Evening star., 1936-08-03
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.

FALMOUTH, Mass, August 3-The
Democratic campaign gets under way
this week. Chairman James A. Farley
of the national committee stepped out
OF the Postmaster Generals office on
Saturday and took command for the
Roosevelt forces. AS a matter of fact,
Mr.. Farley has been in command right
along-and the campaign for the re-
election of President Roosevelt has been
under way since March 4, 1888. But
on the record, the campaign now begins.
The Democrats are operating out of
New York City-the Republicans out
of Chicago. The Republicans consider
that the Middle West is their particular
battle ground this year. This is territory
which the Democrats have considered
their own until recently. For the Demo-
Gratis, 1t appeared that their toughest
battles would come in the East. But the
contest looks more and more national
as the weeks go by, with Landon a
real threat in all sections of the country,
even in couple of the States of the
South.
Up here in New England the New Deal
has been under more vigorous fire for a
longer period than any other section of
the country. The N. r. A. went sour
in this section before 1t did elsewhere.
Rhode Island sounded off last August
with a congressional by-election which
turned Democratic seat in the House
into Republican seat. In Massachu-
sets the Democrats are badly split up.
Father Coughlin has quite following
in this State and his National Union for
Social Justice Is backing candidates in
the various congressional districts for
the Republican or Democratic nominal
tions for the House. II the union finally
places a candidate in the field for the
Senate seat now occupied by Senator
Marcus A. Coolidge, Democrat it may
make Republican victory fairly certain
despite the confidence expressed by Gov
James NJ Curley that he will be elected.
For the Coughlin vote will come out of
the Democratic camp. not out of the
Republican.
The Republicans in Massachusetts, are
more wholly together than they have
been in number of years. They believe
they have real chance this year and
they are going to it. Although 1t is
three months before election day rolls
round, they are very active already
Henry Cabot Lodge, grandson of the
late Senator Lodge, candidate for the
Senate. and John w. Haigis and Leverett
Saltonstall, candidates for Governor and
Lieutenant Governor, respectively, are
speaking at many gatherings.
y
Father Coughlin had a meeting of his
clan at Worcester on Saturday, which
80 Jal L,,1 n L.
great confidence that the unions candi-
dates would be victorious, both In the
primaries which come in September here,
and later in the general election. The
father. although he apologized for calling
President Roosevelt liar" and several
other things at the Townsend meeting in
Cleveland few weeks ago. on Saturday
in the Worcester speech did not appear
at all repentant for what he had said
in Cleveland
MY Roman collar was supposed to
be in the custody of mothballs, according
to the press" said Coughlin. II knew
the story and laughed at them" In his
criticism of President Roosevelt, Father
Coughlin hesitated at one point in using
a word for him. Mr.. Roosevelt is a"
he hesitated.
"A candidate" volunteered some one
in the crowd.
Call him candidate If you wish I
called him another name some time ago."
You told the truth, you told the
truth came shouts from the crowd
"Ill let you people say I told the
truth: I won't" answered Father
Coughlin.
The contest for the Republican NOM
ination in the fourteenth congressional
district between Joseph w. Martin, jr.,
OF North Attleboro and Lawrence o.
Witter. candidate of the National Union
for Social Justice. is attracting more
attention than any fight in the district
in the past decade.
Martin, who Is now spending most Of
his time at the New York headquarters
of the "Landon for President" organiza-
ton, being Eastern manager of the
campaign. will not have much time to
devote to his own campaign. but already
many of his supporters have taken the
initiative and launched drives designed
to secure for Martin the nomination of
his party.
Martin will stand for reelection on
his past record and on the fact that he
feels that he is in better position to do
things for his district and the State in
the future than any newcomer. Espe-
cially if Landon is elected, Martins
friends say. the district and the State
will be represented by a voice which is
closest the presidential ear. In any
event, they think he is powerful enough
personally to be reckoned with by any
administration.
n
The political fate of Senator Pat
Harrison is soon to be determined 1t is
case of Pat" versus Mike" For
Harrison's opponent in the Democratic
senatorial primary in Mississippi Is
Mike" Conner. Conner has the sup
port Of Senator Bilbo, who broke with
Pat Harrison during the last session of
Congress over the appointment of
United States judge who had sent him,
Bilbo, to Jail for contempt of court.
Bilbo has taken the stump for Conner.
Conner had to run three times before
he was elected Governor, in 1882. Con-
ner's name is Martin Sennett Conner.
Harrison was chriStened Byron Patton,
but since early boyhood has been known
as Pat. Conner is of Irish decent on
both sides of his family. His grand
father, John Conner commanded a
company of the 35th Mississippi Regi-
ment in the Confederate Army. The
first of his family came from Ireland
to South Carolina. The Sennetts came