The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-30
HEATED BATTLE
LOOMS IN RACE
FOR HOUSE JOB
ByrnS, Bankhead, Rayburn
and Others Campaign
for SpeakershIp.

By scTipps-H0icqrd Eetrspoper Alliance
WASHINGTON. Aug. 30.-Elec-
tioneering has been started by a
handful Of candidates for the prin-
cipal legislative Office in the land,
speakership Of the house.
The south's big three. and a fourth
who is conceded a lesser chance.
lost no time after the burial Of
Speaker Henry T. Rainey in chuck
ing their hats into the ring. The
north and west have yet to report.
Although the candidates. all are
aimed nominally at the speakership.
u is believed that with one excep-
ton the aspiran would be content
with the No. Do OF the house -
that Of majorit leader.
Joe Byrns Cl Tennessee, present
majority leader, is confident he will
be elevated 10 the rostrum. Will
liam 3. Bankhead Of Alabama.
chairman Of the rules committee,
and Sam Rayburn OF Texas, chair
man Of the interst re and foreign
commerce committee. are the other
leading candidates. with John z.
Rankin Of Mississippi making a
fourth.
South May Split
Facing an electorate Of 3I3 house
DemOCrats-prObably less after No
vember-these and other aspirants
are sounding out their rivals and
their COlleS. es. each with a view to
forming a tWO-man coalition with
strength enough to put over its
compOnents as speaker and as ma
JOrity leader
The impression is crystallizing
here that a Rayburn- Bankhead bat
tie for the majority leadership is
inevitable. If these two powerful
veterans should be unable TO reach
a private peace, the vote Of the
solid sOuth's 1O2 Democrats might
be split hOpelessly.
In that event a nOrtherner or
westerner may be able to line up
enc n support TO slip in.
discussion of nOn-Southerners
here so far centers principally on
James NJ. Mead of Buffalo. chair
man Of the pOstoffice committee.
and John w Mccormack, young
Massachusetts member with only
four terms behind him. There also
IS mention Of two other New York
ers. Thomas II. Cullen and John J.
O'COnnOr, but both are Tammany
men.
Mead TO Run, Too
Clarence F. Lea, scholarly New
Dealer from California, and Robert
CTOsser of Ohio, who is more pop
Ular with labor than with the adj
ministration, also have been dis
cussed.
None Of these is an avOwed candi-
date. but word from Buffalo indi-
Gates strongly that Mr.. Mead will
run.
Popular in the house, an eight
termer who used to be a railroad
switchman and has a powerful labor
backing. Mr.. Mead has supported
the New Deal generally but bucked
the President on the soldier bonus
and on restoration Of veterans bene-
fits.
The White House is expected to
disavOw any meddling. but the Presi-
dents views if privately circulated
would carry tremendous weight.
Texan Is Favored
1t is now said the President would
prefer Mr.. Rayburn. who showed
skill in plotting through the house
such measures as those for securi-
ties and exchange regulation. But
Texas already has a top man in con-
gresS-Vice President John H. Gar
ner. Further, elevation of Mr.. Ray
burn would give TO Representative
George HuddlestOn of Alabama,
whose New Deal sympathies have
been occasionally disputed, the
craftsmanship of the interstate and
foreign commerce committee -
which may be called upon to shape
legislation to replace NRA.
Election of Mr.. Bankhead as ma
jority leader would. on the other
hand. give the rules Craftsmanship to
Mr. O'COnnor of New York. In this
combination some see the logical
way to appeaSe the north, but it is
questionable whether Mr.. O'COnnor
has following enough to make this
lineup satisfactory outside of
Dixie.
The competing stratagems be-
tween now and the assembling Of
the Democratic caucus in late De-
cember viii determine who shall in
herit these key poSts-both of which
are within striking distance Of the
r1~@esrgar-~w~