Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-05-14
The Political Mill
BY G. Could Lincoln.

all along preferred to make the race
for Governor, rather than for Senator.
| For him to take the third course
! which he mentioned in his statement,
retirement from public life, would be
for Maryland to lose a valuable public
servant at a time when such servants
are needed. Maryland has progressed
| during the four terms that Gov.
Ritchie has been in Office. When the
depression came, Maryland was in
better position, as a State, to meet
it because her finances were In good
! condition.
y n X X
There Is, of course, the other side
| OF the picture; the claim made by
many that Richie has had his day
and should stand aside and permit
! some other man to become Governor
of the State; that he should not be
selfish enough to hold on to honors
which have been given him so freely
and so often in the past. However, a
going business concern does not turn
out an executive merely who has been
In Office Is years, In order to put an
other man in his place. A business
concern turns out an executive when
1t finds that it needs a new and a
better executive.
No Governor Of q State can hold
office for fifteen years without making
poltlcal enemies or without stirling
the political ambitions of other men
IN MS own party. Gov. Richie was
the f1rst man in Maryland ever to
preak the precedent that a Governor
should not be reelected. He has run
Tor Governor four times and been
elected each time. Each time he has
cast his hat in the ring for the guber-
material nomination to succeed him
sell there has been grumbling. This
grumbllng has been on the ascendency
IL Is more pronounced now than it
has ever been in the past. Men who
nave supported the Governor in the
other campaigns are shaking their
heads and wondering how it is all
coming out. He has a strong oppo
nent In Mayor Howard w. Jackson of
Baltimore. who already has announced
MS candidacy. There is a third Demo-
crat IN the race for the gubernatoriaI
nomination, DR.. Conley, whose pres
ence may affect the result.
x
Ihere is no use attenntinp IN
minimize the antagonism of some of
the Democratic leaders in the State
to the course which the Governor is
now following. 1t looks now as though
there would be a knock-down. drag
out fight in the primary. Feeling is
running high or has been. Whether
the definite assurance by the Cover
nor that he will be a candidate to
succeed himself will have the effect
OF quieting lot of the talk which
has been going on remains to be seen.
The various leaders in the party will
be looked to to line up with the Gov
ernor or with the mayor of Baltimore
| or DR.. Conley. Where, for example.
Is Senator Willard Tydings going to
stand in this contest? 1t is possible
that the Senator may decide not to
take sides in the matter.
There Is to be nominated on the
Democratic ticket this year also a
candidate for the Senate to run
I against Senator Goldsborough, Re-
publican. if the Senator becomes the
| Republican nominee While the
| Democratic gubernatorial nomination
has already been the subject of hot
contest. this Democratic senatorial
nomination is not likely to be allowed
to 60 begging, particularly in year
when the Democrats would appear to
have a good chance of carrying the
State. 1t is reported that Repre-
sentative David J. Lewis of the sixth
congressional district is likely to go
on the ticket as candidate for the
| senatorial nomination along with
Gov. Richie. Lewis is strongly pro-
gressive. He has served several times
! in the House and has been called the
father of the postal savings bank act.
|
The Democrats have got to make up
their minds pretty quick. if they have
not already done SO, regarding the
candidacy of Senator Robert M. La
Toilette of Wisconsin for reelection
to the upper house. The reason lies
| in the fact that the La Toilette Pro-
| gressives are to meet on Saturday in
! Fond du Lac to determine whether
they shall break away from the Re-
publican party and set up a third
and independent Progressive party. 1t
has been rumored that the Democrats
| do not like this idea and that the
administration might make some move
soon to show that it favors the re-
nomination of Senator La Toilette.
La Toilette supported President Roose-
welt openly in the campaign in 1892.
While the Democrats have already
given their political blessing to Sena-
tor Hiram johnson of California
through a statement by Postmaster
General Farley, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee. they
have held back in the cases of Sena-
| tor La Toilette and Senator Bronson
| Cutting of New Mexico, who, like
johnson. campaigned for Roosevelt
two years ago. The Democrats in
| Wisconsin, who elected Senator and
Governor and some members of
the House at the last election, have
been hoping to elect a simon-pure
Democrat to the Senate in the Badger
State this year. They have hoped
that Senator La Toilette would meet
his Waterloo in the Republican sena-
torial primary, defeated by the Re-
publican "stalwarts," as did the late
| oSAA1OoA julia u. bldLlC, fTOST6S-
| sive in 1882. After the defeat of La
Toilette, it has been the hope of the
Democrats that the Progressives would
all jump over to the Democratic ticket
and defeat the regular Republican
nominee for Senator, electing the
Democrat. Senator La Toilette has no
desire to be caught in any such play.
| X y n X
The Wisconsin Senator Is at present
saying nothing about his plans but
| is saving a lot of wood. The La
| Follettes have always remained Re-
publican ever since the old Senator,
whose successor is now his son, beat
the regular organization IS years or
SO ago. There is one exception to
this rule, however. The late Senator
La Toilette in 1924 was unwilling
to go along with Calvin Coolidge
for the presidency or with John w.
Davis. the Democratic nominee. He
1