Evening star., 1936-07-09
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.

Farley to take over formally the running
OF the Democratic national campaign.
That is the day he is to 60 ION leave"
from his cabinet Office. OF course, Mr..
Farley has been In entire command Of the
campaign up to the present time, as
chairman of the Democratic National
Committee. And he will continue to have
full control in the interim between today
and August l. He ran the preconvention
campaign for the denomination of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, and ran 1t so successfully
that not dissenting vote was cast when
1t came time to name the party's presi-
dental candidate. In fact, Farley has
proved himself in the last five years an
astute. energetic campaign manager. He
Travelled the country over in the interest
of Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Governor
Of New York, prior to the Democratic
National Convention of 1882, in Chicago.
What he did for his candidate is all q
matter of history. Now he is to have
another shot at it.
Organization is q potent factor in
politics. 1t is in organization that Farley
shines particularly. He has been at it
now for a long time. He began re-
nominating and re-electing President
Roosevelt Immediately after the Presi-
dent took Office in 1888. What Farley
has been doing in these years-as well as
the Presidents own record-will be tested
in the next four months.
Y
Farley and the Democrats face a diff
ferent task this year. They are likely to
find themselves on the defensive fire.
quently; whereas in 1892 they took always
the offensive. There is no Republican
President to attack today. Their job is to
uphold Democratic President One of
the things that may help them Is the
upturn in business. There is more buSi-
ness, and more mployment-although
the relief rolls continue very large. This
does not seem to make sense. It was
true before the disastrous drought hit the
North and Middle West. If the admin
istration can please people on relief and
at the same time please the majority Of
the workers, the victory should be an easy
matter There are signs, however, that
those on relief are getting tired of it..
And the interests of the employe and the
employer, after all, are not so far apart
that the worker does not understand it.
The employers, generally speaking, are
anti Roosevelt.
y &+t
Florida has two Senators to elect next
November. Death dealt heavily with the
Florida delegation. First Senator Park
Trammell died in the Spring of this year,
and just before the close of the session
Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. Neither of
these Senators was up for reelection, for
Fletcher had had two more years of his
term to serve, and Trammell had four.
Both were Democrats, and both will be
succeeded by Democrats to be named at
party primaries within a few weeks.
Florida broke away from its Democratic
allegiance in 1928 to vote against Alfred
E. Smith and for Herbert Hoover. Even
If political miracle occurred again this
year and the State should go for Landon,
it Is unlikely that Republican candidates
for the Senate would be successful.
Both Fletcher and Trammell had long
service in the Senate. Fletcher became a
Senator March 4. 1909, q years ago.
Only Senator Borah of Idaho has a
longer record of service, and Senator
Smith of South Carolina a record of equal
length. Trammel entered the Senate in
1917. Fletcher was chairman of the
Banking and Currency Committee at the
1AIAAC Va 4iAo dCotAl. 11C Ald0
through the Senate all Of the New Deal
banking and financial legislation. Tram
nell was chairman of the Naval Affairs
Committee.
Gov Sholtz of Florida has filled both
vacancies temporarily, appointing Scott
M. Loftin to fill Trammell's seat, and
William L. Hill to fill that of Fletcher.
Neither Loftin nor Hill will seek election
to the seats they now hold, they have
announced. Senator Hill was urged by
many Of his friends to make the race. He
decided finally. however, not to enter.
For 20 years Senator Hill was secretary
to Senator Fletcher. His appointment to
the Senate following the death of Sen
ator Fletcher was the first time that a
secretary to Senator has ever succeeded
the Senator directly. Mr.. Hill, lawyer,
with record of long and efficient service
with Senator Fletcher, has many friends
among the Senators as well as in his
home State who have expressed their
appreciation of the honor done him.
Several candidates have filed for the
Democratic nomination for Trammell'S
seat in the Senate, among them former
Gov. Doyle E. Carlton, Judge c. o.
Andrews and Robert Boone. Only one
Democratic candidate has come forward
to date for the Fletcher seat, Claude
Pepper, who was an unsuccessful candi-
date for the senatorial nomination
against Trammell two years ago. Pepper
made good race, and was defeated only
by narrow margin. The last day for
filing for Democratic primary for these
Senate seats is Saturday, July II. The
primary takes place August IL, and if a
run-on is necessary it will be held Sep
tember !.
The defeat of Senator Gore for re-
nomination in Oklahoma's Democratic
primary is not likely to bring any great
amount Of distress to the Roosevelt
leaders Gore has frequently been a
caustic critic of New Deal measures and
spending. The blind Senator trailed two
New Deal Democrats in the primary,
Representative Josh Lee and Gov. Mar
land, who will fight it out in a run-off
primary on July %. The New Deal has
other Democratic critics in Oklahoma
among them former Gov. Alfalfa Bill"
Murray. There are some of Gov. Landon's
friends who insist the Republican candi-
date for President will carry the State
next November The Democrats, of
course, seek to ridicule such a predic-
ton. The fact remains, however, that
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