The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-18


Of the survey Of political conditions n va
rious parts Of the United StatesJ
A TLANTA, oct. ia state
"a drama with a political setting
and a national audience of consid~
cradle Importance is being enacted
here in Georgia
The title of the drama might be:
Enough Rope
For Eugene Talmadge, red-gal-
fused, wild-haired Governor of the
state, is being given enough rope TO
hang himself.
1t is test, not only of the Roose-
welt Administration in the Presi-
dents adopted state, but also of
Hueylongism. For upon the Shout
derS of Gene Talmadge has fallen
the mantle of the Louisiana die
tator.
If Talmadge. by rabble-raising
tactics in Georgia. can make him.
self power in the South, then there
is every chance for Huey Longs in
the U. S. 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 national
issues or win any great following
outside the state Gene Talmadge Is
done.
n
THREE factors are behind this
decline. One is the astute game
played by Roosevelt politicos of lei
ing the Bad Boy strut the stare
orandishing all the weapons he could
lay hands on, until the audience got
tired and went home.
Another factor is a snub deftlv ad-
mlnistered by the Georgia congress
Slonal delegation, which recently re-
turned from Washington to find
Roosevelt much stronger and Tall
madge much weaker than they SUM-
posed.
SO in making up the list of the
elites who would sit on the plat
form for RoOSeveltS Homecoming"
to Georgia at THANKSGIVING. thew
lett the Governor off the list. The
publicity given this snub had re-
verberating effects.
The final factor was Gov. Tai
madge's intimation that he intended
TO call out the state militia to collect
taxes.
This would be a resort to unadul-
terated relationships. But either
Talmadge disliked the inconve-
nlence of a special session of the
having adjourned without passing a
tax bill, or else he wanted state
funds at his disposal without strings
attached. Or perhaps he wanted
both.
Whatever his motives. the idea
did not go down well in Georgia. IT.
was too much leaf out of the Huey
Long note-bOo
MO one visiting Georgia. however.
l Y can 60 away with the idea
that Gene Talmadge is finished. In
the cities he is unpopular.
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 in to town for an
hour and half of good vaudeville
with a generous seasoning of politi-
cal abuse.
And yet, if they went to the polls
still chuckling over his wisecracks.
they would not vote for the Cover
nor If the issue were between him
and Roosevelt.
Talmadge's chances for succeed
ing himself as Governor are good
provided a constitutional third-tern
hurdle can be jumped But his
chances for going to Washington in
any of the three capacities he covets
are poor.
ENE would like to be President.
" Senator or Secretary of Agri-
culture-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 him off with the Cabinet post.
In that case. he probably would
be willing gradually to muzzle him
self as critic Of AAA policies, and
swallow them lock, stock and bar
rel for the privilege Of sitting at
Henry WallaceS desk.
To this end, he is flirting with
Republican forces. His recent shows
have been staged not at Georgia
cross roads, but in Philadelphia and
New York
He will be man for Farley to
reckon with at the national con-
vention.
Copyright, 1885, by United Featurs
Syndicate, Inc.)
- RV GpOrCo Clark