Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-20
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.

party has decreed that next SATURDAY,
April Is, be designated this year as
Jefferson day" for the purpose OF the
National Democratic Club in New York.
President Roosevelt is going to New York
to deliver an address, and Jefferson day
parties in several States are to be in
order. for the purpose of raising funds for
the Democratic national campaign fund
repetition of the jackson day" drive
for funds last March.
The Presidents speech will be de-
livered in his own home State on "Jefer-
son day." and in the bailiwick of Alfred
E. Smith. former Governor and political
friend of the President, but more recently
one of the Presidents severeSt critics.
Although Chairman James A. Farley Of
the Democratic National Committee and
of the New York Democratic State Com
mittee would be the last to admit 1t, New
York is regarded in some quarters as
doubtful" State this year-doubtful that
it will go for Roosevelt. In a measure,
at least, the Presidents speech there
next Saturday will be an opening gun
for the Roosevelt campaign for New
York-just as the Presidents address in
Baltimore on Jefferson's birthday was
bid for support in Maryland, where anti
RooSeveltiSm has raised its head.
X
Chairman Farley, who continues as
Postmaster General, Is retaining the
craftsmanship of the Democratic State
Committee of New York as we'll as the
craftsmanship of the National Commit
tee. For nearly three years now there
has been talk about his resigning from
the cabinet, and barring that, resigning
from the Office of national chairman. 1t
was asserted. however, that Mr.. Farley
filled the bill as national chairman not
only to the Presidents taste, but also
that of Democratic leaders in all parts
of the Union. In other words, he was
indispensable, and no other men who
would fit in as chairman was on the
horizon. With a campaign coming on
which promises to be bitter and hard
fought, notwithstanding the optimistic
claims of the Democratic leaders, it looks
as though the President did not want to
swap horses. So Farley will hold in New
York, as chairman. and in the Nation.
It is expected that after the renomina-
ton of Roosevelt and Garner, Farley
will step out of the cabinet. But he may
not. The New Deal has smashed all
kinds of precedents. 1t may continue
the campaign manager of the President
the campaign. After all, if Mr.. Farley
merely steps out of the cabinet from
July to November what difference would
it really make If he remained in the
cabinet straight through, some ask.
x**E
Senator Borah's decision to stay out
of the Maryland presidential preference
primary was not unexpected. The Idaho
Senator was scarcely in position to
make much Roadway in the State. which
is generally regarded as conservative in
its views He would have had to buck the
Republican organization now in power,
including Gov. Harry Nice. The Idaho
Senator has been bucking Republican
organizations in nearly every State he
has entered as candidate for the Re-
publican presidential nomination. Borah
started in early in the year streSSlng the
need of throwing out most OF the Repub-
lican organization leaders and starting
all over again with more liberal minded
people in charge. Such campaign was
not calculated to make the organization
love him. They didn't and they don't.
He fell down badly in the New York
primary But more recently he carried
Wisconsin against the "stalwarts" or
regulars, and he got an amazingly large
vote in Illinois, carrying nearly all OF
the "downstate" congressional districts.
His next big test is in Ohio. There, too,
he has the organization against him, and
it should prove effective in the primary
there on May II.
X X 4
The Committee on Arrangements for
the Democratic National Convention
which opens in Philadelphia June %
is to meet in Philadelphia next Saturday.
One of the jobs of the Committee on
Arrangements is to pick the temporary
chairman and keynote speaker and the
permanent chairman. So far as perma-
nent chairman is concerned, Senator
Joseph T. Robinson, Democratic leader
of the Senate, is regarded as an almost
certain appointee. Several have been
suggested and discussed for keynoter,
among them Senator Barley OF Ken
lucky. who was the keynote speaker at
the 1882 Democratic National Conven-
ton; Gov. Earle of Pennsylvania and
Gov. McNutt of Indiana. McNutt, it is
said, is now out of the picture. Earle
has a certain claim to the job, as Gov
ernor of the State in which the conven-
ton is to be held. Some of the leaders,
realizing that anti-New Deal sentiment
has been rampant in New England, are
towing with the idea of finding New
England Democrat to deliver the keynote
address.
When it comes to campaigning 1t looks
as though the Roosevelt high command
was a bit superstitious about making
changes from the set-up which worked
so successfully in 1882. Farley is to run
the campaign, as might have been ex-
pected There was strong sentiment to
take the National Convention back to
Chicago, where President Roosevelt was
nominated the first time. In fact it was
all settled until Senator Joe Guffey of
Pennsylvania dug up an extra $4,000 for
Philadelphia's bid, and so bought the
convention away from Chicago. The
very fact that the leaders are considering
Barley as a choice for keynoter again
is in line with the idea that things
should run along as they did in 1882.
One innovation-his first-which Presi-
dent Roosevelt is likely to repeat this
year. was his going to the Chicago con-
vention right after he had been NOM
mated to accept formal notification" of
that event. 1t is now expected he will
go to Philadelphia and be notified" soon
after the convention has acted. 1t is
sensible thing from many points of view.
In the first place, it is rather ridiculous
to pretend a month or so after the con-
vention has made a presidential NOM
ipofioy, fhof nominee hoiy1O