The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-18

ance is being enacted here
 The title of the drama might be: Enough Rope"
 For Eugene Talmadge, red-gal- lused, wild-haired governor of the state, is being given enough rope to hang himself.
 It is a test, not only of the Roosevelt Administration in the Presidents' adopted state, but also of Hueylongisnn. For upon the shoulders of Gene Talmadge has fallen the mantle of the Louisi- ana dictator.
 If Talmadge, by rabbIe-rais- ing tactics in George, cnn make himself power in the South, then there is every chance for Huey Longs in the U. 8. A.
 The answer, to date, is that the Talmadge star rapidly is waning. As a second-rater he will be heard from for a long time. But as one who can carry the state on na- tional issues or win any great following outside the state, Gene Talmadge is done.
 Reasons for Decline
 Three factors are behind this decline. One is the astute game played by Roosevelt politicos of letting the Bad Boy strut the stage, brandishing all the weap- ons he could lay hands on, until the audience got tired and went home.
 Another factor is a snub deftly administered by the Georgia congressional delegation, which recently returned from Washing ton to find Roosevelt much stronger and Talmadge much weaker than they supposed. So in making tip the list of the elite who would sit on the plat form for Roosevelt's "Homecom- ing" to Georgia at Thanksgiving, they left the governor off the list. The publicity given this snub had reverberating effects.
 The final factor was Governor Talmadge's intimation that he intended to call out the state militia to collect taxes.
 This would be a resort to uil- adulterated dictatorship. But either TaImadge disliked the in- convenience of special session of the legislature (the last legis- lature having adjourned with out passing a tax bilD or else he wanted state funds at his disposal without strings at- tached. Or perhaps he wanted both. /
 Whatever his motives, the idea did not go down well in Georgia. It was too much 8 leaf out of the Huey Long notebook
 Rural Strength
 No one visiting Georgia, how ever, can go away with the idea that Gene Talmadge is finished. In the cities he is unpopular. But rural Georgia is still ready to turn out ten thousand strong to hear and see the governors one-man show.
 Any Talmadge appearance will draw farmers from almost half the counties in the state. They hitch up their teams, crank up the Model-T Ford, and drive into town for an hour and a half of good vaudeville with 8 generous seasoning of political abuse.
 And yet, if they went to the polls still chuckling over his wisecracks, they would not vote for the governor if the issue were between him and ROOse- welt.
 Talmadge's chances for suc- ceeding himself as governor are good-provided 8 constitutional third-term hurdle can be jumped. But his chances for going to Washington in any of the three capacities he covets. are poor. Secretary of Agriculture
 Gene would like to be Presi- dent, Senator, or Secretary of Agriculture-particularly the last. His fondest dream is that he will loom so large in the path of Roosevelt's succession that the President will buy hi moff with the Cabinet post.
 In that case he probably would be willing gradually to muzzle himself as critic of AAA policies, and swallow them lock, stock and barrel for the privilege of sit- ting at Henry Wallace's desk.
 To this end, he is flirting with republican forces. His re- cent shows have \been staged not at Georgia crossroads, but in Philadelphia and New York.
 And to this end also, he got himself elected democratic na- tions committeeman from the state. He will be a man for Far- ley to reckon with at the Na- tional Convention.
 Here in Atlanta they know the inside story of the origin of Talmadge's hatred of Roosevelt. It concerned 8 triangle, WITH A WOMAN IN ONE CORNER. Relief Row
 THE WOMAN IS MISS GAY STIEPPERSON, a slender, clear eyed Virginian, who stood in the