Evening star., 1939-08-22
The Political Mill
Roosevelt Insistence on Liberal Candidate
Nurrows Field Of Democratic Possibilities

Seu up as the arD1ter pOllt1cum-
the man who will decide whether or
not an aspirant is sufficiently liberal
or New Dealish-the anti-New Deal
Democrats, who have become more
numerous with the passing months.
plus many of the rank and file
Democrats, are not with a veto
power of their own. They might
not be able to defeat the President
himself If he seeks denomination.
On the other hand, the President
would fail utterly, in the opinion
of leading Democrats, New Dealers
and ants as we'll, If he sought to
ttsrn the nomination to such admin
1stration favorites as Secretary
Wallace of the Department of
Agriculture, Secretary Harry l..
Hopkins of the Department of
Commerce, Robert H. Jackson of
New York, Solicitor General of the
United tSates; Attorney General
Frank Murphy, who halls from
Michigan; Secretary Harold L. Ickes
OF the Interior Department or AS
sociate Justice William O. Douglas
OF the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Stark Might Offset Dewey.
Mr.. Roosevelt's statement to the
young Democrats is regarded as
carrying the fight to his enemies in
the Democratic party. 1t will not,
however, lessen the breach. If any,
thing, 1t will make the fight from
now on more bitter. And if by any
chance the Democratic National
Convention should nominate
presidential candidate whom the
President would not support. and
he does not support him, what will
be his position before the country?
Democrats who bolted Al Smith in
1928 and Democrats who bolted
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1886 have
ceased to be large-scale political
factors. 1t might be a similar fate
would await Mr.. Roosevelt if he
undertakes to do a bit of boiling
next year.
Gov. Stark OF Missouri, because
OF his fight against the corrupt
political machine in Kansas City,
has come very prominently into
public notice in the last six months.
His record of achievement would
be an offset to that of Thomas E.
Dewey, racket busting New York
district attorney, should the latter
be placed on the Republican ma
tional ticket, either in first or sec
ond place. Gov. Stark has made
an excellent record as chief exc
cutive of his State, aside from send
ing Pendergast to Jail. He has seen
to it that the States budget was
balanced and that it shall be bal
anced during the rest of his term.
He has vetoed bills passed by the
Legislature which would have added
many millions of dollars to the cost
OF State government.
While neither Gov. Stark nor
former Gov. Paul McNutt have been
regarded with favor by Democratic
National Chairman Jim Farley.
the President himself has turned
more friendly eyes upon them-at
least that is what appears to be
the case. He helped Stark in his
fight with Pendergast; he probably
regards him as the right man to
help turn Senator Clark back in
the show me" State.
AS for McNutt, the President
surprised the country and some of
his closest friends by appointing
him to head new and most i'm
portant agency Of the Government.
Seemingly there is no reason why
the President should turn thumbs
down on either Stark or McNutt for
the presidential nomination. Both
have been suggested as the possible
vice-presidential nominee to run
with Mr. Roosevelt if he seeks an
other term.
Hull AlOOf From Politics.
Secretary Hull has kept himself
further divorced from politics.