The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-04
RACE
NOT TAKEN
SERIOUSLY
By EARL GOODWIN


nounced candidacy for the White
House in 1871 starts the politicians
wondering who really will be PreSi-
dent-and It certainly is strange
how many Of the selfsame Demo
Gratis who revolt against F. D. r.
every few minutes take you aside
and whisper in your car:
"But, really now, who Is there
that the Democrats can nOmi-
nate other than this man ROOse-
veIt?"
With that background it is easy
to understand why so many pro-
fesSional politicians are willing to
let Governor Earle out for an ex.
htbition trot around the track just
to see what sort Of pace he can
develop-but they. appear to nave
only a hstless interest in the pro
cedure.
What the Democrats want is
q man they can win with, and who
will insure them a continuation of
splendid political machine which
has been built up with great care
Of foresight over the past five
years. ...
Earle Scales Peak
Gov. George H. Earle scaled
the peak Of Pennsylvania politics
and became a Democratic COVER
nor In q State where such things
are as rare as visitors to the North
Pole, and did it at a time when
the organized labor influence in
politics was centering in the State
with millions Of coal and steel la
borers.
One Of the picturesque things
about Governor Earle is that he
never was in politics before he
suddenly took the notion to be
governor of Pennsylvania. He had
been a business man of the old
Philadelphia school, knowing
much more about the country
clubs around his city than about
the coal mines which suddenly
guShed forth votes for him as
soon as he decided he wanted to
be the peerless leader Of a group
he had never met socially-to say
the least. .-. ....-..
His only contact with politics
had been that in 1898 the Presi-
dent had appointed him Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Pleni-
potentiary to Austria, and it was
from that remote spot that he
suddenly decided to get down to
earth and make Pennsylvania
safe for the Democratic party.
Actually Philadelphia society
was profoundedlly shocked when
George Earle went into Demo
cratic politics-becauSe he took
a side against which he and his
family, had been arrayed politi-
cally, Philadelphia Blue Stockings
looked on George Earle as a de-
nghtful companion and a grand
weekend house party gueSt-but
as Q politican-never!
Promised Everything
Yet this paradox promised the
coal miners everything-aad he
became the first Democratic gov
ernor in the Keystone State in a
years.
incidentally, he took office at q
time when organized labor became
strong and vital part of the
Democratic. party machine. This
gives organized labor an idea that
it may have even a greater part in
the counselS Of the party before
very long. It is also taken to mean
that the Democrats are anxious to
attract the labor vote to them
rather than to see a separate La
Dor party organized in 1910.
However, politicians here are In
clined to think Governor Earle,
who cannot succeed himself as
Governor at the end of his four
year term, which expires 1899,
should resign in 1888 and try to
beat Senator James Davis. Of
Pennsylvania, for the Senate.
That, Governor Earle's friends say,
would not be difficult.
If Governor Earle has any idea
Of running for the presidency by
the time 1910 comes round, he
would then still be in public life
whereas, he would have been out
of office a year if he served his
full time as governor. Whether
the Senate would be good place
to launch his candidacy is an I'm.
settled question: peSsimists on the
subject say that everybody in the