Evening star., 1936-07-27
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

nearby? The answer is he's doing well.
This even goes for Missouri, usually
rated Democratic State. Missouri, it is
said, has really become q battle-ground,
with the Republicans making gains.
This does not mean that it's in the bag
for Landon.
Anything but few months ago Mis-
souri, was considered cinch for Roose-
welt, and now there is to be a real fight
there. The Democrats have tremen-
dously strong organization in Kansas
City headed by Boss" Tom Pendergast.
Pendergast has reached out. He has
strong organization in st. Louis, which
used to be Republican stronghold. Out
in the country districts of the State he
is less effective. However, the Demo-
Gratis are looking to Pendergast to deliver
the votes as usual. Just at present he is
away, i'll. But he is expected to come
back in plenty of time for the campaign.
So far as Kansas Is concerned, the
Landonites feel quite sure the Repub-
lican nominee will win with lead Of
from $4,000 to 100000 Representative
Clifford r. Hope, Republican, says he has
no doubt about the $4,000 lead. He be-
lieves that Is conservative in the extreme.
Yet Mr.. Hope freely admits that many OF
the Kansas farmers are still for Roose-
welt at this time, because of aid they
have had from the A. A. A. as originally
operated and which they are expecting
from the revamped farm law. Kansas
has been a sufferer from the drought.
If the farmers are we'll taken care of
in the drought area, which extends over
an appreciable part of the State, Roose-
welt may benefit thereby, 1t is admitted.
No one seems to know just how the
drought is going to cut politically. If
prices of foodstuffs go up because of
shortage, the drought is not going to be
entirely an asset for Roosevelt. De-
cidedly not. Kansas went for Roosevelt
by about $4,000 votes over Hoover four
years ago. But it gave the Republican
candidate 100000 lead in 1928. And
two years ago Landon was reelected
Governor of the State by $4,000 when
the country was swinging heavily to
Roosevelt.
Oklahoma will be hard nut for the
Republicans to crack, despite the fact
that Alfalfa Bill Murray and other
Democrats there are clear of the reser-
vation and supporting Landon. Today
it would go strongly for Roosevelt. The
Republicans, however, are digging in
there for hard campaign, and recall
that twice before Republican presidential
candidates have carried it.
Nebraska, Kansas neighbor of the
north, is leaning to Landon. There, too,
the campaign is still in the making.
Either Landon's campaign may make or
mar in Nebraska, although the people
are inclined to be for him. There is a
growing anti Roosevelt vote. and Of
Democratic strife to aid the Republican
candidate
Illinois Republicans who attended the
Landon acceptance ceremonies in To-
peka-and there was quite delegation
insist that G. o. P. prospects in that
populous State are looking up. In the
first place, the Republicans have laid
aside their factional troubles for the
time being.
They have a strong candidate for
Governor in Wayland Brooks, who has
the veterans of the World War pretty
well lined up-and who makes a strong
appeal to young Republicans. Further
more, the Republicans say that the old
row between Gov. Horner and the Kelly
Nash Democratic organization in Chi
cago is likely to give the Democrats a
good deal of trouble. A possible ny in
the Republican ointment Is the threat OF
Big Bill" Thompson to run as inde-
pendent candidate for Governor. If
Thompson gets into the race, he may
make quite a stir in Chicago, where he
was boss and mayor for so long a time.
He will be without the old Lem Small
organization support down State-for
Small is dead.
A three-cornered battle is looming in
the third congressional district of
Kansas. now represented in the house
by e. w. Patterson, Democrat. L. P.
Beard a Townsendite, is going into the
race. The contest in the Republican pri-
mary seems to lie between former Repre-
sentative McGugin and George F. Beez-
lev of Girard. Beard is locomotive
engineer. He went recently as delegate
to the Townsend Convention in Cleve-
land. He has the Endorsement of the
national Townsend organization as well
as that of the State.
Patterson had counted on the support
of the Townsend vote.
While there are a lot of Democratic
leaders in Nebraska who do not like one
another, in the exigencies of the cam
paign they may yet be drawn closer to-
gether and so make better fight against
Landon. There are Lawrence, the Lin
coin editor, who is stirring heaven and
earth for Senator Norris, and the mayor
of Lincoln, Brother Charley" Bryan, at
one time Governor of the State, and
Ouiggly, the State chairman. And then
there is Arthur Mullen, who found him
self torn out of the Democratic national
ommitteemanship by the purists-and
the realistS-among the New Dealers be-
cause he had opened law offices in
Washington and started coming money
Mullen has had a serious run-in with
Secretary Ickes. the public works admin
istrator, too. What Mullen thinks about
Bryan is a plenty. There is Senator
Burke. once a fair-haired boy in the
eyes of President Roosevelt, but who
has irritatingly opposed some of the New
Deal measures, and the Presidents
wishes Burke seems to have a feeling
that he owes something to the World
Herald for his election to the Senate
ANY way, he is sticking more or less with
that newspapers opinions concerning the
New Deal He has not, and has no in
tention, it Is said, of going the full
length of that newspapers attitude. II