Evening star., 1933-09-25
The Political Mill
By C.. Gould Lincoln.

The last three big plums of Federal
patronage In Massachusetts were
shaken out of the tree last week. the
appointments Of United States attor-
ney, United States marshal and immi-
grafton commissioner at Boston. Before
the shaking took place, James Roose-
welt, son of the President, now a resi-
principal dispenser Of Fedoral patronage
for the administration In the Bay State,
held . conference with Senator David
I. Walsh, the senior Democratic Sen
ator and recognized Democratic leader
of the State. After the meeting was
over, statements came from Mr.. Roose-
welt indicating that the conference had
been most amicable. The impression,
apparently, was conveyed that the talk
OF friction between the Roosevelt fac
ton OF the Massachusetts Democracy
as represented by young Roosevelt
and Mayor James A. Curley of Boston
and Walsh and Gov. Ely and the fac
tion they control was, after all, merely
q dirty Republican trick" However,
the conference with Senator Walsh, it
may be recorded. was about the first
time that the Senator has been con-
suited about appointments, and the
appointments made do not indicate that
the Senator got very much out of the
lot.
Two OF the appointees, j. ]. Murphy
10 be United States attorney, and F..
j.. w. Ford to be United States mar
shal, are old friends of President Roose-
welt, and Murphy was one of the ardent
pio-hooseveit campaigners in Massa-
chusetts when the Walsh-Ely organiza- =
tion was fighting for Al Smith last
year. Mary E. Ward, the immigration
commissioner. Is the Democratic ma
tional committeewoman for Massa-
cnusetts and presumably Is acceptable
10 Gov. Ely and Senator Walsh, al
lnough 1t has been said she was not
senator Walsh's first choice for the
place Since the appointments were
mace, Senator Walsh has apparently
Deen inaccessible to newspaper men.
~ ne mas any comment to make on
the appointments for publication, It is
still to be made. He came to Wash
ington Saturday night.
NOW Senator Walsh Is not inclined
TO get into an open battle with the
president and his son at this iuncture
senator Walsh is going along with the
administration. But the treatment that
tne administration has ladeled out 10
the senior Senator from Massachusetts
ior many months has not been calcu-
iated to cause Mr.. Walsh to throw up
his hat every time the name of Roose
welt is mentioned If the Roosevelt
administration has the intention of
eliminating Walsh as a leading figure
IN Democratic politics in Massachusetts
II mas q Job on its hands. James
roosevelt has declared that he recog-
nizes Walsh as the head of the party
IN the State and that he intends to
work for Walshs election next wear.
1t is not unnatural that the Roose
Welt administration wishes TO reward
the supporters of the President in
Massachusetts,, the men who were for
Roosevelt before Chicago" as Post
master General James A. Farley has
designated the pre-convention friends
OF Roosevelt. 1t has gone pretty sys-
tematically about the job too. As Ely
and Walsh and their friends belonged
70 the other camp. it is easy to see
that these rewardS-in the shape of
good Federal offices-have not been to
their liking.
1t must be quite clear that the Roose-
welt high command is bent on building
strongly for the future when it comes
TO Democratic politics. 1t has immense
opportunity to do so. The new deal and
the national recovery program provides
for the setting up of widespread Gov
ernhent organizations-the N. r. A.,
the Public Works Administration, the
Agricultural Adjustment Administra-
ton, the Farm Credits Administra-
tion, the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration, the Home Owners Loan Cor
poration, the Federal Emergency Relief
Administration, in addition to the reg
ular Federal jobs under the old depart
ments and bureaus and commissions
of1er this opportunity. Apparently it
mas been seized by the forelock. This
Is good political sense Furthermore, 1t
is argued that the administration can
get the best administration of its pol
lcies from men and women who are
friendly and loyal to the President.
rather than from men and women who
have not that feeling for the President
and his policies.
The problem in Massachusetts, for
the Roosevelt people has not been un-
Ike their problem in New York City.
The Elys and the Washes have gone
along with the President. Indeed. they
claim with much justice that they have
supported his policies since he came
into ofice, and that they worked for his
electlon-Rfter he was nominated. But
as was the case in New York, the heads
OF the Democratic organization were
Tor Smith. not for Roosevelt. New
York, as the Empire State of the Union.
with the largest number of delegates t.
national party conventions and the
largest number Of electoral votes, has
peen dominated by the Democratic or
ganlzatlon in New York City for years,
80 lar as the Democratic party there is
concerned. This means Tammany.
Roosevelt has bucked the Tammany
leaders and is seeking even now to give
them the coup de grace In the coming
mayoralty election. No Democratic
President for years has so disregarded
iammany and sought to overthrow its
lnnuence. Up in Massachusetts new
arguments are in the making among
the Democrats. 1t looks as though the
Roosevelt forces are bent there on
bringing the antis into camp or fore
ing them into comparative unimpor-
tance.
X X
The President is facing a ma jor
problem of his administration-if NOT
the major problem He is besieged
from many quarters to bring about IT,
fiation of the currency as a means of
bettering the condition of the farmer
He has been threatened with the
passage by Congress Of mandatory in
nationary measures If he does not use
the powers given him In the Thomas
amendment to the farm relief bill
passed at the last session of Congress.
nc mas been urged to start printing
treasury notes on large scale, Sc
cured by the issuance of Government
bonds. or in other words secured only
by the Government credit, in the effor,
to Cheaper money. to bring the dollar
down and the prices of commodities
up. So far the President has resisted
He has sought in every way to expand
credit, but not to tamper with the
currency itself. And the President s
m, oy,f, fvyl-.