Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-07-10
Planting Candidates.

The Roosevelt New Dealers-and more
particularly the President himself-are
like the Canadian Mounted Police in
one respect. They always get their man
when they go looking for candidates
to bolster the Democratic national ticket.
Frank Murphy, former mayor of Detroit
and until he submitted his resignation
yesterday United States Commissioner
to the Philippine Islands, is the latest
to be bagged. Murphy is to run for Gov
ernor of Michigan on the Democratic
ticket. He was very considerable asset
to the Democratic ticket when he was
mayor of the biggest city in the State.
Michigan is one of the worries of the
New Deal campaigners. In the last two
elections it has gone Republican-al-
though it kicked in for Roosevelt in
1882 along with forty-one other States
of the Union. The Democratic situation
in Michigan has not been a very pretty
thing in some respects Election frauds
have cut some of the party leaders down.
For a while the Democratic New eal-
ers looked hopefully toward Sc ator
Jim" Couzens, hard hitting, indt en-
dent Republican. They though that
perhaps the senior Senator from ichi-
gan would Jump the traces entire.y and
run for reelection this year as a Demo-
crat. Republican regulars were de-
manding Couzens' scalp, and there
seemed some likelihood they might get
it. Mr.. Couzens, however, decided to
enter the Republican senatorial primary
hot the Democratic-and that was
that. So the New Dealers put on their
thinking cap and pulled out Frank
Murphy, whom the President had hon.
ored with appointment as high COM
missioner to the Philippines. Mr.. Murphy
announces that for the good of the
cause he will permit himself to be noni-
mated for Governor. This may rifle some
of the Democrats who remained at home
and thought they should have chance
to run for Governor. But this idea Of
having State nominations dictated from
the thing. And if the Democrats in
the States feel bad about it, and say so,
they stand the chance of getting into
the black books of the administration.
The President recently persuaded Gov
ernor Lehman Of New York to stand for
reelection, although Lehman had de-
cided that he should retire from public
life The purpose of the President was,
of course, to strengthen his own ticket
in the Empire State. More attempt was
made to gloss the matter over in Leh-
mans case than In Murphys. It was
said that Governor Lehman should con-
tinue on the job to spread the New Deal
faith in the State of New York, that
his program of social legislation was
just getting under way. The Roosevelt
Democrats have become fearful of the
New York election, however, and they
did not wish to lose the strength which
they believed Lehman would bring to
the party ticket next November.
The Roosevelt leadership will not hest
tdUe W Put 1olWdlu oGlleI CdlAulodGcS 4oi
Office in other States if they believe
that these candidates can strengthen the
national ticket. 1t may be good politics.
On the other hand, there is always the
possibility that the entrance of the ma
tional leadership into party affairs
within the States will leave sore spots.
1t is chance that the candidate plant
erS will have tn take