Evening star., 1936-01-12
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

of possibilities was listed at over IL
Today. the ones most talked about
have simmered down to six
The six are curiouSly grouped in
twos. There are the two most eminent
Republicans, ex-President Hoover and
Senator Borah. The two who, at the
present stage, are regarded as most
likely to be chosen, Gov. Landon of
Kansas and Col. Frank Knox of
Chicago. And the two who. while not
dark horses. are looked upon mainly
as possibilities in the event that the
nomination does not go to one of the
others; these final two are Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan and Senator
Dickinson of Iowa.
Maybe some one will clip this article
from the paper and save it until about
June IS, when the Republican nominal
tion will have been made. Maybe the
saver of the clipping will enjoy a
smile at the expense of the writer of
1t. For it is possible, through devel-
opments meantime, that the nomina-
tion may go to some one other than
the six here named. Stranger things
have happened in politics, but not
often.
Hoover Grows Constantly.
Ex-PreSident Hoover grows constant
ly in the restored esteem of the public.
That growth, I suspect, will go on
for a long time. A generation from
now Mr. Hoover will be seen as a
heroic figure for his personal qualities.
NO hn 1r,in koo l1ie
one Of two possible senses, is quite
certain. Which sense depends on the
outcome of the struggle, going on not
only in America, but everywhere, be-
tween the democratic and represent
ative deal of government. and on the
other hand autocracy of the type now
In power, in varying form, in three
great countrieS-Italy Germany and
Russia. If democracy and the repre-
sentative form of government loses in
America, Mr.. Hoover will figure in
history as the last President of the
democratic order. If America resists
and escapes infection by the new Or
der, Mr.. Hoover will be recognized as
the man who made a splendid and
successful rear-guard fight in behalf
OF the American tradition.
The conflict between constitutional
government and autocracy is the issue
before America in the coming cam
paign. I am not sure that many peo-
pie see this. To those who look be-
meath the surface, who see history in
terms of forces and Who recognize So
cial and political tides-to such there
are many evidences of the struggle
now under way in Anne, lea and in the
world
To mention one evidence: Of the
nine Justices of the Supreme Court,
five are over 10 and al over so. Hence
1t is possible and even likely that who
ever is President between now and
1910 may have opportunity to appoint
a majority of the court. If it is Presi-
dent Roosevelt who has that oppor-
tunity, can any one doubt that he
would appoint only men who are COM
mltted to substantial wiping out of
State lines, to the socialization of pub
lie utilities and some other forms of
industry-indeed to all Mr. Roosevelt's
ideas about the Constitution and the
independence of the courts, to the
whole of what Mr.. Roosevelt calls the
new order" "a permanent readjust-
fnent of many of our ways of think
ing and therefore of many of our So
cial and economic arrangements"
Think Hoover Is Handicapped.
While Mr. Hoover Is the outstand-
Ing leader in defense of the American
tradition, many who esteem him above
any other American still continue to
think he is not the most expedient
Republican nominee for the preSi-
dency. They think that in the emo
tions of many people he is still too
handicapped by association with the
depression, by the fact that the COM
ing Of the depression and the depth of
1t happened to coincide with his term
of office. They think that if he were
the Republican nominee, the New
Dealers would revive the Smear
Hoover" technique and shrewdly cause
1t to come about that the campaign
would be about Mr.. Hoover'S admins
tration, and not about Mr.. Roosevelt's,
as, of course. it should be. For these
and ether reasons some of those who
most appreciate Mr. Hoover think
nomination of him for the presidency
would not be the most fortunate pos
sible choice. There is no organized
movement in behalf Of Mr. Hoover
No one, SO far as current information
goes, is seeking election of delegates
pledged to him.
AS much as two years or more ago
many persons with the best of inten-
tions, some of them loyal friends of
Mr.. Hoover, counseled publicly and
privately that he should announce TO
the public that under no circum-
stances would he accept the Republi-
can nomination for the presidency
The thought was that, as it was put
by the New York Times and felt
by many others, he would thus en-
large the power of his voice. We can
now see, I think, that this would
not have been wise Had Mr. Hoover |
made that announcement when it
was first suggested during 1888, the
New Deal would have had greater |
momentum than it now has. Mr. |
Hoover by force of circumstances as |
well as through his personality and
convictions, was and is the outstand-
ing symbol of the American tradi-
ton of the thing which the New
Dealers jeer at as "the old order"
Had Mr.. Hoover, occupying that po-
sition, announced in 1888 that he |
was out of public life, every New
Dealer would have proclaimed the an
nouncement to be the final sign of |
the disintegration of the American
tradition. They would have said the
principal leader of the American ira
dition was, by his own political sui
eide. giving spectacular acknowledge
ment of the death of it.
Borah Is Also Defender.
In q different Way. Senator Borah |