Evening star., 1934-02-05
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

| A lot OF people in Maryland are
asking each other today what Gov.
Albert c. Ritchie is going to do-what
his political plans are. Not few Of
them assert they know just what the
Governor Is up to. But If they do,
it's a guess and not because Gov.
Ritchie has said anything regarding
his plans. His present term as Gov
ernor ends next January, and when he
completes Gov. Ritchie will have
served fifteen consecutive years as
chief executive OF Maryland He has
made a good Governor. This does
not mean he has always been right
or that he has not had his critics and
his enemies. But he has kept the
State solvent, which is something in
these days of reckless government ex-
penditure. And further, he has made
1t possible to reduce certain State
taxes, which is even more.
|
Gov. Ritchie may decide to seek an
other nomination and election as Gov
ernor, another four-year term which
would bring his total continuous serv-
ice up to 19 years If he won and was
elected-a generation in time and q
record. Or Gov. Ritchie may decide
to become a candidate for the Demo-
cratic nomination for Senator and
seek to come to Washington as q
member of the Upper House Of Con-
gress. Or Gov. Ritchie may decide
to fade out Of the political pic
ture. The last course seems scarcely
credible. He has been in politics and
in the public service for so long q
time that it would be hard wrench
to give it all up.
Already number Of gubernatorial
possibilities have cropped up in Mary
land on both the Democratic and the
Republican side Of the fence. These
are gentlemen who wish to be in on
the ground floor if Gov. Ritchie de-
cides not to be a candidate to succeed
himself. There are friends of the
Governor also who would like to know
just what he is going to do, for If
he is to step aside they would like
to get into the race themselves or
back one of their friends. And it
is because of these friends OF his
that Gov. Ritchie may make an early
announcement
~
lilclt are IllOSt WHO Bay tEdL 0JOV.
Ritchie would prefer to remain in the
Governors mansion at Annapolis
rather than to come to Washington
He is used to the job there and likes
1t. He had a great ambition-that
was to go from the Governors chair
to the White House. Another Job in
WaShington-even that of United
States Senator-would seem to be
rather a comedoWn. 1t did seem,
after Ritchie's support of Al Smith
in 1924 and 1923, that he might have
real chance of the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination two years ago.
! There were two reasons why he did
not. The first was Franklin D.
Roosevelt and the second was Alfred
; E. Smith. The first won the nominal
ton and the latter wanted it again.
Every time that Gov. Ritchie has
approached the end of term it has
been said that he could not possibly
be renominated and reelected Gov
ernor. But each time he has turned
the trick. There are. Democrats to-
day who say that he could not be
reelected next Fall even If he were
renominated. They say that his
i
Eastern Shore has hurt him: that
bank failures in Baltimore have mill
tated against him and that during
the course Of his service he has made
enemies. However, if he can win the
Democratic nomination and is brought
face to face with a Republican oppo-
nent, much may yet be done. This
Goes not look exactly like a good Re-
publican year. not SO far at any rate.
So far as the nomination is con-
cerned. the Ritchie organization could
be able to land that. And while there
may be more foes on the Eastern
Shore, 1t must be remembered that
the Shore has never been for Ritchie
anyway. that it has been a Republi-
can stronghold. and that where ne has
lost favor there he probably has
gained favor with lot of the voters
in Baltimore City.
If there is to be another Demo-
cratic Maryland Governor, the voters
. must decide who he is to be and
whether the new man is more accept
, able, better fitted than Gov. Ritchie
And when all is said and done. they
, may decide there Is no really good
reason for making the change. If
they were going to throw the Gov
i. ernor out because they believed that
one man should not continue to hold
this office for many years, they might
have done SO years ago. But they
did not.
Senator Goldsborough, Republican,
comes up for reelection this wear.
Admittedly it is going to be a fight
to elect Republican senatorial can
didate in Maryland next November.
1t is tough spot with the Demo-
cratic national administration riding
high. 1t ts possible, of course, that
there may be shift of public opin-
Ion before next Fall rolls round. But
so far there has been no sign of it.
Gov. Ritchie. should he become the
Democratic candidate for the Senate,
would be difficult man to defeat.
Over in Baltimore there is some talk
of nominating Senator Tydings for
Governor. But Senator Tvdings, in
washington, declares fatty that he
has no intention of being candidate
for Governor. Maryland politics,
nevertheless, promise to be very brisk
this year.
|
Ogden L. Mills of New York. out in
California has declared that he is
not seeking the presidential nomina-
ton, the Republican nomination.
Who ever heard of a candidate an
nouncing that he was a candidate for
the presidential nomination? 1t isn't
done. Certainly not couple of years
before the nomination is to be made,
Did President Roosevelt announce
himself a candidate for the Demo-
cratic nomination in 1929 and 1890?
He did not. The fact that man Is
willing to run for the presidential
nomination is usually drawn out Of
-publicly-when the Democrats
or the Republicans in one of the
primary States call upon him to say
whether they may place his name on
the ballot for the election of delegates
to national party convention. So
why should Mr.. Mills be expected to
III 1~~ l.