Evening star., 1933-10-29
DEMOCRATS LACK
CANDIDATEFOR
T0GA IN MICHIGAN
$3.50 Chance of Winning
Senatorship Aided by
Federal Sentiment.
BY PERCY C. POWELL.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, Mich, October 2s.-This
year. one Of the few, when Democrats
feel they have a $3.50 chance Of elect
ing United States Senator they are at
loss for a candidate.
The belief Of even money on the out
come Is based on the apparent popu-
larity Of the national administration
and the strong possibility that Senator
Arthur H. Vandenberg will be forced
into a bitter primary fight for the
nomination with former Gov. Fred w.
Green Of Ionia.
Judge Arthur ]. Lacy Of Detroit, who
is personal attorney for Senator Cou-
zens, has enjoyed a boom but has
raphy is against him as Michigan has
one Wayne County Senator in Couzens.
Representative Michael J. Hart of
Saginaw, senior member of the Michi-
gan Democratic delegation in Congress,
has been mentioned and undoubtedly
wants the job. Hart attained consid-
cradle popularity several years ago as
the first Democrat in years to crash
the congressional gates on a platform
day farm organizations. In the special
session he lost some prestige by failure
to control both the delegation and Fed
eral patronage.
Abbott Good Candidate"
Horatio J. Abbott Of Ann Arbor, ma
tional committeeman and internal
revenue collector, is making a number
OF speeches and is viewed as a good
candidate. Abbott has demonstrated he
has absolute control of patronage and
has been able to get number OF things
done in Washington Of benefit 10
Michigan.
The Republicans have an avowed
candidate for Governor in Secretary Of
State Frank D. Fitzgerald of Lansing,
the only Republican oficeholder to sur
v1ve the Democratic landslide.
However, former Gov. Alex ]. Groes-
beck of Detroit is having his perennial
boom for the nomination, and many Re-
publican wheelhorses are waiting to
learn what Groesbeck intends to do
about it.
This time the instigator of the Groes-
beck boom is Frank Sparks, editor of
Senator Vandenberg's Grand Rapids
Herald. Such a tie-up in the primary
would aid Groesbeck outstate. where he
has been weak, and be Of benefit to
Vandenberg In Wayne County, which
Groesbeck has carried in every one Of
his numerous campaigns for Governor
and attorney general Gov. Constock
seems certain of denomination on the
Democratic ticket.
Even the most polite of the "remem-
Der when" folks cannot refrain from
raising eyebrows at the proposed Groes-
beck-Vandenberg alliance, for one must
not 90 back many years to remember
Vandenberg did much to defeat Groes-
beck's ambition for a fourth term At
that time Green, candidate for Gov
ernor against Groesbeck, was a political
buddy Of Vandenberg. Later Green ap-
| pointed Vandenberg to the United
States Senate, and shortly thereafter
they fell out for reasons never pub
lished. Green at present controls the
G. o. P. organization in the State
through his private secretary, Howard
c. Lawrence. who Is chairman Of the
Republican State Central Committee.
Michigan has 10 Democratic Repre-
sentatives and Republican. All
will have opposition. The Republicans
who survived the landslide are not ex-
pected TO have much difficulty In re-
election. The chances of a number Of
the Democrats are precarious and It
appears now beyond question the Re-
publicans will recapture number Of
places lost in the last general election.