Evening star., 1936-09-14
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

polls to elect Governor, United States
Senator, members of the House and a
host of State officials. Names election
will be the first real test of strength
between the New Deal and anti-New
Deal forces. 1t will be a test because in
September, 1882. the Democrats carried
Maine and in 1884 they repeated. It will
be test because it is no straw vote"
but an election in which all registered
voters are taking part-unless they de-
eide to go fishing or just stay away from
the polls.
Gov. Landon, the Republican presi-
Dental candidate, made an eleventh.
hour invasion of Maine, speaking in
Portland Saturday night, The Repub-
licans in Maine had been pleading for
a visit from the party's standard-bearer
for long time. However, Landon might
not have gone to Maine at all had it
not been brought home to the campaign
managers and to the Governor himself
that the Republican campaign was lag
ging bit all over the country because
Landon was marking time in Topeka for
four weeks before his next scheduled
campaign tour, in the Middle West.
Chairman John Hamilton of the Re-
publican National Committee took the
bull by the horns. He went to the mat
and insisted that Landon get on the
road again. Maine was the logical place
to 60.
It looks as though the original idea
of many of the Landon advisers was
being permanently abandoned. That
idea had been to keep the Governor in
pYcpnf for cYYaac1,aS
to be made elsewhere. A back porch
campaign was in order. The fact that
Landon makes friends for himself
wherever he goes, and the additional fact
that the country has been anxious to
see him in the flesh for months, made
this plan of campaign appear rather
dumb. 1t was the kind of campaign
that worked successfully to win the
Governor the presidential nomination.
But he would have won the nomination
of his party more impressively if he had
gone into most of the presidential pri-
mary States and made campaign.
Furthermore, he would have already
made ground which he now has to cover.
The Baltimore Sun, traditionally
Democratic, has come out editorially
against the reelection of President
Roosevelt. At the same time it is con-
Quoting poll of the registered voters
of Maryland. Up to yesterday 28,704
ballots had been cast, with Roosevelt
we'll in the lead. The total vote cast
in the presidential election in 1882 in
Maryland was 511, ,054 and in 1923, 528,-
248. Not all of the registered voters took
part in either election. The Sun can
scarcely expect to have all the voters
take part in it's present poll. Neverthe-
less, if all the voters have an opportunity
as they will have-the results of the
poll should be illuminating. Maryland
is one of the States which the Repub-
licans are hoping to carry this year.
partly because of big detection among
Democrats who do not like the New
Deal.
The Springfield Republican, published
in Springfield, Mass, and long noted for
its independence in politics, editorially
is urging all liberals to get behind Presi-
dent Roosevelt. 1t says:
"The more moderate liberal and pro-
gressive elements Of "the left" on this
side of the "lunatic fringe" could not
hope in half century to develop more
sympathetic, more understanding and
more competent leader than President
Roosevelt, now thoroughly seasoned by
experience-and this can be said after
allowing broad margin for deprecia-
ton, because of his faults and errors, in
the balance sheet of his personal record.
One can waste a lifetime waiting for
leader who is ideal. Leaders are made
by circumstances and matured by serv-
ice. They must be accepted in order to
be utilized, or we can have no leaders.
If progressives are at all keen for keep
ing their only possible leader at this
time in power. they must rally to Roose-
velt's support"
The campaign in Pennsylvania is
warming up. Registration figures, it is
expected, will set a new high record. The
Democrats have greater registration in
Pittsburgh for the first time-aIthough
the city has gone Democratic consist
emily since 1882. Allegheny County,
which includes Pittsburgh, however
shows the Republicans 10000 ahead of
the Democrats. In Philadelphia, with
two more days remaining for registra-
ton, the Republicans have 100000 to
100000 for the Democrats. In all the
great central part of the State, the party
workers are extremely busy. Some of
the counties are showing considerable
gains for the Republicans. Despite the
claims of Democratic leaders that Penn
sylvania this year will be carried by
Roosevelt, the early indications do not
foretell any such result.
Mayor La Guardia of New York, who
was elected mayor in 1888 on Republican,
Fusion ticket, is out in the open working
for the reelection of President Roosevelt.
In 1888 the Tammany apple cart was
upset when the Roosevelt administra-
ton, through Chairman James A. Far
ley of the Democratic National Commit
tee and also chairman of the New York
State Democratic Committee, got behind
Mckee, another Democratic candidate
for mayor, and the Tammany choice
was showed under. Tammany will
sooner or later have to make up its mind
whether it is going down the line for
Roosevelt this year. While many of
the Tammany people have no love for
either Roosevelt or Farley, if they think
that Roosevelt is likely to be reelected
President they may decide it is better
policy to stick with him, in the hope
that he will let Tammany alone when
a mayor is elected next year. If the
belief was widespread that Roosevelt
might support La Guardia in 1887, how
ever, it might have a different effect.