The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-12

WANC OlSCAi1 VAAS oS1 Ae%A SA SSSS democratic side.
 This year, with the situation re- versed, tho would-bes are on the E. o. D. bench.
 Without exception everyone of the group is a long-odds entry. What they arc really shooting for is second, and not first, place. But this does not mean that they have abandoned all hope of grabbing off the stellar role.
 The history of national conven- tions shows that dark horses some. times run away with the prize. Past Performances
 Tn 1920, after Senator Hiram Johnson, Governor Frank Lowden and General Leonard Wood had fought one another to Q standstill, Warren c. Harding stepped in and walked off with the republican nomination. Tn 1924, when Al Smith and William Gibbs McAdoo deadlocked the democratic con- vention for interminable days, the exhausted delegates finally turned to John w. Davis, rank outsider. It is possible -- though not probable-that the Cleveland con- vention this year may get into Q hopeless tangle over the leading runners and have to turn to bench-warmer On the chance that the lightning-in one form or another-may strike in their particular direction, the following aspirants are champing restlessly in the republican paddock:
 Senator Lester J. Dickinson, Iowa.
 Representative James w. WadswOrth, New York.
 Representative Hamilton Fish, New York.
 Governor Frank r. Merriam, California.
 "HeII-ROaring Dick"
 Two factors distinguish the can- didacy of "Hel-roaring Dick" Dick inson:
 CD Among republican politi-
 COS he is considered Hoover's secret choicezthat is, Hoover's choice after Himself.
 (2) Securing place on the presidential ticket is Q matter of an almost urgent necessity with Dickinson; for he probably will not be reelected to the senate.
 To what extent there is an agreement between the Iowa sena- tor and the ex-president is not known. But, privately, Hoover has displayed marked cordiality toward Dickinuson--something he has not shown toward any of the other candidates.
 The two men have much in common. Both are IowanS, they see eye to eye for high tariff, against federal relief expenditures, and on other major issues. Also, with Dickinson the party nominee, Hoover would be a dominating in- fluence in his counsels.
 "DOg Food" Dickinson
 If this fails, Dickinson's sena- torial situation is precarious. Even if he should scrape thruogh the re publican senatorial primary, h' would face an uphill fight in thu election.
 A vice-presidential nomination at Cleveland would get him out of this tight spot. Even there, the prospect is none too promising. The The three leading contenders - Landon, Knox. Borah - all are from the Middle West. and if one of them is nominated for first place, second place is likely to go to an customer.
 So Dickinson sits and waits for a miracle. It will take that to solve his dilemma.
 Jim WadswOrth
 Tall, slender, wealthy. the bearer of a famous name, Wadsworth would be a front rank contender for the nomination except .or one flaw-the comes from the wrong part of the country to oppose Roosevelt.
 For strategical purposes the rec publicans must nominate a west- erner. in the hope of offsetting the Presidents strength in that