Evening star., 1934-04-23
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

Il
The Roosevelt Democrats seem to
be sitting on top Of the world in New
York. John F. Curry has been de-
| posed as the Tammany leader. Presi-
dent Roosevelt has had no more active
opponent In recent years than the
| former boss. He managed to keep the
Democ ats In the Empire State pretty
| well split up, controlling as Re did the
| principal Democratic organization Of
Greater New York, with allies In up
State New York. Curry fought Roose-
welt bitterly at the time Of the Chicago
! Democratic National Convention two
| years ago. He fought him before the
| convention. Instead Of q solid New
York delegation at the convention,
| which the Governor of the State had
q right to expect, Curry voted large
block Of delegates steadily throughout
| the balloting for Al Smith, but more
particularly against Roosevelt. Curry
| had no love for Smith. What he
wanted to do was to prevent President
Roosevelt from winning the nomina-
tion. He failed, as he has failed on
every occasion that he has locked
horns with Franklin D. Roosevelt.
|
| The removal of Curry leaves the
Roosevelt adherents in q dominant
position. One Of Curry's most ardent
enemies in Tammany Hall, a man
who may yet be selected leader In
place of Curry, Edward J. Ahearn, has
| declared that the new Tammany
policy will be strong support of the
President and his policies. This Is
certainly big reversal Of form. Fur
thermore, it assures the President real
support and united support in his
own State. The Democratic organiza-
tions outside the borough of Man
| hattan-there are four other bor-
oughs, including the Bronx and
Brooklyn-already are definitely al
ligned with the President. One Of his
strongest supporters Is Ed Flynn, the
Democratic boss of the Bronx.
| 4 4 +
Postmaster General James A. Farley,
chairman of the Democratic National
Committee and of the New York
State Democratic Committee, can
breathe more freely now that Curry
is definitely out. Indeed, he can more
readily retire from both the national
Craftsmanship and the State chair
manship of the party If he desires.
The difficulty has been to find new
chairmen for both these committees,
but more particularly was this difficult
while in New York State one of the
strongest Democratic organizations
was run in a manner hostile to the
President Farley has more than
once in the past tasted defeat in the
State committee itself because Curry
and his allies were able to outvote
Farley. Now he is top dog, and after
the whole matter of Tammany con-
troll, city control and State control
has been ironed out, he will be in a
position to step out, If the President
Is willing. Farley last Fall backed
Joseph v. Mckee, the independent
Democratic candidate for mayor,
against Curry's choice, former Mayor
John j. O'Brien. While Mckee was
not elected, he ran ahead of O'Brien,
helped to split the Democratic forces
and drove an entering wedge into
Curry's control of the city Democracy.
Also, that mayoralty election was the
final political disaster for the Tam
many boss. 1t made his retirement
from the leadership inevitable, either
voluntary or forced. Curry declined
to retire and SO brought about the
first dismissal of a Tammany boss by
the Executive Committee which runs
that organization.
The king Is dead long live the
king, probably will apply in Tammany
Hall just as it has elsewhere. Curry
has his friends, it is true. But there
seems every likelihood that not a
sufficient number Of them will con-
tinue to support him to make much
difficulty for the New York Democrats
next Fall, even II Curry should at
tempt political reprisals then.
y
| Now that Curry has walked the
plank, there Is speculation as to
whether Senator Royal s. Copeland,
who Is up for reelection this year,
many not also have to 90. Senator
Copeland has not seen eye to eye
with the administration on many oc-
casions. He has been one of the rebels
In the Senate against presidential
orders. 1t is no secret that the Post
master General is perfectly willing
that the Democrats substitute another
candidate for Senator Copeland. Mr..
Farley is supposed to reflect the atti-
tude of the President in this matter,
although it has been announced at
the White House that the President
Is not mixing. nor will he mix, in
the struggles for Democratic nomi-
nations for Congress this year. Sena-
tor Copeland stuck to Tammany in
its fight for the reelection of John
j. O'Brien as mayor of New York last
November. He has never been of
Tammany, but Senator Copeland has
played along with that organization
for long time. Now that the control
of the organization seems to be pass
ing into the hands of President Roose-
velt's supporters, things do not look
SO well for him. Upstate Senator
| Copeland has a large following. He
has many friends among the voters
in that section as well as In the
city. But he is likely to need them
all when 1t comes time for the nomi-
mating convention. New York nomi-
| mates its candidates for Governor
and Senator in State party conven-
tions. The delegates are chosen in
the primary. Perhaps Senator Cope
land may be able to patch up his
differences with the Roosevelt Demo-
Gratis before the primary and the con-
vention rolls around. Furthermore,
the Roosevelt Democrats must have
some one with whom to beat Cope
| land. It's an old political axiom that
you can't beat some one with no one.
r \ 4
With improving conditions in the
country, SO far as business is con-
cerned, the anvil chorus Is heard more
and more. As long as every one was
sunk there was willingness to fol-
low the administration to an extent
never before seen, certainly not in peace
times and rarely during the war. But
there is a growing inclination on the
part Of business to resist more and
more the plans for its direction-and
control-by the Government. The
critics Of the administration are far