Evening star., 1937-10-28
Hodge Podge Campaign.

The New York City mayoralty cam
paign has intensified into bitter roar.
The citizens, if the opposing camps
may be credited, are given a choice be-
tween red" La Guardia and "Tammany"
Mahoney. What a choice! And yet citi-
zens of eminent respectability are sup
porting each of the candidates. 1t may
be they are doing so with certain mental
reservations, but at any rate they are
supporting these candidates, one OF
whom will be chosen as the chief execu-
tive officer of the more than 1000 900 per-
sons who compose the population of
Greater New York.
New York has not yet made its
mayoralty elections non-partisan affairs
-non-p partisan in the fact that the cam
didates have no party designation. Ma
honey was made the nominee of the Dem
ocrats in the Democratic primary. La
Guardia won in the Republican primary,
and in addition, has the backing OF the
American Labor party, the Communists
and what not, the so-called fusion"
candidate. New York has been called
melting pot on occasion. Surely no
more strange fusion has been seen in
this melting pot than the alignment of
Republicans and their allies in support
of La Guardia.
With an overwhelming Democratic
registration in New York City, it is
clear, however, that La Guardia cannot
be reelected unless a large number
of Democrats desert their party nominee
and vote for the Mayor. Ali the Re-
publicans, the Laborites. the Socialists
and the Communists rolled into one
list would be insignificant when laid
beside the list of registered Democratic
loyalty, Postmaster General James A..
Farley, chairman of the Democratic
National Committee and of the Demo-
cratic State Committee of New York,
has entered the lists in support of
Mahoney. Much depends upon how
many Democrats listen to his clarion
call.
Involved in the mayoralty campaign
are local issues that are beyond the
bounds of national or even State politics
in the party sense The citizens are
struggling to be rid of Tammany ma
chine politics and the corruption that
has gone with it. The Democratic Or
ganization in New York City has
bad name La Guardia was elected four
years ago in an effort to make clean
up-after the reign of Jimmy Walker
and his rather colorless successor. La
Guardia, however, was elected then in
three-cornered race against OBrien,
the Tammany and regular Democratic
nominee, and Holy Joe" Mckee, the
candidate of the so-called Recovery
party, who was backed at that time by
none other than Postmaster General
James A. Farley. The Mayor was elected
by plurality, but not a majority vote.
He faces a different situation this
time What La Guardia is counting on
is large Labor vote to help him to
second victory.
Perhaps the White House can afford
to sit back and watch this New York
contest with complacency. La Guardia
has been supporter of President Roose-
velt in his two presidential campaigns.
He has gone along with the New Deal
policies and program. He is, in fact,
a New Dealer. On the other hand, If
the Roosevelt Democratic leaders in
Greater New York, who chose Mahoney
for candidate for Mayor, get the cold
shoulder from the administration, the
effect might not be so good. 1t might
not make sense unless the administra-
ton Is to ignore the Democratic organi-
zation in New York and throw in with
the American Labor party in the future.