The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-10-10
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL
CAPITAL
By Carter Field ~
By Carter Field .


party In New York state, imnotenr
since the passing of BIZ Barnes from
its leadership is the proposal of Charles
Dewey Hllles TO throw the Empire
state delegation to Bertrand Ii. Smell
Most Republicans agree that Smell
would make an excellent President
lie has force, character, and ability.
He stays put. He takes advice. but
without ever yielding one Inch on deep
convictions Or yielding to temporary
expediency. Never back Snapper,
never user of weasel words, he never
theless fought his way up through the
house of representatives, and won the
G. O. ?. nomination for the speaker
ship of that body against the whole
strength of the Hoover administration.
And his rather thin following since
1892 has never regretted Its choice.
But the whole point Is that no one,
least of all Mr.. Hilles. who proposes
To commit the New York delegation to
Smell, has the slightest idea that the
Republican convention will nominate
the able New York representative. The
whole purpose of giving this big dele
cation to Smell Is to hold 1t away
from Herbert Hoover, to hold 1t away
from Senator Borah-even to hold IL
away from Colonel knox--for the pnr-
pose of permitting another smoke-flled
room nomination reminiscent of 1920
1t Is good old Republican tradI-
tion-Democratic tradition, too, for
that matter-that group or old party
wheel-horses can sit around In room
and do much better In picking candI-
date than can either the voters In
primaries or delegates In an untram-
meled convention. In fact. there Is so
much history to back IT up that there
seems to be some logic In the conten-
ton.
But It Is a tradition which would not
have chance this time II 1t were not
for one thing-fear that Herbert
Hoover will win the nomination by
pure force OF lethargy. Hllles also
wants to head off Borah. He was dis
tinctly annoyed at the recent poll OF
county and other leaders by Robert
Fl. Lucas which showed such surpris
Ing strength for the Idaho senator.
It's an Old Feud
This feud goes back to the days
when William Howard Taft was Presi-
dent, and HIlles was his secretary.
Rorah las frequently remarked that
Taft and HlIes wrecked the party. =
He still thinks so and HIIles knows 1t.
HIlles would not be consulted much II
Borah were In the White House. He
knows that. too.
Another phase OF the situation Is
that a great many New York Kepub-
llcans would prefer the nomination or
former Senator james w. Wadsworth,
now a member Of the house. Wads
worth, like Smell, has never equlvo-
Gated about the New Deal. When 1t
looked as though opposing Roosevelt's
program was little short OF political
suicide, Wadsworth always backed
Smell In opposing 1t, not just by his
vote, but by vigorous denunclation--in
sharp contrast with the number OF other
Republicans who gracefully yielded to
the storm.
1t SO happens that neither one Of
these outstanding New Workers Is Of
the boss type. Else the story OF the
New York Republican fasco in the last
Is years might be very different.
After the passing OF Barnes. when
New York had Republican gov
ernor, Whitman. and two Republican
senator's, Calder and Wadsworth. there
was considerable g. O. r. faction
which wanted Wadsworth to- be boss
In Barnes place. Another faction
backed Calder. Calder wanted the Job.
| Wadsworth didn't. A He didn't want to
| be bothered with 1t. But while Calder
went after Ii the stronger group, in
Guiding Smell. backed Wadswofth
| Which resulted In there being no Re
| publican boss In New York at all.
| Woman suffrage and prohibition d.
vlded the leaderless party. Calder was
| defeated for reelection by Doctor
| Copeland, and In 1925 Bob Wagner de-
feated Wadsworth. Then along came
| Roosevelt and Farley to build up the
upstate Democratic organization In the
country sections. as AL Smith had al
ready built 1t up In the cities.
And now there Is new compiled
ton. 1t looks as though a new schisn
was about to divide the New Yors
Republicans.
Puzzling Problem
What substitute for AAA-farm hen
etits and processing taxes-can the op
| position to the New Deal offer?
That problem Is causing furrowet
brows among would-be candidates or
the Republican ticket against Frank
lin d, Roosevelt next year. 1t Is also
worrying the wheel-horses Of the part,
those that are left--the men who
know they can never themselves carr,
the standards. but who like tremen
| dously to feel that they are power!
behind the throne Such men. for ex