Evening star., 1936-08-16
FEW OBJECTIONS
FROM PARTY SEEN
Meeting of Constitutional
Factions Draws Little
Interest.
BY ii. c. HARRISON,
Special Correspondent of The Star.

was with display of unbridled apa-
thy that Michigan Democrats watched
the maneuverings of the so-called
constitutional Democrats" at their
recent meeting here at the call of
Missouri's Old Roman. Jim Reed.
Once they had the answer to sim
gle question, the Democrats of this
State thereafter evidenced none but
the most desultory interest in the
meeting The question was: will Bill
Comstock attend the meeting?" The
answer was: mo"
1t may be necessary to point out
that Bill Comstock is William A. Com
stock of Ann Arbor. Governor of Mich
igan from 1882 to 1884, one-time Dem
ocratic national committeeman, for
long years the leader and financial an
gel of the party in this State. 1t was Bill
Comstock's money, loyalty and enthu-
siasm that kept the remnants of the
party together between Wilson and
Roosevelt. When his money went in
the great washout the party collected
a campaign fund for him and elected
him Governor.
Administration Assailed.
Comstock was only Governor one
term. Unchallenged leader of his par
ty when he took office, he was defeat
ed in the primary two years later.
Many things had happened in the
meanwhile. There had been a terrific
barrage of criticism against his ad-
ministration, much of it without
foundation, although mistakes had
been made. There likewise was a
vicious whispering campaign against
Comstock himself, based on allega-
tions that were wholly untrue.
There was much quarreling in the
Democratic camp over patronage.
Comstock believed that the national
administration did not pay sufficient
heed to himself and the regular Or
ganization in parceling out Michigan
Federal jobs. What angered him most
was the rumor that his successful op-
ponent in the primary, Arthur J. Lacy,
was the personal candidate of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Roosevelt never said
so, but Lacy had been a White House
visitor on several occasions.
At any rate, it was an embittered
Comstock who went out of Office de-
feated by the party he had cherished.
He brooded in silence for year; then,
last Winter, announced that he would
be looking out the window" during
the present campaign. He was in
Vited to the Reed conference and &C
cepted. After his acceptance was made
public, he was beSieged by old Demo-
cratic friends, begging him to change
his mind. One argument that gave
him pause was that his appearance
at the meeting would injure the cause
of the candidate for Governor he is
supporting. Comstock, on the day
the conference opened, sent a tele-
gram of regrets. He did not appear.
Four Others Also Accepted.
State Democratic leaders breathed
a sigh of relief, for Comstock was
the only Michigan Democrat of any
stature who had accepted an invita-
tion to the meeting. Five Michigan
men in all accepted invitations. The
most prominent of these was an old
time Democrat who had long record
Of party irregularity and who was an
avowed Hoovercrat in 1928. The other
four were virtually unknown politi-
cally.
This situation is of piece with the
whole Michigan attitude toward the
so-called "Jeffersonian rebellion"
When an old-time Democrat, who in
cidentally is the president of power
company, recently announced he could
not support Roosevelt, a newspaper
sent kilograms to so prominent old
line Democrats in the State, asking
their position. Every answer received
said Roosevelt would be supported
From the evidence at hand, there
seems to be no doubt that defections
from the Democratic cause in this
State will be isolated and negligible in
number.
There is reason for this situation
and it lies in the fact that the Demo-
cratic party of Michigan is over
whelmingly a New Deal party. 1t
must be remembered that there was
time in this State and it wasn't
so long ago either, when a Democrat
was something of museum piece.
The State was Overwhelmingly Re-
publican. The Democrats took
terrific lickings at every election. The
party was scattered and diSorganized,
held together only by the enthusiasm
of a few zealots like Comstock In
scarcely county in Michigan did
1t put full ticket in the field. There
Just wasn't any use. Party leaders
used to go around grabbing people
by the coat-tails and dragging them
against their will into the lists as
candidates. They used to get first
class candidates, too, because the
candidates knew they didn't have a
Chinaman's chance to win.
Party Struggled ~ Years.
Between the Civil War and 1882, a
Democratic presidential candidate
never had carried Michigan; only one
Democratic Senator was elected; the
Democrats never controlled the
States delegation to Congress; only
two Democratic Governors had been
elected; only once had the Democrats
controlled the Michigan legislature
this the party record for 70 years.
So that when the Democrats finally
came back into power in 1882, it
was not traditional Democratic
strength that put them there. 1t
was the tremendous accretion OF
strength they had had since 1928,
composed of Independents, dis
gruntled Republicans, liberals, progress
sives, New Dealers, what you will.
The point i-they weren't historic
Democrats and so any breaking away
from traditional Democratic standards
there may have been doesn't interest
them in the least. To them, the So
called "Jeffersonians" meeting here
were just collection of querulous old
codgers.