Evening star., 1938-05-04
VOTE IN FLORIDA
SEEN AFFECTING
WAGE-HOURFATE
Pepper Victory Interpreted
to Mean Voters Favor
Legislation.
MAY HAVE INFLUENCE
ON DISCHARGE PETITION
Value of Presidential Blessing
Appears to Be Effectually
Demonstrated.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Roosevelt New Deal won a
sweeping victory in the Florida Demo-
cratic primary yesterday. when SEN
ator Claude Pepper swamped Repre-
sentative J. Mark Wilcox-not to
mention former Gov. Dave Sholtz-in
the contest for the senatorial nomi-
nation.
Pepper, 100 per cent supporter Of
the Roosevelt policies and legislative
program, ran far ahead of his four
opponents (there were two more,
Merchant and Moore, who received a
negligible vote. His total was up.
ward Of $4,000 in excess of a ma
Jorlty, doing away with any necessity
for run-off primary.
The vote in LIT precincts out OF
a total of 1876 was: Senator Pepper.
2l2,4O4 Mr. Wilcox. 100.693: Gov,
Sholtz 44,908, Mr., Moore, 1852. and
Mr.. Merchant, 2.407.
The test OF the New Deal in this
Democratic primary was about as
clear cut as it could be. Representa-
tive Wilcox has opposed the President
on at least three of his pet measures
the bill to increase the membership
of the Supreme Court. the reorganiza-
ton bill and the Wage-hour bill. SEN
ator Pepper supported all these bills.
Mr.. Wilcox had against him, how
ever, the followers of DR.. Townsend
and his old-age-pension plan. SEN
ator Pepper, on the other hand. has
been the fair-haired boy of the Town
sendites, of whom there are a con-
siderable. number in Florida.
Fate of Wage-Hour Bill.
The victory of Senator Pepper over
MI, Wilcox in such an impressive
style may have its effect on the fate
of the wage hour bill. now knocking
at the doors Of the House. Had Mr..
Wilcox won or even made a close
race OF it against Senator. Pepper
it would have been a black eve for
the wage-hour bill The Wilcox de-
feat, therefore, must be INTERPRETED
as meaning that the rank and file of
the voters are for the wage hour bill,
among the Florida Democrats at
least.
Democratic members of the House.
including those from the South, who
are now being approached by sup
porters of the wage-hour bill with de-
mands that they sign a petition to
discharge the House Rules Committee
from further considera ton of the bill,
are likely to think twice before they
decline, in the light of the Florida
primary.
The vote for Senator Pepper, on the
returns so far received. is two to one
over the vote for Mr.. Wilcox. 1t was
expected that Mr.. Wilcox would
make a better showing. particularly
in the southeastern part of the State,
from which he halls. Even there. al
though he led Senator Pepper. the
latter showed signs of considerable
strength.
Sholtz Showing Disappoints.
The showing made by former Gov.
Sholtz was far below what had been
predicted earlier in the campaign.
Gov. Sholtz has had a large personal
following hitherto. Until recently it
was expected that the vote cast for
Gov. Sholtz would be so large that
Senator Pepper would be unable to
obtain majority and a runof primary
would be necessary. The Sholtz CAM
paign, however, had given signs Of fold
ing up for several days.
Gov. Sholtz's vote cannot be con-
sidered anti-New Deal, for the former
Governor failed to attack the Roose-
Welt policies in his campaign.
The value of the presidential bless
ing in a Democratic primary-even
when it is dispensed by the son of the
President rather than the President
hlmself-appears to have been ef-
fectually demonstrated in the Florida
primary. James Roosevelt, son of the
President weeks ago stated that he
and his father hoped that Senator