Evening star., 1936-06-11
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

NC pd1 LlCoAnA ~ 4ldPpJ OfCl CllC ALOAlI1ld-
| tion of Gov. Alfred M. Landon of Kansas
for President by metropolitan National
| Convention. Both have had the opinion
that the Kansas Governor was not con-
versant enough with national problems.
| But it is extremely doubtful that either
| Mr.. Hoover or Senator Borah will go
about the country expressing any such
| views of the nominee. In the first place.
both of them have no use whatever for
| the Roosevelt New Deal. In the second
| place, Senator Borah while he has been
unable to win the party nomination, has
been successful in his attack on the
Republican old guard and in having
some, If not all, of his ideas written into
the party platform.
| Both Mr.. Hoover and Senator Borah,
in the last few months, have done lot
Of public speaking in many parts of the
country. Mr.. Hoover has hammered at
President Roosevelt and his administra-
ton. Senator Borah has concentrated
| more particularly on the old guard,
which he characterized as barnacles on
the hull of the G. o. p, and on having
the Republican national platform lib
! eral document. Mr.. Hoover's speeches
have been hard-hitting, humorous and
brilliant
Whether because Of Senator Borah's
attack or not, the so-called Republican
old guard has faded from the picture as
a controlling element in the Republican
party. Certainly Borah has kept the old
| guardSmen before the public as some
thing to be avoided if the G. o. P. is to
have chance to return to power. And
when they, the particularly old guards
men whom Senator Borah attacked by
name, came to Cleveland for the Repub-
lican National Convention they found
their hands tied effectually. AS mat
ter of fact if their hands had not been
so effectively tied they might have made
it rather more difficult for Gov Landon
to reach the commanding position in
regard to the presidential nomination
which he now has.
j. Henry Roraback, Connecticut boss
of many years standing, apparently
reached the conclusion early that there
was no use bucking the Landon senti-
ment, which had grown strong in his
State. So he announced that he and
the rest of the Connecticut delegation
would vote for Landon when the time
came. Charles D. Hilles, who for so
| iIldIly years has De61 d UOIllIldIlJ inquire
in New York's Republican delegations,
tried to buck the storm. 1t ran over
him completely in the end, and in the
New York delegations caucus yesterday
the vote showed IS delegates ready to
support Landon on the first ballot of
the convention for presidential nominee
-85 out of go. That tells the story right
there. Hilles, it is true, was reelected
| To
saved that much out of the ruck. But it
was clear he could not control New
Yorks delegation. What his future posi-
ton in the party in New York will be
remains to be seen.
| X X r.
The case of Walter F. Brown who has
been victor in many fight in Repub-
lican politics in Ohio, presents an even
more gloomy picture for the old guard.
He was completely stripped of power,
| being denied reelection as national
committeeman. The fight against him
was very bitter. Brown was one of the
old guardsters whom Borah attacked by
name in his Ohio campaign and else
where. In the Ohio delegation of So,
Borah won delegates. The rest were
pledged to Robert A. Taft favorite-son
candidate, At in number. Taft was put
forward on the theory that it would pro-
mote harmony and keep all factions in
the party together Brown and Ed
Schorr, the State chairman, and Clar-
ence j. Brown, former candidate for
Governor and at one time secretary of
state of Ohio, and all the factional lead
erS joined in this harmony movement.
Well, harmony apparently stopped at the
national conventions edge. They took
Walter Brown for a ride. Whether har-
mony will prevail from now on among
the Ohio Republicans remains to be
seen. From the G. O. P. point of view
it is to be devoutly hoped that it will
For the Republicans have a chance to
carry Ohio next November. They have
a strong candidate for Governor, Attor-
ney General Bricker, who is expected to
defeat Gov. Davey, the Democrat, who
is not popular but who has been re-
nominated.
The Borah Ohio delegates, 1t Is re-
ported, voted in the delegations caucus
for Walter Brown. Isn't that something
for Senator Borah to think about? 1t
sounds like fairy story or practical
joke. But it was neither. The truth
of the matter appears to be that these
Dull Oil 0C1CSdbCo AldO W S11OOSC UCt"CCAl
Walter Brown and Ed Schorr, the State
chairman, who was backing Dick" Tag
CART, the successful candidate for ma
tional committeeman against Brown
Schorr had been denounced as harshly
by Borah as had Brown. So the Borah
delegates hoped on the Walter Brown
side of the fight in an effort to defeat
Schorr. 1t seems to make sense. But
it was tough spot for the Borah dele
gates. They might, it is true, have voted
for another candidate. But it appar-
emily seemed best to them to go to
Brown.
Mr. Hoover had hoped for national
convention of the Republican party
composed of uninstructed and untram-
meled delegates, who would sit down and
deliberately pick a presidential candi-
date after they reached Cleveland. 1t
was an ideal kind of a dream. 1t was
impossible in the ough-and-tumble
game of politics as it is played in this
country. 1t smacks of the ideas of the
countrys fathers, who set up an 'elec-
toral college," composed of representa-
tives of the States, who should, after
their election, determine upon candi-
dates for President and Vice President
The presidential electors chosen now
adays who attempted to use their own
| discretion after they had been elected