Evening star., 1938-09-21
0'C0NNOR VICTORY
is POSSIBLE YET.
Defeated in Primary, He Still
Will Be on Ballot in Two
Places.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The purge" may not have won out
In the 10th instance. after all.
While Chairman O'Connor OF the
House Rules Committee, special object
of President Roosevelt's bitter denun-
citation because he picked New Deal
legislation" seems from returns to be
''purged" off the Democratic ticket in
the general election in November, it
Is not at all certain that he is
purged" out Of the party or out Of
his job as chairman of the Rules Com
mittee. 1t simply means that he has
several high hurdles before him in the
bitterest political race he has ever
entered.
Conceding that James H. Fay, one
legged World War veteran, who had
both the President and Mayor La
Guardia giving him strong helping
hands to pull him out of the morass
OF East Side slum area votes. did win
the Democratic nomination for Con-
gress in the 18th New York district,
1t is equally certain that Mr. OConnor
won the Republican nomination. That
should give him one-fourth to one
third OF the votes to be cast in the
general election. Then, as an inde-
pendent candidate, he should corral
a large number of the remaining
votes and may yet emerge a winner
over his former campaign manager.
This is all problematical, of course,
but already it is being discussed in
the "rlch-man, poor-man" district,
where Mr.. O'Connor is likely to gar
ner votes from both .extremes-the
Old Gas House district and exclusive
Sutton place and Park avenue.
G. o. P. Welcomes Chance.
The Republican voters and the Re-
publican manager welcome the chance
to prevent the President from get
ing even one out of ten attempts,
AND there are many old line Tam
many supporters who insist the Presi-
dent bought a gold brick" pointing
out that Mr.. Fays record proves he
is not a 100 per cent New Dealer"
as was the challenge during the pri-
mary campaign. They emphasize that
ne helped to defeat the New Deal
candidate for Mayor of New York
year ago when he supported Senator
Copeland, who was about as anti-New
oeal as could then be found So Mr..
oConnor still has a chance to win
enough Democratic votes to make if
close race.
IN his last election, in 1886. Mr.
O'Connor won with 33.O82 Democratic
votes, while 1882 were cast for his
Republican opponent. If he can get
the Republican votes, and split the
democratic votes. all he will need is
less than 5000 Democratic votes. But
IL must be remembered that 1896 was
presidential year, and not such heavy
voting is expected in this of" wear
which in itself should be helpf1l to
Mr.. O'Connor.
Then. should Mr.. O'Connor wi, tho
eiectlon as an independent -Republi-
can, When he gets back to the Cant
sol he can officially notify the party
leaders in the House: II am a Dem.
ocrat. I always have been a Demo-
crat. intend to serve as a Demo-
crat."
There would be nothing left but
to so list him. Then he retains all
his rights and prestige through length
ct service. He could quite properly
resume his post. won through is years
OF service. as chairman of the Rules
Committee.
Caucus Would Determine.
Whether Mr.. O'Connor would be al
lowed to retain that chairmanship. in
view OF the Presidents opposition to
him-the only House member against
whom the President made open pro-
rouncement-Would have to be de-
1ermlned by action of the Democratic
caucus.
There has been some talk that if
Nr. O'Connor won, the President
might use his influence in the caucus,
There is little doubt that whether or
rot the President took such action
openly. at least he would let admins
tration leaders in the House know
that Mr.. O'Connor was persona non
grata to him and inimical to New
Deal policies. So if Mr.. O'Connor
wins in November, there are prospects
of bitter caucus fight.
II Representative O'Connor is
eliminated in the election, Representa-
tive SABBATH of Illinois will be next in
line for chairman of the Rules Com
mittee. Mr.. SABBATH, who has served
continuously for 81 years, has been
called a 800 per cent New Dealer"
Power Gain Might Be Slight.
However, prominent House members
can't figure out how the President
would strengthen his power in the
House to ease the way for New Deal
legislation through substitution of Mr..
SABBATH for Mr.. O'Connor. The Presi-
cent was incensed at Mr.. O'Connor
for failure to get prompt committee
action on the wage and hours bill and
also for leading the fight against the
reorganization bill. The truth of the
matter is, as testified by other men,
bers of the committee, Chairman
OConnor made many hard fights for
the Presidents program, and in no
case did he fight more adroitly than
for the wage and hour bill. In the
reorganization contest he had the
staunch support Of several of the most
powerful Democratic members on the
committee, especially Representative
Cox of Virginia.
There is no gainsaying that Mr.
O'Connor was forceful and able
chairman of that committee. 1t is
pointed out by many of his colleagues
that the 72-year-old Representative
SABBATH has not the same force and
cannot control the Rules Committee
es Mr.. O'Connor did.
The committee is not at all strong
for administration policies, the most
dependable New Deals supporter De-
ing Representative Greenwood of In
diana. In fact, the administration
opposed three Democratic members of