Evening star., 1938-05-20
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

connection between tIlc TWO III VIZ Ae"''
For Oregon holds its primary electlon
today and the Roosevelt administrator.
through Secretary Ickes OF the interior
Department., has given its ADVICE 10 tne
Democratic voters who are choosing
their gubernatorial candidate. IL was
Postmaster General Farley, chairman
of the Democratic National Commlttee'
who interfered in Pennsylvania,
Perhaps the administration Will iare
better today in Oregons primary than
it did in Pennsylvania. 1t has taken
a crack at Got. Charles H. Martin. re-
tired general and distinguished soioler
and a former Democratic member OF
the House. 1t does not like Gov. Martih
because he has failed to give way TO
the demands of labor leaders IN tne
State. In fact, Gov. Martin mas oealt
quite harshly, in the opinion OF the
administration and certain other loerals,
with some of the labor agitators. so the
White House administered snuD 10
Gov. Martin recently and Secretary lcKes
wrote a letter to Henry E. Hess saying
that Gov. Martin is not New Dealer
at heart and complimenting Mr.. Hess
as the champion of the ADMINISTRATORS
power bills in the State Legislature.
X y X
Former Representative Elton Watkins
of Oregon in company with Secretary
Ickes, last Monday conferred with the
President, and the President Is reported
to have said that Hess was the man
the Democrats should nominate for Gov
ernor, Anyway, that is the word that
was sent to Oregon.
The country will watch with interest
to see what happens to Gov. Martin.
The administration will be just as inter-
ested. If Hess is nominated, an admin
istration victory will be proclaimed. In
deed, it will be offered as an offset to
the defeat which was suffered in the
Pennsylvania primary, when Thomas
Kennedy, secretary-treasurer OF the
United Mine Workers, Endorsed by Mr..
Farley, Senator Guffey and John L..
Lewis, was beaten for the Democratic
gubernatorial nomination.
Two candidates are running for the
Democratic senatorial nomination in
Oregon. One is Willis Mahoney, who
was defeated a couple of years ago
by Senator McNary, Republican leader
of the Senate. Mahoney lost the race
by 5000 votes He has the Endorsement
of the ToWnsendftes of whom there are
a substantial number in Oregon. The
other candidate is Carl Donaugh. dis
trict attorney at Portland. Senator
Reames, who was appointed when former
Senator SteiWer resigned last winter, is
not a candidate.
On the Republican side Of the fence
In the Oregon primaries. Charles
Sprague, editor of the Salem Statesman,
is expected to win in field of five
candidates for the gubernatorial NOM
ination. The candidates for the sena-
torial nomination are State Treasurer
Rufus Holman, regarded as progress
sive Republican, and former Senator
Robert N. Stanfield who served in the
Upper House from 1921 to 1927 and was
defeated for reelection.
Gov. Martin warned John L. Lewis
to keep out of Oregon. 1t looks as
though the administration. in opposing
the denomination of Martin, is again
playing ball with Mr.. Lewis, just as 1t
did in the Pennsylvania primary when
1t supported Mr.. Lewis candidate for
the gubernatorial nomination.
Just what the Democrats in Pennsyl-
vania will do to patch up their recent
quarrels is yet to be disclosed. Naturally
they will seek some kind of adjustment,
so as to present as united front as pos
sible next November to the Republican
attack. State Chairman David Lawrence.
who Is secretary of the Commonwealth
in the Earle cabinet. has always in the
past been a close political friend Of
Senator Guffey. They broke in big
way in the campaign just closed. But
Lawrence is for harmony. He may hold
out the olive branch. But there are other
Democratic leaders in the State who do
not look kindly upon Senator Guffey.
\ How far they will go in making up with
Guffey is a question. Lawrence is a
forceful personality and shreWd politi-
cal leader.
Guffey has been shorn of good deal
Of his political prestige. First he was
denied the gubernatorial nomination by
Lawrence, Earle, McCloskey and Kelly.
And second, his ticket, which was called
the Guffey ticket all during the CAM
paign. was disastrously defeated in the
primary. However Senator Guffey is
resourceful and has had a close connec-
ton with the New Deal administration.
He has been the dispenser Of Federal
patronage in the State. Lawrence, Earle
and others of their faction and also the
twenty-seven Democratic members Of
the House may challenge Guffey's right
further to control this Federal patronage.
X y
Some of Senator Guffey's Democratic
colleagues in the Senate are shedding
no tears over his recent discontinue.
They are the Senators who recall that
after the Senate had turned down Presi-
dent Roosevelt's bill to revamp the
Supreme Court, Guffey urged the defeat
in Democratic. primaries of those Sena-
tors who had dared to oppose the Presi-
dent in this matter.
One of the supporters of Thomas Ken
nedy for the Democratic nomination for
Governor, j. David Stern, Philadelphia
publisher, already is showing signs OF
getting aboard the Jones-Earle wagon
in the coming campaign. Editorially he
said in the Philadelphia Record yester-
day: Had Pinchot been chosen the
Republican opponent to Jones the cam
paign here in the fall would have been
confusing beyond unraveling. AS 1t Is.
Jones will make the most of his claim
to be considered a New Dealer and
James (the Republican candidate) will
run on an outright reactionary and anti
Roosevelt platform" Stern supported
Pinchot for the Republican gubernatorial
nomination and Kennedy for the Demo-
cratic. In the Record editorial he warned
the Jones-Earle leaders not to be too
cocky over their victory. They would
need the Kennedy voters badly, he