The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-12
DEMOCRATS or
COLORADO MAY
BEAT NEW DEAL
Threatened Conflict Over
CoStigan May Split
Party Ranks.
BY THOMAS l.. STOKES
Times Special Writer

there Is nothing rarefied or refined
about her politics.
Impending now Is a conflict
among Democrats which may split
the party open and affect President
Roosevelt's chances of carrying the
state.
Get Costigan!" is the slogan Of
enc faction. referring to Senator
Edward P. Costigan, strong New
Dealer and sponsor Of much pro-
gressive legislation. both national
and state. He is up for reelection
Nov. s.
Those who would get Costigan"
include the banking, mining and
financial hegemony which for so
long ruled this state among the
Rockies-and conservative Demo-
Gratis as we'll as Republicans are en-
listed. They are irritated by Sena-
tor Costigan's liberalism, and shout
communism" and socialism at
his legislative measures. They would
break the political power that he
has built up in the state.
Ready to Back Governor
To this end they are ready to-
throw their resources behind Gov
Edward G. Johnson. Democrat who
is soon to finish his second term
This strapping 6-foot-1 former tele-
graph operator and rancher, a ma
tive Of Kansas, has a hough- hewn
Abraham Lincoln type of face and
- a frank and winning county picnic
and platform manner. He has
shaken the hand of almost every
voter in the state. and calls an
amazing number of them by their
first names.
The primary is in September.
Gov. johnson says he has not de-
cided whether to seek the senatorial
nomination.
I'll tell 'em on April Fools Day,
he told me at his office.
He Is Ambitious
He could. it is said. be elected
Governor for third term. There's
no tradition against that in Colo
RADIO. But he is ambitious, and it is
believed generally he will seize this
as the propitious time to strike.
His feud with Mr.. Costigan has
become personal. He still smarts
over the Senator's attempt to I'M
seat him two years ago when Mr.
Costigan supported Miss Josephine
Roche, now an Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury in Washington, for
the Democratic nomination.
President Roosevelt, it is reported,
has brought pressure on the Gov
ernor not to enter the lists against
Senator Costigan lest the move split
the party and iniure chances of
carrying the state in November
The answer of the Johnson adher-
ents is that Senator Costigan did
not mind splitting the party when
he supported Miss Roche.
Bitter Fight Foreseen
Many Republicans, it is said,
would vote in the Democratic pri-
mary in the effort to eliminate
Senator Costigan. So interested are
they in this fight to unseat the
Senator through his party primary
that they hardly have thought of a
candidate of their own. Observers
say the Senatorship seems certain
to go to the Democrats in any case
The CoStigan-J johnson contest, if
it eventuates, will be bitter Some
favor the Governors chances be-
cause of his vote getting ability.
Others favor the Senator because of
his record of accomplishment, in
Guiding assistance to the sugar beet
industry, the biggest single economic
factor In the state. and they point
to the political machine he has built
up through control of Federal relief.
Through Mayor Benjamin F..
Stapleton he dominates the Demo-
cratic machine here in Denver.
Critic of Some New Deal Acts
Gov. Johnson has criticised some
New Deal ventures, especially GER
tain phases of AAA. He has charged
that the relief organization has been
used for political purposes. He has
given comfort to the Townsend pen
sion clubs by appearing at meetings.
Speaking with me about All
Smiths Liberty League address, he
said:
"Hs asked 'em some questions that
are going to be hard to answer"
The Governor won general COM
mendation by his demand for i'm
parchment of one of his own Demo-
cratic officials Secretary of State
James H. Carr, on the ground of
alleged irregularities in the liquor
control set-up An overwhelmingly
Democratic House voted impeach-
ment, but Mr.. Carr resigned before
trial by the Senate.
Seeks Big RFC Loan
A factor in the Governors cam
paign-if he should run against the
Senator-may be a $4,000, 0G0 loan
which he is seeking from tie RFC
for road-building program which
the PWA refused to grant.
Approval of the project would
give him useful patronage.
Economically, Colorado is in good
shape now, but a tide has set in
against the New Deal. The tide is
business. industrial and banking
forces. both Democrat and Repub-
lican.
Charles r. Enos. Republican state
chairman. forecast that President
Roosevelt would lose the state in No
vember. He cited not only antago-
nism to the President and the New
Deal. but a revival of the Repub-
lican organization in the state.
especially among the young men,
bers of the party.
The people have lost faith in the
Presidents Judgment and sincerity"
he said
Landon Seems Favored
Democrats are not overly conf
dent of holding the state for Mr.