Evening star., 1933-03-01
The Speakership Prize.

Inc one great gilt the Democrats
have still to make, which Is not in the
hands of the President-elect, is the
office of Speaker in the new Congress.
Supposedly the determination of this
matter lies entirely within the hands
of the Democratic members of the in
coming House. The reports have been
to the effect that President-elect Roose-
welt and his campaign manager and
Postmaster General-designate, James A.
Farley, are keeping hands of in the
scramble for this important office. How
ever, the present Speaker, Mr.. Garner,
who is soon to become Vice President,
is reported to have a preference in the
matter of the next Speaker, and fur
thermore, the boss of Tammany Hall,
John F. Curry, is credited with coming
to Washington to tell the twenty-nine
Democrats in the new House just how
to vote tomorrow night in the election
of Democratic candidate for Speaker.
Three principal candidates-in the
sense that they have more votes pledged
to them than any others-are Repre-
sentative Rainey of Illinois, the present
Democratic floor leader: Representative
Byrns of Tennessee, chairman of the
Appropriations Committee, and Repre-
sentative McDuffie of Alabama, Demo-
cratic whip. A deadlock in the party
caucus for the election of Speaker
candidate might bring a swing to a
compromise candidate. Representative
Crosser Of Ohio, veteran Democrat from
Cleveland, is to have the vote of his
State delegation, with perhaps a few
exceptions, on the first ballot, and II
has been said he has strength as q
second choice with other delegations
Representative Cullen, Tammany Demo.
crat, is slated to receive the vote of the
New York delegation until the New
Workers determine which is the best
way to jump. Representative Bankhead
of Alabama has been suggested as a
compromise candidate by number ol
his admirers in the House, although he
is supporting McDufie and may place
his name in nomination.
With great influx of new Demo-
cratic members of the House, the ele-
ment of doubt in the election has been
increased. Many of these new men,
bers are from States of the North and
West. Sectionalism plays its part to
some extent in the naming of a Speak
er. Sectionalsm in this particular
contest is threatening to operate with
a reverse twist, however For some OF
the Northern Democrats, not in the
speakership race, look with longing eyes
to the floor leadership, feeling that II
they make Southern Democrat Speak
er the floor leadership may fall into
their own hands. And several South
ern Democrats, who are not figuring
in the speakership race as candidates
themselves, have hopes Of winning the
floor leadership If the speakership goes,
for example, to Mr.. Rainey.
Mr.. Rainey has more to offer than
any other candidate. He is at present
floor leader. He is also ranking Demo-
cratic member of the Ways and Means
Committee and its prospective chairman
in case he should be neither Speaker
nor floor leader in the next House.
These are prizes in the House that may
well bring to Mr.. Rainey support from
men who would like his aid in winning
these positions.
The Republican members Of the
House have named their candidate for
Speaker, Representative Smell Of New
York. In the face of the overwhelming
Democratic majority. in the next House,
the Republican nomination is an empty
honor, except that it carries with it the
Republican floor leadership. Mr.. Smell
is the present G. o. p. leader of the
House and by the action Of the caucus
last night he is to continue in that
position.