Evening star., 1934-04-09
The Political Mill
By C.. Gould Lincois.

primary elections Tor nominations in
the congressional elections. No sena-
torial candidates are to be chosen.
All the candidates for the House are
running, however, and there has been
more than ordinary interest in the
primary because Of the fact that
Speaker Rainey has Democratic op-
position for denomination. The
Speaker thought so much Of this
opposition that he issued blast the
other day charging that the Repub-
licans and Wall Street were pouring
money into his district to defeat him.
In the present House Illinois Is rep
resented by 18 Democrats and Re.
publicans, with one seat vacant.
Ordinarily Illinois is . Republican
State. The Republicans are conf
dent that they will be able to win
back many Of the seats which were
taken from them by the Democrats
In the Roosevelt landslide Of 1892.
What happens In the big States Of
the Middle West. in Illinois. Indiana,
Ohio and Michigan. for example, Is
likely to make q big difference this
year. The coming congressional elec-
tions are to give the people the FIRST
chance to vote upon the new deal
not upon President Roosevelt per-
sOnally, but upon the various policies
OF the administration.
The results IN the Illinois primary
will be examined with interest. Should
many Of the sitting Democratic MEM
bers, or any appreciable number, be
defeated for denomination, the word
would 60 out that the people were
not well satisfied with what has been
going on in Washington. If Speaker
Rainey should be turned down for re-
nominatiOn-which Is not really ex-
pected, certainly by the Speaker-it
would be considered q real blow, for
Mr.. Rainey has stuck close to the
Roosevelt leadership. He is opposed
by State Senator James Kirby, who
has been hurting hot shot at the
Speaker for some time. There will
be a comparison Of the total num-
Der Of votes cast In the Republican
primaries with the total vote cast in
the Democratic primaries. In the
past, primary votes have not been
much considered as an indication of
how the general elections In November
would 60, certainly not IN Illinois. In
so many Of the Illinois districts the
Democrats never before had q chance
to win, and the turnout for the
nominations was slim. With the
Democrats actually in power, how
ever. the situation has changed.
The primary tight in Speaker
Rainey's district may leave sore spots
which will make his reelection more
dificult when the general election
rolls around. However. Mr.. Rainey
is tough man to defeat. and his dis
trict has stuck by him for many
years. He was defeated in 1920,
when the Republicans returned to
power with q rush after the World
War.
Another primary in hitherto
strongly Republican State which Is to
cause much interest this year will
take place in Pennsylvania in May.
Much OF the interest centers about
the contest for the senatorial seat
now held by Senator David A. Reed.
Gov. Clifford Pinchot Is out to get
Senator Reeds scalp. If he can. He
wants to come to Washington and
to the Senate. While the opinion
prevails among Republican members
Of Congress that Senator Reed will
defeat Gov. Pinchot for the Repub-
hcan nomination, there is enough
doubt In the air to make the pri-
mary worth watching. Gov. Pinchot
has undoubtedly q considerable fol-
lowing in the State. He is said to
be strong with labor, and in some of
the rural districts. In Philadelphia,
q Republican stronghold. the Gov
ernor has had few supporters. par
ticularly in the days when he was
rabid dry. Out In Allegheny
County. which includes Pittsburgh.
on the other hand, Pichot has fire..
quently rolled up very considerable
votes. Senator Reed last night issued
formal statement declaring his
candidacy for denomination and the
platform on which he will stand. No
one had any doubt that he was to be
candidate for reelection His state
ment. however. definitely aligned him
against the New Deal" and the Roose-
welt Brain Trust" There will be no
soft pedaling by Senator Reed in his
campaign. He is, after all, not that
kind Of man. Nevertheless, he
made slight concession to the be-
lief that President Roosevelt Is ex-
tremely popular when he said: If
elected. will continue to support the
President when / believe him right
and to oppose him when / believe
him to be wrong"
= y 4
Republicans who are running for
denomination and reelection this
year do not wish to be put in the
category of opposing the Roosevelt re-
covery program merely for political
ends. They know that the country
Is anxious for q return to more nor
NAL conditions. and they are not anx-
ious to have the voters believe they
are seeking In any way to prevent q
speedy return to prosperity. So II
may be expected that many Of the
Republican candidates will make
StdICulCIllS- Will IclCIGQC6 10 fTeSl.
dent Roosevelt, similar in tone to that
Of Senator Reed. It. after all, gives
them full leeway to oppose the Presi-
dent when and If they desire to op-
pose him.
About the Brain Trust" Senator
Reed spoke with no concessions what
ever, He said:
"A little band of men in Washing.
ton are seeking covertly to change our
course as . Nation. to increase the
power of the Central Government and
to substitute for individual initiative q
governmental control of all agri-
cultural production and of all business
activity. am against that and can
never support policies which to me
seem likely to lead US In that direc-
ton
In this crisis in our national affairs
I should be false to the trust imposed
in me by the people of Pennsylvania
II did not carry on the fight for
common sense and for proven prin-
ciples Of government such as the
Republican party has consistently
advocated.
"There is nothing new in the r,resenf