Evening star., 1936-03-16
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By C. Could Lincoln.

activity for the Kansas Governor when
John %. M. Hamilton resigned his post
as assistant to the chairman of the
Republican National Committee to lead
a drive for Landon delegates to the
G. o. p. National Convention. There Is
even talk of putting Landon's name into
the presidential preferential primaries
in California and New Jersey. Such
step would be q decided reversal Of
form on the part of Landon, who has
declined to be drawn into any primary
contests up to date. Friday, the 18th,
which used to be lucky day for Wood
row Wilson, the Republican county
chairmep In New Jersey held meeting
in Trenton and decided unanimously
that they were for Landon. The reso-
luton indorsing Landon was adopted by
13 of the 81 county chairmen, and half
a dozen of those not present are UNDER
stood to be in favor of the Kansas Gov
ernor. All this is right in line with the
report made some time ago about senti-
ment in his State by former Senator
Walter E. Edge. Landon's supporters
in New Jersey are wondering if they
cannot use his name in the presidential
primary, which takes place May 10,
even II the Governor does not give his
assent. The primary is merely advisory
and not binding upon the delegates.
&x*4
From California came the report last
week that a slate of delegates favoring
Landon'S nomination had been picked by
his friends there, and were ready to 60
to bat in the primary which takes place
May 5. This activity on the part of the
Landon people has stirred up the Borah-
for-President group in California, as
well as in this city. They are considering
very carefully entering the Idaho Senator
in the California primary. They expect
him to go into New Jersey. In the light
of the Borah challenge to presidential
aSpirantS to meet him in open fight in
other States, it is expected that in the
end he will enter the California primary
and win as many delegates as he can.
Senator Borah's latest attack is di-
rected at what he calls the efforts of
the standard Oil Co." to dictate who
shall be members of the Oklahoma dele
cation to the Republican National Con-
vention. Oklahoma's delegation has been
claimed by the Landon group. Landon
himself has been in the oil business. but,
as his friends hasten to explain, always
an independent and on the side of the
independents and against the big COM
panies. 1t would look, however, as though
Borah were getting ready to make it as
unpleasant for Landon supporters and
for Landon as he can.
Borah himself is to take to the stump
actively this week. He is due to speak
in youngstown, Ohio, on Thursday. and
in Chicago on Saturday. His recep-
ton in these two States will be watched
with great interest. He has entered the
primaries in both. and in Ohio is opposed
by Robert Taft, son of the late Presi-
dent favorite son candidate with the
backing Of the entire Republican organ
ization of the State. In Illinois he Is
bucking Col Frank Knox. adopted son
Of Illinois and publisher of the Chicago
Daily News. Knox is to make wide
speaking tour in Illinois and will get
underway this week also. The Illinois
primary will be the first big test for
both Borah and Knox. 1t falls on April
IS, just a month hence.
*&&
From a long range and according to
some shrewd politicians, Borah should
do fairly we'll down State in Illinois, but
despite certain following in Chicago,
he will lose to Knox in the Windy City.
which has about one-half the voting
strength of the State. Knox has the
organization with him, and the organ
ization knows how to deal with situations
in Chicago Borah was at one time a
great defender of national prohibition.
In fact, he sent Questionnaire to various
presidential aspirants at one time asking
how they all stood on that subject. While
national prohibition has gone the way OF
other experiments, the wet sentiment in
Chicago was always strong. Also there Is
large colored population and the letter
which Senator Borah wrote some months
ago, saying that he believed an anti
lynching bill similar to the Wagner
CoStigan bill was unconstitutional and
that If he were President and Congress
sent him such a measure he would veto
it, has aroused resentment.
The Democrats are pIanning, If Sem
ator Borah becomes the Republican
presidential nominee, to demand that the
Idaho Senator take position upon the
repeal of the eighteenth amendment.
They will try to get him to say he be-
lieveS repeal was right or that 1t was
wrong. Either way, they figure. he will
lose by saying anything. If he takes
the first course, the drys will be offended
if the latter, then the vets will have 1t
in for him.
Borah has a great gift. He has the
power to sway audiences as few men OF
today can. He will have his opportunity
when he takes to the stump in Ohio
and Illinois. But so far he has developed
no issues which make a wide appeal, or
a wider appeal than made by the Roose-
velt New Dealers. He has attacked
monopoly. But so do the New Dealers,
and they are more concrete about it. He
has attacked the Republican old guard.
But the New Dealers have been doing
that for the last three years. If he were
attacking the New Dealers he would
make an appeal to a large number of
Republicans and to anti-New Deal
Democrats. Up to date. however, he has
been rather lenient with the Roosevelt
administration. If he opens up in a new
direction and f1ays the Roosevelt New
Deal or a great deal of 1t, a very differ
ent picture will be presented.
The House committee appointed to in
yestigate the Townsend old-age CAM
paign is about to get underway. The
INQUIRY will attract the widest kind OF
interest. Members of Congress soon will
have to go into their own campaigns for
reelection. They have been threatened
hv Dr Townsend and his cohorts. who