Evening star., 1938-04-08
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

ASHo AuScAuy. A1lC III SL oGdU6 Ill tIlE
Union to ballot for party candidates
this year, Illinois has a real Democratic
battle on it's hands. Gov Horner is
out to beat the Kelly-Nash machine
again II he can. He accomplished this
feat two years ago, when he himself
won denomination. This year he is
seeking to nominate Representative
Scott w. Lucas for Senator. The Kelly
Nash organization in Cook County
(Chicago) is backing Michael L. Igoe,
United States attorney and for many
years member of the State Legislature.
Lucas is a "doWn-State" man, from an
agricultural district. Wiseacres give the
better chance to Igoe. At the primary
there will also be nominated twenty
seven candidates for House member
ship and host of other Offices.
Illinois once upon a time was over
whelmingly Republican The Republican
party has been at a low ebb there
for number of years, and SO far has
shown few signs of rejuvenation. Even
the fight in Democratic ranks this year
does not promise the G.. o. P. much.
Both Lucas and Igoe are for Roose-
welt and his New Deal, and so are
Gov. Horner and Mayor Edward j.
Kelly of Chicago and Democratic Ma
tional Committeeman Patrick A. Nash.
However, the Republicans fondly hope
that the Democratic row will leave
scars that may aid the G. o. P. next
November The G. O. P. is harmonious
1t has as its candidate for Senator
Richard J. Lyons of Libbertyville, men,
Der of the State legislature
Republicans say that Lyons is a good
campalgner. He may be, but he Ger
talnly has long way to 60 before he
becomes national figure. If he should
win next November by any chance, he
will have his day.
Mixed up in the contest for the Demo-
cratic senatorial nomination is the fight
for political control Of the State, which
Horner insists the Kelly-Nash machine
is seeking to obtain. Mixed up in it,
too, Is the next mayoralty election. Gov.
Horner wants to back States Attorney
Courtney. The machine wants Kelly or
his choice for a successor.
+ X
If the interest in the Illinois primary
Is considerable, that in Democratic con-
test in Pennsylvania is even greater.
There John L. Lewis, head of the C. IT. O..
Is making a real bid for political control
OF the second most populous State in
the Union. His candidate, Thomas Ken
nedy, is seeking the gubernatorial nomi-
nation. If he wins Lewis will pull the
political strings in the State. He will
dominate the makeup of the delegation
which attends the 1910 Democratic Ma
tlonal Convention.
Senator joe Guffey. turned down by
Governor Earle; David Lawrence, Demo-
cratic State chairman, and the Kelly
McCloskey organization in Philadelphia
have thrown in with Lewis Guffev is
backing Kennedy's candidacy for Gov
ernor. And he has even gone to the
extent of announcing his support of
Mayor Wilson of Philadelphia, who is
running on the Kennedy ticket for the
senatorial nomination against Governor
Earle. The split between Earle and
Guftey-Who ran together in 1884 to the
flrst big Democratic victory in Penn
sylvania in years-has apparently be-
come quite complete.
Guffey, so the story goes. wanted
to be Governor himself. The other party
leaders would not stand for it. So
Guf1ey fought the nomination of Charles
Alvin Jones of Pittsburgh, the regular
organization walked right over Guffey
in this fight. What Mr.. Guffey will get
out of the mess if Kennedy wins re-
mains to be seen. 1t looks very much
as though he would have to take orders
after that, provided Kennedy is elected
Governor next November, from the C, /.
o. Bosses
There is a third candidate for the
Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Charles j. Margiotti, attorney general
He is supposed to be particularly strong
with the voters of Italian blood. At
one time he was a Republican. But
that is mere detail these days. Mayor
Wilson of Philadelphia, who is now
seeking the Democratic nomination for
Senator, was elected Mayor on the Re-
publican ticket.
Today Pennsylvania craft-unionists
loyal to the American Federation of
Labor are meeting in Harrisburg to re-
organize the State Federation of Labor.
There may be considerable political
significance in this. This organization
Will be intensely anti-LeWis and anti
G. I. 0. Presumably it will be anti-Ken-
nedy for Governor, if Kennedy is r1omi-
mated. If the Republicans nominate a
candidate who Is satisfactory to labor,
Kennedy might have tough time win
ming in November. Former Governor
Clifford Pinchot is running against
Superior Court Judge James in the G.
o. P. primary.
X X
In the past Pinchot has had a good
deal of labor support in the State The
coal miners, however, are counted for
Kennedy because he is secretary-treas-
urer of the United Mine Workers of
America. the largest c. I. o. affiliate.
Judge James at one time was coal
miner himself.
The Lewis -Guffey organization is sup
porting Mayor Wilson against Earle,
not so much because It believes that
Wilson can trim Earle as in the hope of
gaining large vote for Kennedy in
Philadelphia, where the Democratic Or
ganization, headed by Jack Kelly and
Matthew McKloskey, is supporting
Jones.
Earle has just been to Washington
to see President Roosevelt about public
works projects-and also to recommend
that the administration launch a So
600 ,000 threeyear program of spend
ing for public works as a recovery meas
ure The Governor is one of the SPEND
ers. He believes in it. And judging from
reports emanating from the White House.
the President does, too, although he is
being advised against new huge spend
ing program by some of his councillors.
*
Vice President Garner-although he