The Washington times., 1936-01-17
TO FINISH
ON TALMADGE
ORDERED
By EARL GOODWIN

Gov. Eugene TaImad8e, OF GeOI-
Eia, who manages to make more
trouble for the Administrations
politicians than nearly anyone
else, now comes to the front as
the objective of one Of the hardest
and sharpest drives the Roosevelt
Democrats will make in this pre-
convention era.
The red suspendered Georgia
nonconformist governor has the
ball in his hands, and if the RooSe-
welt team is not careful, Gene will
sweep around their end and pro-
duce an anti.RooSevelt and pro-
Talmadge delegation to the Phila-
delphia convention which, by all
the Administration rules, should
be 100 per cent for Franklin D.
Roosevelt as the nominee.
Harmony Menaced
It would be irkSome indeed if,
at Philadelphia, there should be
anything but strict harmony and
unity with respect to cheers, reSo-
lutionS and nominee; that is, irk-
some from a Roosevelt Democrats
standpoint. But it probably would
put one more inch laterally on the
Talmadge grin, with the added
possibility that he would snap
those red galluseS like giant fire
crackers.
The Georgia mixup at the mo-
ment is the irritant to be
Smoothed over. Such things as
the Liberty League dinner on
January IS and the question of
what Governor Alfred E. Smith in
tends to do, and whether there
viii be third party in the South
fade away in the stern necessity
of doing something about Gov.
ernor Talmadge. For that reason
the entire Georgia delegation in
the House called on President
Roosevelt yesterday afternoon
and, after a long and serious hud-
die IN the executive offices, went
away sewed up tight as to what
went on inside.
Seek to Stop Governor
But the matter under discussion
was the business Of ways and
means to keep Governor Talmadge
from taking the game right away
from Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A State organization must be
formed right away, so the RooSe-
velt adherents say, to be ready to
leap into the fray and battle with
the governor. The reason is that
the Georgia State law requires
that where there are two or more
candidates for the presidential
nomination, the voters must de-
eide their choice by voting in a
preferential primary. If there is
but one candidate, then a State
convention Of Democrats will be
called.
In both of these events the gov
ernor has an advantage. AS gov
ernor, he can call the preferential
primary within "a hours, if he
wants; and with his organization
all prepared and primed he can
sweep up lot of votes.
A defensive play against this
possible move is said to have been
discussed by the GeorgianS in the
Presidents office.
Can Control Convention
Also, in case of convention,
the governor is presumed to have
an advantage in the selection of
delegates. AS head Democrat of
the State he is suspected of being
able to control such a convention
If he gets half a chance.
The play which the Administra-
ton Democrats will make in de-
fense Of a 100 per cent Roosevelt
delegation depends on a quick and
thorough State organization,
ready to start at a moments no.
tice, like Paul Revere, and carry
the alarm far and wide-in other
words, to get out the vote if a
preferential primary is called.
1t is understood, of course, that
President Roosevelt will be a can
didate in Georgia; and Governor
Talmadge has stated he would en-
ter the lists as a candidate for the
mere purpose Of gaining control of
the Georgia delegation to the
the Democratic national conven-
ton.