The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-05
.GUFFEY BLAST
MAY OPEN. Sd
Term BATTLE
Pa. Leader Is Still Rated
New Deal Pillar
BY THEODORE A. HUNTLEY

senator Joe GuIIeyS 0eCldIb
ton for President Roosevelt for a
third term was recognized in
Washington today as having a
multiple significance.
Next to Postmaster General
Farley, Guffey has been, from the
beginning, one of the pillars of
the New Deal temple. That is still
his rating at the White House and
by Farley, Notwithstanding the Re
publican victory in Pennsylvania
in November.
MAY START BATTLE
For that reason, despite Presi-
dent Roosevelt's silence as to his
own intentions with respect to a
third term. the Guffey blast might
we'll prove the opening broadside
Of the third-term battle, if the
President should decide finally
as seems improbable at the mo-
ment-that he wants to run again.
But beyond that the Pennsyl,
vanian, regarded here as the real
leader of his party in the Key
stone State, was seen as having
set several other currents in mo,
ton by his statement. Among
them:
!. 1t is interpreted as a clear
though. indirect avowal of his
purpose to recapture control Of
the Democratic organization in
Pennsylvania.
i ONE UP ON RIVALS
2. It beats Governor Earle
and Chairman Lawrence Of the
Democratic State committee Of
Pennsylvania to the punch and
puts Guffey in position to cap
italize the Roosevelt strength in
the State for whatever it Is
worth now and in the future.
3. BY the same token it almost
automatically throws Lawrence
and Earle into the anti-Roose-
welt camp. Unless they are pre-
pared to surrender their newly
born ascendency in the Demo
cratic organization Of the State
without a fight, they will have
to take the other side in the
CO: ing battle and associate
themselves with the intended
purges and other anti-Roosevelt
clements now in control Of Con-
gress.
It was Guffey's demand thai
Senators and members of Congress
who had opposed the President be
purged in the 1898 primaries which
signalized the beginning of that
now historic but unsuccessful bat
re.
Notwithstanding the fury re
leased by the Guffey purge state
ment, he was permitted to remain
chairman of the Democratic '>ena
torial campaign committee of 1888
and rode out the storm which
ended with the defeat of 10 sitting
Democratic Senators and the re
election of all of those whose de
feat had been demanded by the
F .esident and his Pennsylvania
spokesman.
LIBERALISM ISSUE
In essence, the Guffey demand
that the President run for a third
term is reminiscent of the fight
which swept him into office in
1882 and reelected him in 1886
The old wall Street" cry again
is raised. Liberalism is the issue
The action of the Republican
national committee in putting for,
mer Senator Dan Hastings of Della
ware on it's executive committee
last week is interpreted as the
latest evidence of determination
on the part of a financial oil.
garchy" and industrial overlords'
to dominate the COP and pick its
presidential nominee in 1910.
To the accompaniment of these
battle cries, the Pennsylvania
throws himself into the third-term
fight with the fervor which en-
abled him to win a seat in the
Senate by defeating David A.
Reed, leader of the Senate con,
servatives and one of the ablest
men ever to serve in that body.
UP FOR DENOMINATION
AS Guffey himself comes up for
denomination and reelection in
1910, his action makes the Penn
sylvania issue clear. He has cast
his lot with the New Deal at the
moment when the Earle-Lawrence
crowd are saying they will never
let him come back to the Senate.
If he wins, and the President
remains silent, there will be a
Roosevelt delegation from Penn
sylvania in the next Democratic
national convention.
/ All-American luncheOnS. Another
striking page Of sketches in color of
/ American impressions by the brilliant
artist, AIastalr X. Macdonald. in
which he pOrtrays his dainty elf-like
girls with some favorite American