Evening star., 1936-07-18
Cheers, Just Cheers?

Cheers, Just Cheers?
The Townsend convention in Cleve-
land may or may not indorse the new
Union party's ticket Lemke and
OBrien. But whether it does or not,
1t has proved sounding board for anti
Roosevelt speeches. Despite the efforts
of some of the Townsend leaders, among
them Frank Arbuckle, the permanent
chairman of the convention, to keep the
Townsend convention "non-partisan" in
its political activities, the convention hall
Roosevelt administration. And DR..
Townsend, head and forefront of the
old-age pension party, has, for the time
being at least, committed himself to the
cause of the Union party, promising to
campaign for Lemke for President.
What does all this mean in votes? It
is impossible to figure closely. for the
Union party ticket has still to be formally
launched; it has still to file formally in
most of the States of the Union, and
there is grave doubt that it can file effec-
lively in large number of the States.
But if the Union party gets a foothold
and Lemke place on the ballots in an
appreciable number of the States, it will
give the Roosevelt New Dealers some
thing more to worry about. For the
present estimate is that the new
third party will draw many more
votes from the men and women who fol-
lowed President Roosevelt in 1882 and
in 1884, when the congressional elec-
tions were under way, than it will from
Republican ranks.
The Townsend convention is to listen
to Lemke himself before it concludes its
session. It has already heard Lemkes
chief backer, Father Coughlin, leader of
the National Union for Social Justice. 1t
has heard the ranting Rev. Gerald Smith,
self-styled head of the old Huey Long
hare-the-wealth clubs, who also has
lined up for Lemke's presidential can
didacy. Probably Lemke himself will not
thrill the convention as did these, his
advocates. He is not built that way. Both
Coughlin and Smith are adopts when it
comes to demagogic oratory.
The effort to drive the Townsendites
into national politics, by Coughlin and
Smith, aided by DR.. Townsend himself,
is causing real dissensions in their ranks.
1t may result in splitting the organiza-
ton from stem to stern. After all, the
Townsendites primarily are interested in
Just one thing-the adoption of the $500
a-month pension plan for the aged.
Many of them see no good reason why
they should cast their votes for Lemke.
And many of the delegates may see less
reason for such course after they have
heard Lemke.
The convention Of the National Union
for Social Justice, called by Father
Coughlin, a month hence in Cleveland,
is expected to follow Father Coughlin
with a strong Endorsement of Lemke.
1t is expected, indeed to be Eemke and
Union party convention. How many of
the Townsend brethren will be on hand
remains to be seen.
If the new-made triple alliance, Cough
lin, Townsend and Smith, carries on for
the duration of the present campaign, it
may prove factor in the outcome OF
the presidential race. The claims by
Coughlin, Townsend and Smith that
they can each severally deliver millions
of votes-Coughlin claims l0,000,000 him.
self-are fantastic in the extreme. But
they may control enough votes in a
number of States to swing victory away
from the New Deal ticket.
Should Lemke, in his address be-
fore the Townsend convention, promise
to put the Townsend old-age pension
plan into effect in the event of his elec-
ton, there is no telling just what the
convention might do. UP to date it has
been a great cheering section. It has
cheered when Coughlin and Smith have
ranted against the President and his
New Deal. 1t has cheered when Conner
Smith, a Townsend leader from Okla
homa with Democratic leanings, attacked
the Rev. Gerald Smith. And it has
cheered those speakers who have de-
clared against entry into partisan poll
tics. 1t will probably cheer to the end.
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