Evening star., 1933-07-31
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

demonstrated very clearly today. Ever
since Jimmie" Walker became the real
forgotten man. the reform element in
New York has been shouting from the
housetops that 1t was about to "take
the Tiger for q ride. OF course, the
Republican party in Greater New York
has been delighted at the suggestion.
Fusion" has been the watchword. A
fusion Of the Republicans, the anti
Tammany Democrats and the inde-
pendent voters has been sought. With
what result? The would-be fusionists
have fallen into different camps. And
50 violent have been their disagreements
at times that they seem to have lost
sight entirely Of Tammany, their orig1-
nal enemy.
4 4
Former Gov Charles S. Whitman,
Republican, and Judge Samuel Seabury,
anti-Tammany Democrat and general
counsel for the Legislative Committee
and responsible for the downfall of
Walker in large part-though Jimmie s
troubles are mostly Of his own making
have fallen out in their efforts to nomi-
nate a mayoralty candidate capable of
defeating Mayor O'Brien, the Tammany
candidate. Whitman Is now proposing
Maj. Gen. John F. Organ for the
fusion nomination, while Mr.. Seabury
Is apparently swinging around to the
support OF former Representative La
Guardia, who has been in the House
both as Republican and as a Socialist
and who was defeated candidate for
mayor in the past. Seabury has charged
that the nomination of Gen. Organ
would be complete sellout to Tam
many. This hasn't pleased the general
and his hackers little bit. All of this
is nuts to Tammany and John F..
Curry, its leader.
Just why the reformers have to be a
poor bunch of politicians no one knows.
1t is not only In New York City. Once
let a political machine get far enough
in bad in any American city to cause
a veritable revolt among the people,
and the reform elements have so many
leaders and so many ambitious poll
ticians OF their own that 1t is like tax
ing candy from a child for the well knit
machine to beat the reformers. So
often has this happened that it is a
wonder that the reformers don't get hep
to themselves. 1t is hard enough to
beat Tammany. or any other well in
trenched political organization, without
making 1t much more difi1cult by a
division among the anti-machine
forces
A general coal strike would not be
so good for the movement toward in
duStrial recovery which is now going
forward at rapid clip. The strike In
the Pennsylvania soft coal mines has
aroused lot Of interest here in Wash
ington. The industrial recovery act
pledges to the workers the right OF
collective bargaining in the set-up of
codes OF fair competition. 1t looks as
though both the labor unions and the
employers In some Of these coal mines
have sought to get the drop on each
other, with the unions demanding that
the miners become right away men,
bers OF the United Mine Workers. and
the companies lining the miners up in
so-called company unions. The strife
isn't so good for the success Of the re-
covery program. Gov. Pinchot has had
to deal with coal strikes in his State
before and has done a pretty good job
Of it. He Is acting swiftly now, declar-
ing martial law and sending National
Guard to the strike field. If he can pre-
vent real conflict all the better chance
for an adjustment of the differences
between the miners and the employers
This is going to be no Winter for a
coal strike. The sooner both sides wake
up to that fact. the better Codes for
tho coal vninino h,,cinorc ora o1roo dy
under way. The soft coal business has
been a sick one in this country for
years; too many mines and too many
miners, generally speaking. The Ma
tional Recovery Administration has a
great chance to be of real help in solv-
ing the industries troubles.
Capt. William H. Stayton, chairman
of the board of the Association Agains.
the Prohibition Amendment, has is
sued a warning to the repealists which
seems entirely timely. Overconfidence in
the result, he says, is the only thing
which can prevent the ratification OF
the twenty-first amendment-the re-
peal amendment-before the close of
the present year. Things have been
moving faster and faster toward repeal
during these Summer months The drys
have been defeated at every turn. Only
in Tennessee, where the repealistS won
by about 5000 votes. has the contest
been close Twenty States have voted
the final ratification Of the repeal
amendment.
The next repeal election is slated for
Arizona, a week from tomorrow on Au-
gust 8. In Arizona it is all over but the
shouting, for the prohibitionists failed
to nominate any candidates for dele
gates to the State constitutional con-
vention, leaving the field entirely to the
repealists. The drys have sought an
injunction against the election of all
delegates at large in Arizona. But the
belief is confidently expressed that the
injunction will be denied. Three other
States hold elections in August: Mis-
souri, on August 10; Texas on August
26 and Washington on August %.
While the prohibitionists are doing their
level best to hold Texas, the home State
Of Senator Morris Sheppard. author Of
the eighteenth amendment, the chances
are very slim for them there. Indeed,
the repealists insist they will win by
to / or more when the showdown
comes. Washington and Missouri are
both good bets for the vets; in Wash
ington the people voted 301 900 to
2O8, 900 to repeal the State prohibition
laws. Efforts are being made to pre-
vent the election in Missouri. the drys
seeking to file referendum petition to
force a vote next year on the act Of
the Legislature calling for the election
Of delegates to the State constitutional
convention to pass on repeal. The at
torney general of the State has ruled
against them and it Is not expected
they will be upheld by the courts. At
best. the move is one merely for delay.
Missouri will go for repeal by large
vote when it does vote.
X
When Utahs Legislature during the
last week provided for the election of
delegates to State constitutional con-
vention it was made sure that sc
States. the requisite number for ratifi-
cation, would vote on repeal before the
end OF the year. There are five other
States which may yet provide for elec-
tfons this year-Colorado, where the
legislature meets tomorrow to act on