The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-27
Movements OF TOwnsendites Are
Now Becoming More Confusing
Many Popular Questions
Having Bearing On Or
ganization Remain Un-
answered

ny . NUN FN1NE
(Chief Of Bureau. The Associate d
Press WashtngtOn)
The dying echoes of the Town
send convention leave unanswer-
ed many popular questions about
this little-understood movement.
and about the Union party with
which the convention leaders flirt.
ed at Cleveland.
The questions do not involve
at all the enthusiasm or the sim
certify of the Townsend devotees,
whose camp-meeting outpouring
eff emotion was backed by a good
iy contribution of hard cash when
the hat was passed among the
delegations.
But enthusiasm and sincerity
do not swing elections unaided;
nor does cash unless it is wisely
expended. From the viewpoint of
practical politics, the one abso-
lutte requisite is unified, organic
ed, properly directed campaign eff.
fort.
Is the Townsend movement, or
the Lemke Union party with
which so much has been done to
identify it, prepared for such eff
fort? Surely there was little in
the sessions at Cleveland to sug-
gest an affirmative answer.
Harmony Needed Most
In spite of the conversion of
it's revered leads, Dr.-Townsend
himself, the convention split over
a proposal to endorse Lemke and
ended up by endorsing nobody.
More than that, it was able
only by postponing decision TO
avert an open break over internal
organization. The money tossed
into the hat was not, in fact, for
campaign work, but to pay the
the expense of a court battle
the Townsend movement itself.
The support of the remnants of
Huey Longs share-the-wealth Or
ganization was pledged by the
Rev. Gerald Smith, but it was
questioned on the convention floor
what that support might amount
to. Even when Long was alive
there was much skepticism wheth-
er he had any effective working
units outside Louisiana, and the
Lemke ticket apparently is barred
from Louisiana by one of Huey's
own laws.
Father Coughlin contributed his
part by p!edging his Union for
Social Justice, the strength of
which in terms of practical poll
tics still is to be demonstrated.
Nor is it so much question
how many separate groups sup
port ticket, as whether they
will work together in harmony.
Will Townsend, Coughlin, Smith
and Lemke work in harmony, and
if so which of the four will be
commander-in-chief?
A Futile Chain Letter
The futility of earnest but dis
organized and misguided political
effort is illustrated by a chain
letter now in circulation in some
parts of the country. 1t deals, as
does the Townsend movement,
with pensions, saying:
"For U. S. govt. pensions $50
to $50 month to all over 55,
vote for DIR. Pope for President
in Nov. by writing in his home on
the ballot as independent, like
this: James E. Pope, Okla for
President"
The truth, apparently unsus-
pected by those who further this
chain letter effort, is that no
amount of such writing-in would
have the slightest practical eff
feet on the election. Even if a
majority of all of the voters of
the country so expressed them
selves for DR.. Pope, he would not
have, legally, a single vote.
Presidents are chosen by cleo
tors, not by popular vote, and to
get anywhere with a national
ticket states Of electors must be
entered on the ballots and voted
for in the several states. Of course,
the Lemke managers know that;
Continued on Page Four)