Evening star., 1936-07-30
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


Democrats It's the kind of thing that
has possibilities-quite definite possibili-
ties Already it has become known
through kind of grape vine method of
communication that considerable num-
ber of Democratic leaders, whose names
have not before crept into print in this
Roosevelt group.
The anti-Roosevelt Democrats, plus
the anti-RooSevelt Republicans and the
anti-Roosevelt Lemkeites and others,
may make 1t exceedingly difficult for
Roosevelt to win reelection. There Is
no one more rabid than a man who has
left his old political party and gone over
to the opposition-for reasons that seem
adequate to him. There were no more
bitter foes OF the Republican national
ticket four years ago than the former
Republicans who joined with Roosevelt.
among them Norris of Nebraska, La
Toilette of Wisconsin, Cutting Of New
Mexico and johnson of California. Well,
it is a pretty good guess that when
former Senator Jim" Reed of Missouri,
former Gov. Ely of Massachusetts, and
others turn lose on the Roosevelt ticket,
the fur will fly.
1t is idle for the Roosevelt Democrats
to argue that the number Of anti-Roose-
velt Democrats is immaterial. idle in the
light of the vote cast for an anti
Roosevelt Democrat, Col Henry Breck-
inridge. in the Democratic presidential
primaries in Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Ohio and New Jersey. Breckenridge. who
will be among those attending the De-
troit meeting in all probability, received
nearly $1,000 votes in Maryland, 10000 in
Pennsylvania and proportionate num-
bers in the other two States. II most
of the anti-Roosevelt Democrats 60 all
the way and vote the Republican ticket,
it means a shift of $4,000 in Maryland
and 10000 in Pennsylvania, and such
block of votes might well mean the differ
ence between victory and defeat.
y X x*
The formation Of the proposed anti
Roosevelt Democratic group is in line
with the practice in this campaign OF
forming new groups. What with the
Young Republicans and the Young
Democrats, the Labor's Non-Partisan
League, the American Liberty League
and others. the news Is crowded with
their doings
Other groups are forming, some OF
them racial The Democrats will be
organizing the Negro voters, and so will
the Republicans. have already spoken
in this column of the fact that the ira
ditionally Republican Negro vote may
escape tradition this year and find its
way into the Roosevelt camp. Since then
I have had my attention called to the
fact that one of the most influential
forces among the colored voters and the
colored people generally are their min
isters I am told that there is a great
number of preachers with small congre-
gations-aside from those colored clergy
men who have large followingS. And 1t is
said that great many Of these smaller
clergymen are on relief themselves. The
argument is made that they will give
their support to Roosevelt and take
many of the members of their congrega-
tions along with them. Indeed, 1t is said,
there are thousands of these Negro
voters who will follow the ministers right
into the Roosevelt camp.
The colored voters are being taught
that Roosevelt is second Lincoln; that
he has fed them when they might have
starved. and has given them much more
of a break in the matter of political
preferment. They are being taught that
if Landon comes in-no more relief will
be available. OF course, Landon has
already said in his acceptance speech
in Topeka that he intends to see that all
the needy are given relief; that what
ever economies are made will not be
taken out of the people on relief, but
out Of the political profteers. If the
Republicans are going to be able to
hold the Negro vote as they have in the
past, and to head other groups Of voters
on relief, they will have to din into
their ears over and over again these
| statements of Landon, and in very
convincing manner.
It is Midsummer and political opinion
| has not crystallized. The presidential
candidate who looks good in July does
not always look so good in October.
| Political sentiment usually comes to
head after Labor day. This year many
| of the voters are already determined
either to support Landon or Roosevelt.
| There is q great deal of bitterness on
| both Sides Nevertheless, there still
remain vast number of voters who have
not made up their minds. These will
wait to see what the conditions-what
their own conditionS-are in October.
| Then they will make up their minds. In
the meantime the Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders from top to bottom will
undertake to make these voters see the
true light" whatever it may be.
One of the earliest fields of endeavor
| will be Maine, where the election of a
| Governor, q Senator, members of the
House and other officials are elected
September IA. Maine, it is said, looks
good for the Republicans. It is usually
Republican. So the question is generally
how large will be the Republican plural
! ity. Two years ago the State went
| Democratic, electing Democratic Gov
ernor and two out of three of the mem
bers of the House chosen were Democrats.
The Republicans are not going to over
| look Maine this year-not If they can
help it. It may be that Gov. Landon
| himself may make an appearance in
Maine before the September election. In
any event, it is probable that a number
| of topliners will be sent into the State
| to harangue the voters. Probably the
| Democrats will step out in Maine, too.
| They are not anxious to have big Re-
publican vote rolled up in this State,
| almost two months before the general
election in November. The psychological