Evening star., 1936-07-02
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Postmaster General James A. Farlev
is about to relinquish his cabinet Job
| for the duration of the war. He is to
be again the generalissimo of the Roose-
welt Democratic forces. He could do
the Job just as well-and perhaps a
little better from the practical side-if
he remained at the head of the Post
Once Department. But 1t would not
look SO well. Indeed, Mr.. Farleys con-
| tinuance as member of the cabinet for
| the last three years and four months
while continuing to be chairman of the
National Committee and chief dispenser
| Of political jobs has been a sad disap-
| pointment to such progressives and po-
litical purists as Senator George w.
Norris Of Nebraska.
! ~
The country is about to observe for
the first time a national political cam
paign waged by a great governmental
bureaucracy, aided and abetted by a
tremendous expenditure of Government
money for many different purposes, in
Guiding work relief, direct relief, sub
| sides to the farmers and public works
| Such bureaucracy, if it works wholly
together, should be able to maintain it.
| self indefinitely. It's ramifications are
enormous. Every paid Government
worker has his family and his friends
Mr.. Farley has built up a strong po-
litical organization in all of the States
| He has travelled the country over many
| times during the last three years He
has been indefatigable. He has all the
| loose ends within his grasp. He has
shown himself great organizer. Now
| and then there has been a Slip-When,
| for example. the green ink" letter went
| to one faction of the Democratic party
| in California, and had to be pinned
on a dumb stenographer." Take it
by and large, however, Mr.. Farley has
been successful political leader. There
never has been much question about
| finding new man to take over the po-
| sition OF Postmaster General, If Farley
stepped out. The tough job would have
been to find new Democratic national
chairman who had the same kind of
contacts all over the country.
The Democratic organization is made
| up in considerable part by men and
| women whose livelihood depends upon
| party success. That is an impelling
cause for activity. 1t is not likely they
will leave many stones unturned to win
! for Roosevelt next November.
Such an organization and such q
bureaucracy are not wholly invincible.
But they are likely to be hard to beat.
| at any time. 1t all depends upon how
| fed up the majority of the people may
be with the Roosevelt New Deal; how
badly they feel about increased taxes
and higher prices. 1t is the ants who
will win for Landon and the Repub-
lican ticket-if they win. The ants are
| quite numerous The Roosevelt Demo-
Gratis endeavor to make light of the AL
Smiths, the Jim Reeds, etc, who have
! no use for the New Deal and who are
| openly fighting the reelection of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. They do not know,
| however how far-reaching the influence
| of these disgruntled Democrats may be-
1t is only surmise with them. They
| probably recall, however that these
| Democrats have been strong figures in
the party in the past.
With the final agreement of Gov
| Herbert H. Lehman to be a candidate
to succeed himself the Roosevelt Demo-
! Gratis are greatly pleased. Gov. Lehman
is a Jew. So is Gov. Henry Horner of
Illinois, whom the Democrats have re-
nominated this year. New York and
Illinois are both regarded as pivotal
States in the coming election, one in
the East and the other in the Middle
| West Lehman and Horner are both
expected to add strength to the Demo-
| cratic ticket in their respective States
! They are expected to line up the Jewish
vote on the Democratic side. One thing
seems certainly true-the Jews in 1lll-
| nois turned in strongly for Horner dur
| ing the primary last April, when the
| Kelly-Nash Democratic organization in
| Chicago was doing its best to defeat
Horner for denomination.
~
In New York State there are more
than 100000 Jews That is more than
l6 per cent Of the total population. The
| great bulk Of this Jewish population Is
! located in New York City. and it is to
New York City that the Democrats look
l for a huge majority to Offset the lead
| which Landon is expected now to have
| in the upstate counties. There are
| probably between 100000 and 100000
| Jewish voters in the metropolis. Many
| of them in the past have voted the Re-
publican ticket But they did not do so
| in 1892 or in 1894. In both those years
Lehman was running for governor. 1t
will make great deal Of difference what
they do next November. Is it any
wonder, therefore, that the Roosevelt
leaders figuratively got down on their
knees to Lehman to persuade him to
enter the race for governor again?
~
| The Jewish vote in Illinois is material.
but nothing like SO great as IN New
York. There are about 100000 Jews in
| Illinois, or about or 5 per cent OF the
| total population. 1t is not comparable
to the huge Jewish vote in the Empire
| State. But it might hold the balance of
power. Horner was nominated not only
because, of the support given him by the
Jews, but also because the people down
State" were determined that the Kelly
Nash organization in Chicago should
name the gubernatorial candidate and
possibly the next governor of the State.
There is a great rivalry between the
downstaters and Chicago. 1t is more
than likely that considerable number
of Republicans went into the Demo-
cratic gubernatorial primary and helped
to put Homer across. How deep a scar
the primary fight has left in the Demo-
cratic party of Illinois is yet to be seen.
But the Kelly-Nash people have ap-
parently accepted Horner, even if they
do not like their defeat. In New York
very few cheers are heard today from
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