Evening star., 1936-05-28

ndQ 1nQOrSeQ tIle
candidacy of Senator Norris.
Norris walked out on the Republican
party in 1928 to support Al Smith
against Herbert Hoover and in 1882 he
supported Franklin Roosevelt as
against Hoover. So he has twice sup
ported Democrats, which might qualify
him somewhat to receive Democratic
Endorsement, but, on the other hand,
he did not enter the Democratic pri-
maries and the number who wrote
in his name on the ballot did not
total very many.
Mr.. Roosevelt walks"
So while Norris will be the 'bene-
ficiary of the Roosevelt Endorsement,
the precedent is really that the leader
of the Democratic party has walked
out on the regular Democratic nomi-
nee, Terry Carpenter.
Another precedent was established
by Mr.. Roosevelt in the 1884 elections
when Senator Hiram Johnson Of
California received the Democratic
Endorsement and the ticket was called
Republican Democrat Progressive"
The Democratic party leaders, on
orders from the White House
squelched any candidacy from the
Democratic ranks.
But while Mr.. Roosevelt and Post
master General Farley took walk"
to support Johnson, the latter didn't
do any walking at all. He still ap-
pears in the Congressional Directory
list as a Republican and no mention
is made therein of the fusion charac-
ter Of the election which gave him his
present seat. He retains his consistent
record as a Republican.
New Situation Developing.
Precedent No. might be said to
be developing in Michigan, where the
Democratic State Convention at
Grand Rapids last week indicated its
desire to lake walk" with respect
to the candidacy for reelection of
Senator Couzens. Republican. The
primary is to be held in September
and the State convention made over
lures to Couzens to run in the Demo-
cratic primary and meanwhile with
held any Endorsement for a number
of contenders for the Democratic
nomination for the senatorship.
1t might be said that the Republi-
cans in Virginia inaugurated the
walking" season, for they refrained
from nominating anybody to oppose
Senator Carter Glass, Democrat, but
the Republicans are a secondary
quality in Democratic State like Vir-
ginia anyhow, whereas in a typical
prairie State" like Nebraska-to use
Postmaster General Farley's new slo-
gan for winning the West-the Re-
publicans have been the dominant
party and the Democrats have fire.
quently in recent years sent their vic
torious candidates to the United
States Senate.
Two years ago, President Roose-
welt helped Senator La Toilette,
progressive, of Wisconsin, who had
taken a walk" out of the Republi-
can party, and while there was a
Democratic nominee for the Senate,
he was showed under because of the
conspicuous favor bestowed on the
La Follettes by Mr.. Roosevelt.
Walked in 1896, Too.
Walking out, therefore, seems to be
a political custom in which President
Roosevelt himself has participated.
He has set the example which will be
followed this campaign year by Re-
publicans and Democrats switching
from party to party.
Back in 1896 there was considerable
walking" when the gold Democrats
refused to follow Bryan, the Demo-
cratic nominee, because of his views
on the silver question At first, the
independent Democratic ticket, with
Messers. Palmer and Buckner running
for President and Vice President, got
the anti-Bryan Democrats into the
mood to take a walk" for many of
them did not feel justified in leaving
their party to vote for any Republi-
can. BY the time November came
the gold Democrats were so anxious
to make sure that Bryan would be
defeated that they walked the whole
distance and voted for Mckinley.
Just what will happen this year II
an Independent Democratic ticket is
placed in the field is too early to con-
lecture, but the walking days in ma
tional politics are here again.
(Copyright, 1850