Evening star., 1938-10-03
SHIFT BY O'CONNOR
CONFUSES CAMPAIGN
Name on Republican Ballot
Makes Outcome Uncertain.

Results Of the primaries in the six
teenth congressional district of New
York Introduce much uncertainty into
the attitude Of press commentators to-
ward the coming election in the district.
1t is seen that, as a Republican, Mr..
OConnor will lose the Craftsmanship of
the House Rules Committee, and that
his connection with Tammany may af-
| feet his vote among Republican party
members.
Winning in the Republican primary"
| states the Rochester Times Union, "he Is
| expected to receive support from an in
| dependent Democratic movement These
combined forces seem likely to return
Representative O'Connor to Congress.
They assuredly will If the Democrats
who opposed Fay. Democratic nominee,
join with the Republicans who aban-
doned partisanship in favor of vital ma
tional issues"
Stating that Representative O'Connor,
as head Of the Rules Committee, fought
the reorganization bill, the Indianapolis
News adds that "the administration
successful campaign to defeat Mr..
O'Connor for the speakership had much
to do with the feud." The Los Angeles
Times recalls that Fay opposed OCon-
nor two years ago, and, with the Presi-
dent keeping hands off, came within
slightly more than 100 votes of WIN
ming"
Under the circumstances" thinks the
Nashville Banner, "it is surprising not
that the Congressman lost the recent de-
cision, but that the margin of his re-
verse was so small" The Illinois State
Journal states that "Mr. O'Connor will
be elected If he receives the votes cast
for him in the Democratic primary as
we'll as the normal Republican vote"
1T has been a bitter campaign as
observed by the Flint Journal, "likely to
continue into the election, with both men
desperate to be victorious. This will be
one Of the situations most closely watched
to see If Mr. O'Connor can switch
his strength from the Democratic to
the Republican side of the ballot in Mo-
vember." The Miami Daily News pre-
diets that Mr.. Fay will CLEAN the votes
OF many of the Democrats who voted the
conservative ticket in the primaries
but are too regular actually to leave the
party ranks"
'The local Republican organization"
according to the New York Times, will
60 into battle under the leadership of
Tammany Democrat who claims to have
supported all but one OF the New Deal
measures Of which the Republican Or
ganization so thoroughly disapproves. 1t
is an odd situation"
1t is suggested by the Baltimore Sun
that perhaps the people who should do
the least Growing are the New York Re-
publicans, who seem to have ignored the
fact that they had candidate running
in their own party" The San Antonio
Express finds mo expression of Demo-
cratic organization confidence that Rep
resentative OConnor will be defeated by
Mr.. Fay in the election" The Shreve-
port Journal says that 'the purge VIC
tory was by such narrow margin that
very little gloating will be heard"
1T is a clear-cut victory" concludes
the st. Paul Pioneer Press, with the
comment that ito remove Mr.. O'Connor
from his vantage point as chairman of
the Rules Committee was the chief OBJ
jective of the purge as applied to him,
and 1t has succeeded"