Evening star., 1936-01-30
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By C.. Could Lincoln.

occurred at all. Whether these anti
Roosevelt Democrats of the South are
able to send any delegates to the Phila-
delphia National Convention in June
opposed to the denomination of the Pres
ident or not, the very fact that con-
siderable number of Democrats in this
part of the country are willing to break
with the Democratic administration is
significant.
Not many people here really believe
that the movement to elect, or name
through conventions, anti Roosevelt dele
gates will succeed-certainly in the
Southern States. There is a possibility
that an anti Roosevelt delegation may go
from Louisiana, although the admins
tration may be able to win over that
outfit through favors bestowed. If Geor-
gia sends an anti-Roosevelt delegation, 1t
is likely that it will never be seated. The
Roosevelt people in this State plan to
send contesting delegation. And when
the Credentials Committee has con-
cluded it's work the antiS are apt to
look pretty sick.
However, the anti-Roosevelt movement
in the South doubtless will encourage
such a movement in other parts OF the
country Indeed the hope of these South
ern "Jeffersonian Democrats" is that they
will be able 70 bring into the campaign
against the denomination of Roosevelt
groups in the Northern and Western
States.
Gov. Talmade of Georgia put on
real show here. If he wants to run
again for Governor Of Georgia, 1t Is very
doubtful that the Roosevelt people can
beat him. They tried to two years ago,
when the New Deal was more popular
than it is today, and they failed. He mas
rot said yet whether he will be candl-
date to succeed himself.
In many ways Talmadge has been
high-handed Governor. He turned out
commission after commission. He has
compelled the power and light people to
charge less rates for electricity. he has
made the railroads put down their rates
in intrastate travel. Yet the strange
part of it is that, by and large. these
corporations have prospered under the
Talmadge orders. They have increased
their business markedly. So elements
| that were hostile to him are not SO now.
Georgia is one of those States which
| has still clung to prohibition. 1t has
| prohibition in its constitution and Its
| law. But as things stand the drys have
| the law. and those who want 1t, ap-
parently. have no trouble getting their
| iiuuor. In the main hotels in Macon
! there operate in full swing bars and a
| tavern. No pretense of hiding what IS
| going on is made. Liquor OF all xmas
| is sold openly. And no one, apparently,
does anything about it.
The Roosevelt Democrats have decided
| to throw mud at the former Democratic
nominee for Presidential Smith. They
arc engaged in calling him turncoat,
tool of the interests. They have ganged
I'm on the former New York Governor in
| their effort to smear him. Their purpose
is to offset the effect of his open break
with President Roosevelt, and his decla-
| ration that Democrats who believe in the
principles of Jefferson, Jackson ana
| Cleveland will take walk If Roosevelt
| is renominated by convention Whlch
indorses the New Deal.
X
| Effect of AL Smiths speech denouncing
| the New Deal and attacking the Presi-
| dent for having broken his platform
pledges may be great in New York, New
| JERSEY. PENNSYLVANIA and Maryland, not to
| mention the New England States. Smith
| has many followers in all these States
| Indeed. it looks now as though the En-
| pire State may we'll be lost to Roosevelt.
| It was wobbling badly before Smith
| turned loose the works" Maryland has
| never been particularly strong Tor the
| New Deal With former Gov. Rltcme
and Smith hammering the President, the
Republicans will certainly have chance
to carry the State.
Southern Democrats in Congress have
been severe in their remarks about Al
| Smith. Representative Woodrum OF Vlr-
| ginia declared that Al had taken
| walk" at the Chicago convention, because
he was sore when Roosevelt won the
nomination. 1t may be remembered,
however, that the Roosevelt high COM
mand in the campaign which followed
did their best to get Smith back on the
reservation and that he was finally pur-
suaded to make some speeches for the
| Democratic national ticket in States
where he was most effective. If Smith
took walk" at Chicago, it was not
much of walk.
| r **
There is rumor going the rounds
| that the Democrats are anxious to have
Charles A. Edison, son of the late Thomas
| Edison, make the race as a Democratic
| candidate for Senator in New Jersey
this year against Senator Barbour, Re-
| publican. Edison has been head Of the
w. P. A. in Newark, and recently the
President made a stop there to go to
| the w. P. A. headquarters, when he was
on one of his trips to New York.
! Senator Borah of Idaho made his first
invasion on Tuesday night OF State in
| which his friends are seeking to elect
| delegates pledged to him. He went to New
York. There he was subjected to heckling
by members of his audience in Brooklyn
hall because he had written some time
ago that he would not approve, if Presi-
! dent, the Costigan-W anti-lynching
bill, since he considered it unconstitu-
| tional He reiterated his belief that it
was unconstitutional. At the time he
made his original statement about the
anti-lynching bill it was clear that he
would have opposition in his candidacy
for the presidential nomination from
some of the colored voters. How much
this will affect his chances in States
where primaries are held for the Selec-
ton of delegates and for presidential
preference" remains to be seen. There
are many colored people in some Of the
big States of the North and Middle West,
notably Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
not to mention New York.
Many of the colored people have gone
over to President Roosevelt, leaving the
Republican party for that purpose, Demo-
Gratis as well as Republicans admit