Evening star., 1936-04-06
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.


Eastern Republicans are modest this
year. They not only admit the claims
Of the Middle West and West to produce
the Republican presidential candidate,
but they also are asking the West to
advise them as to the particular candi-
date the people of the West desire. So
Charles D. Hilles, Republican national
committeeman for New York, says. And
yet there is one aspirant for the presi-
Dental nomination, Senator William E.
Borah of Idaho, against whom the East
ern leaders, among them Hilles, have
registered their protest. Borah expects
to come into the convention, however,
with the delegations of a number of West
ern States pledged to him.
The Wisconsin primary, which takes
place tomorrow may tell the tale SO far
as the Borah candidacy is concerned.
The Idaho Senator was persuaded to
enter the race for the presidential NOM
ination by Republicans in the Badger
State several months ago. He agreed to
60 into their primary. The opponents of
the Borah candidacy, probably realizing
the boost which Borah victory in Wis
consin might give to the Idaho Senator,
have been working like beavers to head
him off there. A slate of "uninStructed"
delegate candidates has been entered in
opposition to the Borah slate of candi-
dates, and the fur has been flying in the
last couple of weeks. The opponents of
the Borah candidacy realize, as do the
Borah supporters, that If the Wisconsin
primary goes against the Senator, his
presidential candidacy will be cooked
For a defeat for Borah in Wisconsin
would be very different thing from his
recent defeat in of the 43 congress
sional districts of New York. Wisconsin
is rated a progressive State of the West.
If the Republicans there turn their backs
upon Borah, it would be interpreted as
meaning that the Republicans of the
West do not care for the fighting Idaho
Senator.
The Republican party in Wisconsin
was for years dominated by the progress
siye wing of the party, under the It lder-
ship of the late Senator Robert NJ La
Toilette. 1t continued to be dominated
by the same progressive wing under the
leadership of the present Senator Bob"
La Toilette, who took his fathers seat in
the Senate in 1925, and of Gov. Phil La
Toilette, also a son of the late Senator
But couple of years ago the La Follettes
organized the Progressive party, aban-
doning the G. o. P. This took the great
mass of Republican progressives out of
the old party. Four years ago the La
Follettes came out in the open for Presi-
dent Roosevelt against former President
Hoover, Republican. They took their
followers in large numbers into the
Democratic party in that election. There
remained in the Republican party the So
called "Stalwarts." the more conservative
and regular Republicans. 1t is clear that
what happens to Senator Borah in to-
morrows primary will depend to great
extent upon how many of the La Toilette
progressives go into the Republican pri-
mary and vote for the progressive Repub-
lican Borah. 1t is upon the "stalwarts"
that the opponents of Borah are relying
to stop the Idaho Senator in Wisconsin.
And yet some of the stalwartS are sup
porting Borah.
If Borah WINS in Wisconsin, it will give
his candidacy impetus for the fight in
Illinois, where Borah must run against
Col Frank Knox of Chicago in the presi-
dental primary one week later 1t will
help in other States. On the other hand.
if he loses, the psychological effect will
be distinctly bad for the Idaho Senator.
1t will hurt him in the Ohio primary and
in West Virginia, for example, as well
as in Illinois. The head of the Borah-
for-PreSident Committee, with head
quarters here, is Carl Bachmann, former
Representative from West Virginia and
one time Republican whip of the House.
Bachmann has been hopeful that he
would be able to swing most OF the West
Virginia delegation into line for the
Idaho Senator and is still hopeful How
ever, Republican National Committee
man Walter Hallanan, a leader OF the
c. o. p in his State, is not for Borah
but for Col. Knox, it is reported, which
causes difficulties for Borah in West
Virginia.
Up to date only six men are serious
and one of them, at least, is considered
far outside the probabilities. They are
Gov. Landon of Kansas, Col. Knox of
Illinois, Senator Vandenberg of Mich
igan, Senator Dickinson Of Iowa, Senator
Borah of Idaho and former President
Hoover of California Mr.. Hoover, be-
depression, is held by most Republicans
to be an impoSSibility for the presidential
nomination. There has been talk of
dark horses" If there are any such
animals, they are still very much in the
dark.
Mr.. Hoover, because Of his former
leadership of the Republican party, gets
the ear of the public when he attacks the
Roosevelt New Deal. He delivered his
seventh major attack, a speech In Fort
Wayne. Ind, Saturday night, scorching
arraignment of the New Deal and what
it is doing to the liberties of the Amer
ican people. The former President is not
conducting his campaign in the interests
of his own possible candidacy for the
Republican nomination, nor in the in
tereStS of any other candidate. In fact,
many of his intimate friends are con-
vinced that he has abandoned any hope
or thought of becoming the standard
bearer this year of the G. o. p. His CAM
paign against the New Deal has been
effective, however, and doubtless 1t will
be continued after the Republicans have
nominated their candidate and written
their platform at the national conven-
ton. In the opinion of MIR. Hoover, the
great and pressing need of the day is to
defeat Roosevelt for reelection and so
The Supreme Court of the United
States, which has outlawed in its deci-
SionS the two main acts of the RooSe-
welt New Deal the N R A and the