Evening star., 1936-08-30
What Figure Will Lemke
Cut in the Campaign?
BY OVEN L. SCOTT.

The real clue to the outcome Of the
presidential election is to be found in
an answer to the question: How many
votes will William Lemke poll and from
whom will these votes be drawr2
An answer, in turn, rests heavily on
another question: What are the chances
OF blow-up in the political friendship
of the Rev. Father Coughlin. the Rev.
Gerald X. Smith and DR.. Francis E.
Townsend, the evangelists of imitation
and the pillars of vocal strength on which
Liberty Bill' Lemke stands?
One thing is set down among politi-
clans as certain. 1t is that Candidate
Lemke will poll fewer votes with his
Union party than the 4. 800 600 polled by
the late Senator Robert M. In Toilette
in his presidential candidacy Ct 1924.
But Gov. ALI M Landon is counting
Importantly on those Union party votes.
His basic strategy, now definitely re-
vealed. Is to pitch his campaign to fairly
general tones. except on the question OF
Federal finances; offend as few people
as possible, and count on two develop
ments to give him the breaks that mean
election. One is the vote Of conserva-
tive Democrats, turning Republican. The
other is the vote Of the panacea fringe
in the population drawing away from
President Roosevelt to vote for Lemke.
The idea is that the President will be
caught in the middle, losing both from
the right and from the left. That idea
gets support from the fact that Calvin
Coolidge in 1924 carried IL States by
minority vote, owing to the pull Of La
Toilette votes away from John W. Davis,
the Democratic nominee.
But danger may be wrapped up In
that strategy. 1t involves dependence
on the highly emotional prima donnas
putting on the Lemke show, temporarily
cooperating because Of their common
hatred for President Roosevelt.
1t assumes that votes for Lemke are
votes taken away from the Democrats
rather than from the Republicans
very dangerous assumption in the vital
State Of Illinois and in some other i'm
portant areas.
It takes for granted the conclusion
that the American people want to turn
back to "normalcy" as they did in 1920.
Success Of that strategy and the COR
rectness Of the diagnoses made by the
Republicans and their candidate depend
in important degree on the effectiveness
Of Mr.. Lemke as a vote-getter. The
character Of his support and the nature
Of his appeal merit scrutiny.
The Union party is found to be born
of a common hatred and well developed
itch for power.
Candidate Lemke is inspired to seek
the presidency by the belief that Mr..
Roosevelt engineered the coup that re-
suited in overwhelming defeat In Con-
gress for his plan to pay of farm mort
cages by use of printing press money.
He now offers the same panacea to urban
as we'll as rural debtors. hoping thereby
to catch enough votes to get even with
the President.
Father Coughlin also thinks that the
troubles Of the United States. If not Of
the world, grow out Of a too limited
supply Of cash. That gives him a nat
ural tie with Mr.. Lemke. But the radio
priest also thought that the troubles of
| the country could be solved by raising
the price of silver, and when the Treas
ury made public the fact that his organ
ization was holding silver at the time he
was urging the Government to increase
its price an irreparable break occurred
Father Coughlin blamed the President
for this revelation.
The Rev. Mr.. Smith was a ready
recruit when Coughlin brought out Cam
didate Lemke. His share-the wealth
movement had gone from bad to worse
after the assassination OF Senator Huey
Long. He sought use for his really
tremendous lung power in the service
Of a cause which his slain idol had in
tended to lead.
But even before joining up with Father
Coughlin and Representative Lemke to
seek revenge on Mr.. Roosevelt Preacher
Smith had allied himself with DR.. Town.
send, as a salesman for the idea Of $500
a-month pensions for all persons over
| so. DR.. Townsend, who had received
| the cold shoulder from the President and
| who blamed Mr.. Roosevelt for the con-
gressional investigation Of his plan. was
easily convinced that he should throw
| in his lot with those who had grudge
| to settle.
Real dominance in this whole pro-
cedure lies with Coughlin and Smith.
Yet these two leaders already are
OpcIdtl1lk QllucI 1ldlllllCapos 4uC tLOuUlC
is that the two men-one a Catholic
priest and the other a Louisiana Bap-
tist preacher-are seeking leadership in
q field that has room only for one.
The result is q reported antagonism
apparent to those who have been watch
ing both. Pastor Smith is reported to
be somewhat scornful of Father Coughlin
because of the fact that he wilted under
q broiling Cleveland sun before ending
his emotional appeal to his followers.
And Father Coughlin IS reported to be-
lieve that his type of radio appeal is
superior to that of Mr.. Smith, who is
q bit cruder and noisier.
That personal feeling between the
two third party orators might not be
so bad were it not for other factors.
One Of these is the now obvious fact
that the Townsend old-age pension
movement is losing its force. Collec-
tions admittedly are dwindling. Some
field offices have been closed. There are
internal clashes, both among the leaders
and among the followers. Townsend
candidates have Jared poorly in most
primary elections and DR.. Townsend
is reduced to the necessity of claiming
Endorsement for some candidates who
win, rather than having candidates come
to him for Endorsement
Another factor affecting the Collphlin