The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-08
P. Figures Out
Theoretical Victory
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER

"A
w one-sixth OF the votes that Roosevelt received
in states which he carried in 1882. Shake them up
we'll Put them down to cool on the Republican
side. Then by next November you will have 283
of the most welcome Republican electoral votes you
ever saw which is II more than enough to haul the
Grand Old Party in out of the rain.
You can figure it out for yourself That's what
the Republican National Committee experts have
just done and they're cheered up end. Now all
they have to do is to find out how to get oneSxth
of those votes away from Roosevelt.
Of course, you ought to be warned that in 1928,
after Smith escaped with only his Shirt it
figured out that 100000 votes-maybe it was
500000--shifted in the right places, would have
elected him. They also figured how, by similar
been easy in 1882 for Hoover to have beaten RooSe
welt, The only difficulty was that Hoover didn't
beat Roosevelt. They haven't yet been able to tell
what could have been done about that
You might naturally think that the Republicans
are copying from the enemy. They hired Brain
Trust Now they arranging to have the winner
of the Republican presidential nomination go to
Cleveland and accept his honor before the national
convention breaks up Roosevelt did at Chicago in
1882 and as has been announced for the Phla-
delphia convention this year.
While all of this may look like imitation, Re-
publican National Committee headquarters denied
that it is AS to the Brain Trust Chairman Fletcher
himself said it really wasn't one, although unfor-
tunately it proved to have more brains than had
been ordered.
Az Co the notification ceremonies, Republican
headquarters can cite a string of precedents that
is IS long as your arm, If your arm isn't very
long. There are just three. They happen to be
Democratic precedents, but the Republicans not
following the two Roosevelt precedents. They are
following the John w. Davis precedent.
DAVIS, be,s lard by in Wall Street when nom
- mated ct Madison Square Garden in 1924,
promptly appeared in the convention and accepted
in one of the graceful after dinner speeches in which
he excels. Remember, it's the Davis precedent not
Roosevelts that is being followed. Davis although
a Democrat, is fundamentally sound, and his ex-
ample is safe for the Republicans to follow in the
absence of Republican precedent
When Harding was nominated in 1920, he was
in Chicago and rushed to the convention hall, but
not to accept the nomination He went there for
a Darkroom huddle over the vice presidential NOM
nation. The senatorial bloc which put Harding
over agreed to name Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin
as his running mate but unfortunately a stampede
Harding might well have gone into the convention
hall and made his acceptance speech.
The railroads are about to open up gigantic
advertising campaign, costing close to 100000 It
was decided upon at a recent meeting of the Asso-
citation of American Railroads Mainly, it will he
institutional advertising designed to forth to the
public the achievements of the railroads-and to
head off legislation Congress pointing toward
government ownership At the same time the Trans
portaton Association of America also is conducting
a publicity campaign to show the country how Can
ada drifted unawareS into government ownership
When any one is sold Harry Hopkins he
stays Sold apparently. An Eastern lawyer visiting
in Arizona fell into conversation with an S2-year-
old New Dealer
Dad" he said, did you hear about the latest
boondoggling project? Harrys going to repaint the
Grand Canyon"
The old-timer sticking by his guns, replied
Wen, by golly It needs 1t"