Evening star., 1936-06-04
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

an i'll day for the old guard, many of
whom have been dominant figures in the
Republican organization for quarter of
century.
There is the case, for example, of
Charles D. Hilles of New York. He has
been national committeeman for the
Empire State since Hector was a pup,
and vice chairman of the committee. He
may be reelected national committee
man. But one thing is quite certain
today-he cannot control his New York
delegation to this coming convention as
he has done in the past. For Mr.. Hilles
would very much like to hold it in line
against the nomination of Gov. Landon
OF Kansas for Presidential least until
he had some assurance that John Ham,
ilton, Landon campaign manager, would
not be named for national chairman by
the Kansas Governor. The truth OF the
matter is that HilleS could not hold the
delegation in line for two minutes-and
the estimates of the number of New York
delegates who will vote for Landon on
the first ballot run as high as 70. Men
long in the Republican organization of
New York insist that more than half the
delegation, which is 80 in number, will
cast their votes for Landon right at the
start OF The ballotlng.
*K
Furthermore, the appointment of John
Hamilton, Kansas national committee
man. to be national chairman is likely
to follow the nomination of Gov. Landon
for President as surely as day follows
night. Hamilton, although he has had
long training in politics. is young man.
He has taken Mr.. HilleS for a ride" on
one or two occasions at recent meetings
OF the National Committee. He has been
selected by Landon to place his name in
nomination before the Republican Ma
tional Convention. so there is not appar-
emily the slightest chance of Mr.. HilleS
being able to make a deal with the
Landon forces which would prevent
the selection of Hamilton for national
chairman.
The revolving spirit in the New York
delegation against Hilles has been grow
ing for weeks. 1t may not be strong
enough to unSeat HilleS as national COM
mitteeman. Indeed. it is said by some
of those who would like to see a new
national committeeman from the En-
pire State that already he has pledged
sufficient number of the delegates to
vote for his reelection as national COM
| mitteeman when the time comes during
the convention. There is always the pos
sibility that Mr.. Hilles, seeing his influ-
ence on the wane, may decide to step out
and not be candidate for reelection.
Frank L. Smith, national committee
man from Illinois, who has held on 10
that office for years, may be defeated for
reelection. Smith has been aligned with
the old guard in the past. He was elected
to the Senate years ago. but was never
allowed to take his seat because of the
charges of excessive campaign expendi-
lures brought against him at the time
George F. Harding of Chicago is a can
didate for national committeeman
against Smith. and it is said probably
will be the choice of the Illinois delega-
ton. Harding is a district delegate to
the convention. If Harding wins, Smith
will be relegated to the discard very much
as was former Gov. Len Small who was
Overwhelmingly defeated for the guber-
material nomination in the Illinois pri-
mary last April by Wayland Brooks
Earl KinSley, for "a years a wheel
horse in the Republican organization as
national committeeman from Vermont
is voluntarily retiring from that Office
at the close of this convention. There is
no question here of throwing an old
member of the National Committee out.
He told his Vermont colleagues that he
wished to retire, and his successor,
Harold w. Mason of Brattleboro. has
already been decided upon Mason is
business man and a prosperous and
successful one. Also he is only about 43
years old.
The suggestion made by the New York
Herald Tribune that the Republicans
make up a coalition" ticket, giving the
anti-RooSevelt Democrats the nomina-
ton for Vice President, has been coldly
received by most of the Republican
leaders here. They do not believe it
makes sense. Two Republicans of such
divergent views as J. Henry Roraback of
| Connecticut, old guard Republican boss
| of that State, and Carl G. Bachmann,
campaign manager for Senator Borah
| of Idaho in the latter's fight for the
| presidential nomination, say they do not
think well of the idea at all. why don't
the Democrats name coalition ticket?"
| Roraback asked. when the matter was
| put up to him. There is no more reason
| for the Republicans to do SO than for
| CLle DeHlOCTaIS. buCnIldIln SdlQ ne De-
lieved the Republicans should nominate
a Republican for Vice President.
Cleveland is the home of one of the
Democrats suggested by the Herald
Tribune editorial as q possible nominee
| for Vice President on the Republican
| ticket-Newton D. Baker, Secretary of
| War in the Wilson administration and
| dark horse candidate for the Demo-
| cratic nomination for President in 1882.
| Baker declined to make any comment
when he was asked whether he thought
| the Republicans should pick an anti
| Roosevelt Democrat for Vice President,
| or whether he himself would accept
| such a nomination if it were made.
| Former Senator Pomerene of Ohio,
| Democrat, said when his opinion was
| requested: "I am for Baker for any,
| thing he chooses to run for" John Ham,
| ilton, Landon campaign manager, when
| he was asked If he believed the Repub-
lican National Convention should hold
out the olive branch to the anti-RooSe-
velt Democrats, offering them place on
the national ticket. said he thought
President Roosevelt was doing plenty at
this time to drive Democrats into the
Republican party. Beyond that he would
not go in commenting upon the Vice
President race or on a coalition ticket.
Walter F. Brown of Ohio is another
veteran Republican national committee