Evening star., 1934-09-20
ThePOlitical Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

The surprisingly large vote cast
by the Democrats In the Wisconsin
primary elections on Tuesday, far
ahead of progressives and Republic
cans, has cheered the New Dealers.
If there is one thing that the Demo-
Gratis desire above another, it Is that
their party-the party Of the New
Deal-shall become the recognized
progressive party of the West. They
are anxious to build up a strong or
ganization in those Western States
where for SO many years the Demo-
cratic party was fiat on its back, and
where the progressive opposition to
the G. o. P. sought outlet in third
party movements, as in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, the Dakotas and elsewhere.
The Democrats hail, therefore, the
piling up of votes in the Democratic
primary
What this portends for the La Fol-
lette progreSSlVeS time will show. They
have had the support of the Demo-
| Gratis in the past in their victories over
the old guard, regular Republicans.
Without the Democrats they may be-
come just third and minority party.
The regular Republicans have sought
for years to tear loose the La Toilette
grip on the politics of the State. Some
of them might even go to the length
of lining up with the Democratic
candidates against the La Follettes in
order to defeat them.
The La Toilette progressives are
taking satisfaction over the fact that
the Democrats had a real row within
their own ranks in the senatorial
primary, out of which John M.
Callahan, an Al Smith Democrat,
emerged the victor over four other
candidates. Callahan, they say, has
been unfriendly to the Roosevelt ad-
ministration and is a conservative
Democrat. Furthermore, they believe
that President Roosevelt would like to
see Bob La Toilette reelected to the
Senate-Bob La Toilette whom he
praised by name in his Green Bay,
Wis, address last August
The Democratic high commando
1t does anything about the Wisconsin
situation-wfll have to decide whether
it will turn cold shoulder to Gala
han and give aid to La Toilette in
the senatorial race, or whether 1t will
go down the line for its party ticket
in the Badger State, Callahan as well
as all the rest. No matter how some
Of the New Dealers may feel about Mr..
Callahan, there are those in the
Democratic camp who insist that there
should be no discrimination against
the Al Smith Democrat and that he
should be supported just as all other
Democratic nominees are supported.
What the Democrats in Wisconsin
themselves will do is, after all, the
important question. If they will not
support Callahan pretty solidly but go
over to La Toilette, then Callahan is
licked and La Toilette looks to be q
| winner.
Two years ago the Democrats
elected a Governor, a Senator CF.
Ryan Duffy and five of the ten mem
bers of the House delegation. The
election OF those five members of the
House was perhaps even more sig
nificant than the election of Gov
ernor or a Senator or carrying the
State for President. as the Democrats
did The Democrats have gone ahead
to build up real organization. They
are not willing now to give ground
to the new progressive party or to the
Republicans, despite the fact that in
1882 they had the support of many Of
the La Toilette progreSsiveS in the
campaign and at the polls.
The Democrats have renominated
Gov. Schmedeman. There has been talk
Of deal between them and the pro-
gressives whereby the Democrats would
support La Toilette for Senator and
the progressives would support
Schmedeman for Governor. But it
happens that the progressive party
has placed Senator La Follette's s
brother Phil, former Governor, on
their ticket for chief executive Of the
State 1t would be q tough job de-
liberately to sacrifice Phil La Toilette,
even if Senator Bob La Toilette were
willing to do so.
+ X X
Senator Lewis of Illinois, chairman
Of the Democratic Senatorial Cam
paign Committee. said today fatty
that the committee would 60 down
the line for Callahan, just as it will
for all other Democratic nominees for
the Senate.
The Democratic organization will
support Mr. Callahan" said Senator
Lewis. The Democrats in Wisconsin
have spoken through the primary cleo
ton and have chosen him as their
candidate. We would have been glad
to support Senator La Toilette had
he been willing to go on the Demo-
cratic ticket and had he won the
Democratic nomination in the party
primary. He seemed to believe that
there was some advantage to him, as
| former Republican, in not going
into the Democratic party, and SO he
did not. I have discussed the matter
with Senator Duffy of Wisconsin, who
Is the member Of the Democratic SEN
| atorial committee assigned particu-
| larly to look after the campaign in
that State. We are agreed in the
| matter"
Senator Lewis goes tomorrow to
Asheville, N. c., where he will be in
conference with Senator Bailey and
Democratic leaders from Tennessee
A fusion ticket in Tennessee is caus-
ing some trouble there. From Ashe-
willie, the chairman will 60 to Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut and then to
confer with the President before going
to Indiana and Ohio and finally to
Chicago for the wind-up of the cam
paign. He expressed the opinion to-
| day that the Democrats not only
would elect their candidate for the
Senate in Wisconsin, but also that
they would win in Indiana, where
there is greater party harmony than
has been in existence for months.
X *&&
The recent election of Vice President
Jonn N. Garner to be the Texas mem
Der OF the Democratic National Com
mittee not only skaters precedent
but also smoothes out some rough
spots in the Texas democracy. Former
Gov. Jim Ferguson had had himsel,
elected to fill a vacancy in the Ma
tional Committee caused by the resiq.
| nation nf Tod ALon~. L..l