dry. Undoubtedly retention of Senator
Fess as chairman would appeal to the
dry Republicans and would not be re-
sented by the wet Republicans if they
get their plank in the national plat
form. But Senator Fess is emphatic in
his declaration he will not, under any
circumstances, remain as national
chairman during the coming campaign.
If the President has a dark horse" for
the national craftsmanship in mind, he
has yet to produce him.
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