Evening star., 1936-06-25
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

cratic National Convention voted to elect
q full slate of women alternates to the
Resolutions Committee, which drafts the
party platform. The Resolutions Com
mittee, selected by the State delegations
under the old rule, contained not
woman member. It was mans affair.
This may have gotten under the skin
of the women. Anyway. under motion
of the handsome Gov. Paul McNutt Of
Indiana, the convention agreed to let the
State delegations each pick woman to
become an alternate" for the male
members of the Platform Committee.
The woman alternate will have q full
vote in the committee, when the man
member is absent. This is not quite the
representation which the women would
like. perhaps but 1t Is something. The
National Committee of the party has two
full members from each State, one man
and che woman, with equal vote. If
similar arrangement was made for the
women on the Resolutions Committee,
1t would double the membership. And,
further, 1t would give the women a very
great hand in shaping the policies of
the Democratic party, as enunciated in
the platform.
The Resolutions Committee Is con-
trolled absolutely by the Roosevelt New
Dealers. No plank is going to get by
their watchful eyes which is not
approved by the administration. That
seems quite clear. Indeed. some of the
Democrats like Senators Glass and Byrd
OF Virginia. Tydings of Maryland, and
Adams Of Colorado have refrained from
going on the Resolutions Committee, as
they could have done, leaving the way
clear to the selection of members not
so antagonistic to New Deal measures.
The action of these more conservative
Democrats is symbolic. These gentlemen
are going along with President Roosevelt
in the campaign, despite their distate
for many of the measures he has advo-
Gated. There is feeling against much
Of the New Deal, so-called, among other
delegates to the Democratic convention.
But they, too, are going to swallow their
dislikes and fall in behind the party
standard bearer. They are Democrats
first and ready to subordinate their per-
sonal views If they come in conflict with
those Of the President.
Idaho Democrats are flirting with the
idea of trying to persuade Senator
William E. Borah to run for reelection
to the Senate as a Democrat. Whether
they will ever carry out their plan to
request Borah to accept such a nominal
tion remains to be seen. 1t remains.
however, that at caucus of the Idaho
delegates to the Democratic National
Convention only out of II delegates
present were for going ahead with the
nomination of Gov. c. Ben Ross, Demo-
crat. for the Senate seat now occupied
by Borah. and the rest favored the re-
election of Borah and want to have him
take the Democratic nomination. There
are two difficulties which face such a
plan. The first is to persuade Gov Ross
to stay out OF the senatorial race. and
the second, to persuade Senator Borah
to accept Democratic nomination
Borah has a great deal of support
among the Democrats of his State. He
has always had it. He is an institution
in Idaho. as well as in the Senate of the
United States. There has been a lot of
talk among Democrats about putting
Ross up to beat the veteran Senator this
year. Ross has been good vote-getter
But some of the Democrats who are
friends of Borah would hate to see the
State lose the prestige which Borah
gives 1t by his presence in the Senate
Of the United States The Democratic
delegates here may have been encour-
aged to believe that Borah might accept
Democratic nomination because he has
been displeased by the action of Gov.
Landon of Kansas. Republican presi-
dental nominee, when the latter came
out for return. eventually, to the gold
standard. Borah might be willing to
accept the nomination of both parties.
But it is entirely unlikely that he would
agree to run as the candidate of the
Democratic party alone.
One of the first requisites of delegates
to national conventions of the political
parties is patience. Never has it been
better exemplified than at the present
Democratic convention. The work of the
convention might well have been accom-
plished within two days-perhaps in one.
The party has its candidates for Presi-
dent and Vice President. It's platform
could have been prepared quickly, for it
will be drafted in accordance with the
wishes of the administration. Yet the
present convention is being strung out
to cover five days of sessions. Two days
of the convention were devoted entirely
to speeches and to routine business. The
delegates sit in chairs on the floor of the
convention that are none too comfortable
while the speaking goes on. They are
expected to sit there for hours. And at
the proper time they are expected
to stage wild demonstrations, lasting
anywhere from IS minutes to an hour.
1t takes not only patience and good
humor on the part of the delegates, but
also physical stamina.
Senator Barkley of Kentucky has been
widely congratulated upon his keynote
speech. which he delivered as temporary
chairman of the National Convention,
and the congratulations are deserved.
His speech was good, New Deal Demo-
cratic argument. 1t had plenty of punch
and was well delivered. The Senator
wisely cut good deal from the prepared
text of his speech-for it was very long.
What he had to say was effective and
effectively said.
Plenty of pressure is being exerted to
persuade Gov. Lehman of New York to
be candidate to succeed himself and 10
rescind the announcement he made in
New York several weeks ago that he
would not make the race. New York,
the Democrats admit when they are
talking off the record, is likely to be
tough State for Roosevelt to carry next
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