The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-09-21

Press, MashlngtOnD
The "For Roosevelt Before
Chicago club"-the FRBcc fol-
shorts recording progress, but
hardly can be said at this stage to
dominate the field of democratic
politics completely.
This mythical organization.
which Of course never existed ex,
eept as a figure of speech-had
Its origin in a policy of National
Chairman Farley to dish out pat.
ronage only 10 those party leaders
who had climbed aboard the
Roosevelt bandwagOn in advance
Of the Chicago convention.
IN some notable cases that
policy has been followed by a
breaking down of the prestige of
erstwhile anti-RoOsevelt leaders,
and the capture of their organ
izations by the Roosevelt wing OF
Che party.
In far more cases, however,
nothing of the kind has resulted
The local leader in each Of these
eases either squared himself with
Washington or defied Washing
ton; but he kept himself in the
saddle.
Sold With Washington
On that first ballot at Chicago.
when the Roosevelt boom was
visibly struggling for its life, Ii
state delegations voted pre-
ponderantly for candidates other
than Roosevelt.
The states were California,
Connecticut, Illinois. Indiana.
Maryland. Massachusetts. Mis-
sour, New Jersey. New York.
Ohio. Oklahoma, Rhode Island.
Texas and Virginia.
OF course, two OF these-Cali-
fornia and TeXas-never figured
IN whatever blackballing the
FRBCC set out to do.
II was these two delegations
which switched to Roosevelt at
the critical moment, and turned
the tide. So they are included
among the charter members Of
the club. even though it took ex
post factO action TO initiate them.
They are solid with Washington.
What has happened in the other
twelve states? In only three has
the leader who held votes away
from Roosevelt been definitely
overthrow. In three others the
situation today is somewhat con
fused. In the other six the old
regime still flourishes.
Not All Hostile
The three states in which the
Chicago leadership has been
broken are New York, where
Boss John +. Curry has walked
che Tammany plank; Ohio where
Governor George Whites control
has been thoroughly demolished;
and Oklahoma. where's ,"Alfalfai
Bill" Murray has seen his slate OF
candidates showed under in a
democratic primary.
In Connecticut, Illinois and
Maryland party control is in dis
pute. The Roosevelt wing in
Connecticut. under the lead Of
Attorney General Homer S. Cum
minEs. appears 90 have made ap
preciable bat inconclusixe gains.
Since the death of Mayor Anton
Cermak. the Illinois democracy
has been torn by internal war
fare. An insurrectiOn against
Governor Albert Richie in Mary
land seems 90 be receding.
hut few dispute the continuing
dominance Of Governor Paul Me-
Mutt in Indiana, Senator David |.
Walsh in Massachusetts. Tom Pen
derrast in Missouri. Frank Hague
IN New Jersey. Peter Gerry in
Rhode Island. 0r Senator Harry F.
Byrd in Virginia. In these six
states the FRBCC has not
flourished.
u should be repeated that not
ell Of these survivors are today
hostile Co the administration. The
only object in listing them here
a. 10 show that Nlr. Farley has
either never assumed, or has dis
charged with only partial success,
his once-supposed role of Lord
High EXecutiOner.