Evening star., 1936-06-21
radical" Platform Changes
Held Possible Reply to
CoughIinite Threat.
DEMOCRATS MAY RELY
ON PRESIDENTS APPEAL
All $500 Delegates Due to Cast
Ballots for Roosevelt at Conven-
tion Opening Tuesday.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
STAFF Correspondent of The star

Ef111hOGLEf1lA. JUNE ZU.-DSIl-
ocratic hosts. coming to Philadelphia
to renominate President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and Vice President John n
Garner, are faced with an unexpected
task. They must take some steps. il
they can, to meet the threat of the
new Union party-the party which
plans to go into the campaign with
distinctly radical appeal
The New Dealers have relied upon
Roosevelt to hold the progressives and
the radicals in line. Their votes plus
the votes of the traditional Democrats
are counted upon to turn the trick for
the New Deal ticket next November.
And now, on the very eve Of the
Democratic National Convention,
which meets here at noon Tuesday.
the New Dealers find they must do
something more than merely re-
nominate the President and indorse
the Roosevelt legislation and ad-
ministration.
They may seek to accomplish their
end by writing into the party platform
even more progressive and radical
planks than had been planned; they
may rely upon President Roosevelt.
when he comes here next Saturday
night to accept" the presidential NOM
ination. to make a stronger appeal
than ever before to the progressives
and the radicals.
Silent on New Party.
The Democratic leaders here, includ-
ing Chairman James A. Farley of the
Democratic National Committee. are
unwilling to say anything for publica-
ton about the new Union party whose
ticket is to be Representative William
Lemke of North Dakota and Thomas
c. O'Brien Of Massachusetts,, backed
/ by Father Coughlin and his National
Union for Social Justice. and presum-
ably by Townsendites and the Share
/ the-Wealth" followers of the late
Euey H. Long. Those Democrats who
comment at all insist that the Lenlke-
O'Brien ticket will pull more votes
from Landon and Knox, the Re-
publicans, than from Roosevelt and
Garner. But they say it hopefully
rather than with confidence.
Chairman Farley, when he was
asked to comment upon the new Union
party, replied that he would have
nothing to say Just now. He did indi-
cate, however. that when the Demo-
cratic platform is revealed it may con-
tain some surprises. Whether the
platform drafting will be influenced
in any way by the third party move
ment remains to be seen.
Third Party Check Seen. n
One move which the Democrats IN
Pennsylvania and in other States may
make to check the third party ticket
is to "pre-empt" the name Union
party" 1t was reported tonight that
Democratic State Chairman D. L.
Lawrence had sent orders to every
county to file the requisite number
of names to "pre-empt." If this is
done. it was said. Democratic electors
would be one and the same as Union
party" electors in this State, and so
the Lemke-O -O'Brien ticket would be
crowded out. .-
Chairman Farley of the Democratic
National Committee denied any gen.
eral order for such action had been
sent out up to this time. If the
PENNSYLVANIA Democrats, or those in
other States, move along this line, it
would be on their own initiative, he
indicated.
Twelve years ago the Democrats
held their national convention in the
East-in Madison Square Garden, New
York-and the Republicans met in
Cleveland. And IL years ago third
and radical ticket was placed in the
field. headed by the late Senator Rob-
ert M. La Toilette of Wisconsin. This
year the Democrats are meeting again
(see DEMOCRATS, Page A-5)