Evening star., 1938-09-13
The Political Mill
Purge Failure BLOW to Future Legislative Aims and
May Split 1910 Convention.

Roosevelt deliberately went into Mary
land to speak against Tydings and for
Lewis. He deliberately visited Geor-
gia to speak against George and for
Camp. He took . crack at Senator
Smith as he passed through South
Carolina, and later issued . statement
in which he gave his support to Gov.
Johnston against the veteran Got
ton Ed"
The Democrats in South Carolina
turned in q big majority for Senator
Smith. In Maryland, where the Presi-
dent APPEARED to have . real chance
against Tydings, the Democrats turned
him down cold. The probabilities now
are that in Georgia tomorrow Senator
George will come through with flying
colors-although that is . four cor
nered race and q candidate must have
q majority of the unit votes" in that
State to win nomination. If he fails,
there Is = run-on primary between
the two candidates receiving the
highest county unit votes.
What reason will other Democratic
Senators and Representatives have to
fear the presidential opposition when
they come up for denomination again
in 1910? Efforts to defeat Gillette in
Iowa, Adams in Colorado, McCarran in
Idaho, Van Nuys in Indiana, all proved
abortive. President Roosevelt took no
active part himself in those attempts
to put New Dealers in the places Of
those Senators, but his aides did in
some of them.
New Liberal Party Possible.
Should President Roosevelt be un-
able to carry on with his program be-
cause Of opposition in Congress and
should he be unable to dominate the
Democratic National Convention
would he attempt to organize a new
liberal party? Only time could answer
that question. which to date is purely
hypothetical. There are Democrats,
not unsympathetic with the President,
who say that any such move would
result in absolute failure; that the
more ardent New Dealers are decidedly
q minority group in this country.
Names elections yesterday were the
first real clash between the traditional
fees. Democrats and Republicans. 1t
was expected that Maine would re-
main faithful to the G. 20. P. The
Democrats hoped they might win one
district, the second, where Repre-
sentative Smith, Republican, was OPP
posed by F.. Harold Dubord, Demo-
cratic National Committeeman for
the State and a 100 per cent New
Dealer. Farley, the Democratic ma
tional chairman, went into the State
to campaign particularly for Dubord.
The Republicans won-but whether
any significance is to be attached is
only a guess. Maine went hell bent"
for ALI M. Landon and the Republi-
cans generally in 1896, and it didn't
mean thing. except that the New
Deal and Mr.. Roosevelt were far less
popular in Maine than in other parts
of the country.
The significant thing in Names
elections yesterday was that the Re-
publican congressional candidates all
espoused, to q greater or less degree,
the Townsend old-age pension plan.
That is something for Names con-
servative voters to swallow. Repre-
sentative Oliver, Republican, an
avowed Townsendite, who won his
first nomination for the House in 1896
as one Of the group, took the other two
members Of the House delegation along
with him on the old-age pension
movement this year. The Democratic
candidates took an opposing position
Some of the Republicans sought to
defeat Oliver. declaring that Emery,
his Democratic opponent, was prefer
able to the radical Oliver. whom they
charged not only stood for q crack
Drained pension plan but also favored
doing ultra things to the currency
of the country.
The Presidents defeat in his effort
to purge" the Democratic party
does not necessarily mean that the
Republicans will make great gains in
the congressional elections in No
vember. In fact, there is no real in
dication that the Republicans will do
any such thing.