Evening star., 1935-11-11
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.

Republican gains in other parts OF the
country-and there seems no doubt that
such gains were made in Ohio Tor ex-
ample-the Democratic answer Is; look
at Kentucky" There Happy" Chandler
was elected Governor last Tuesday by
approximately 100000 votes over King
Swope his Republican opponent. 1t was
q big lead and showed the State clearly
Democratic. The Chandler campaign
was made on national issues. Elect
Chandler to uphold the hands of Presi-
dent Roosevelt; to spread the New Deal
in Kentucky. was the burden of the
Democratic pleas, both by Chandler and
by the other Democratic leaders.
The Democrats took no chances in
their fight in Kentucky. They covered
the State as the dew covers the grass
In August. They realized that Demo-
cratic reversal in the Blue Grass State
would be terrible blow, psychologically,
to the New Deal and to President RooSe-
velt's chances next year. The Roose-
welt Democratic leaders took of their
coats and went to work with will.
None was more energetic than Senator
Barkley of Kentucky. He toured the
State with Chandler and delivered him.
self more than 100 speeches during the
campaign. He is good talker and on
the stump, most effective, 1t was Senator
Barkley who carried the message to the
Democratic State Committee months
ago from President Roosevelt, urging
that a primary be held to pick the candi-
date for Governor instead OF making the
nomination through State convention.
Gov. Ruby Laffoon. thorn in the side
ady iyYiSt
convention could probably have sue
ceeded in naming his successor. This
the administration did not want. So
Barkley took up the cudgels. The nght
at first was to knock down the LaHoon
machine. 1t succeeded.
After Chandler had been nominated
by the Roosevelt and anti-Lanoon
forces, the Job was to elect him. Real
izing that a split in the Democratic
party might make it difficult, or at least
show the Republican losing by very
small margin, Senator Barkley and
others carried the fight into every COM
munity. They received aid in Republic
can sections of the State. where the coal
miners are reported to have rallied to
the Democratic cause, presumably be-
cause of the Guffey coal act. The result
of the election leaves Barkley sitting on
top of the heap in the Blue Grass state.
y *
Former President Herbert Hoover is ON
his way East. He will deliver the second
of his anti-RooSevelt and anti-New Deal
speeches in New York. before the Ohio
Society there. the end Of this week. This Is
part of the campaign which the former
President and titular head of the Re-
publican party has laid out for him.
self His last address was delivered on
the Pacific Coast, an attack on the spend
ing and the financial policies OF the
Roosevelt administration.
What effect the Hoover campaign
against the New Deal will have upon
the former Presidents own political
career is yet to be determined. Today
only a few of Mr.. HooVers earnest ad-
mirers believe that he has a chance to
be nominated. The great bulk OF his
friends. many of whom would be de-
lighted to see him in the White House.
feel that his nomination would be vir-
tual concession OF the election to PreSi-
dent Roosevelt. They fear that the
Hoover spirit that developed SO
strongly in the early days of the depres-
sion would operate again. even though
the voters might not be so friendly to
President Roosevelt as they were in 1882
and in the elections for Congress in 1884.
Not having Republican President to
shoot at. the Democratic publicity de-
partment is taking pot shots at the Re-
publicanS who are suggested as preSi.
Dental candidates. The latest to come
under this fire is Gov. Alf NJ. Landon
of Kansas. In his series-"DiSpelling
the Fog"-Charles Nicholson, director of
publicity for the Democratic National
Committee. undertakes to survey Lam
don's availability for the Republican
nomination. 1t is MichelSon'S conclusion
that Landon is not available, because
he would have to be for the A. A. A.
which is anathema to the Republicans of
the East. Furthermore, he points out
that Gov. Landon campaigned as dry.
and that a dry Republican would not
go so we'll with the voters.
The Democrats. other than Mr..
Nicholson. rather expect the Republicans
to turn to Landon in the end. 1t is
said that is the expectation of the Presi-
dent himself. If Landon should become
of the campaign would probably turn
away from the A. A. A, so far as the
presidential candidates are concerned.
Landon would drive at the fiscal policies
and the huge spending of the Roosevelt
administration; at the effort of the
Roosevelt administration to change and
reform American life and institutions
through social legislation and legislation
giving the Government control over buSi-
ness and agriculture. Nicholson UNDER
takes to belittle Gov. Landon's efforts
to keep kansas out of the red" He
says in this connection:
Next there is the widely heralded
tidings that he has balanced the States
budget Kansas folks tell us that their
constitution makes it impossible for any
Governor to unbalance the budget. There
has been such a provision for years,
and Democratic Governor-Woodrlng
riveted the restraint on the States
executive. However, any budget-balanc-
ing Governor is an attractive object to
party that does not know what sort of
a candidate it wants or what sort OF
platform he must run on"
This effort to discredit Republican
presidential possibilities is certainly
forehanded. Usually the actual nomina-
tiOn of q candidate is made before the
opposing party unleaShes its attack. But
not so the present Democratic manage
ment. Besides, it is one way OF meeting
the sharp attacks upon President Roose-