The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-11-09
Politics Will Be Back

Washington, Nov. 7.
The regularsession ofCongress, now
less than two months off, will be far
different from the special session re-
Gently ended. In the latter, politics
was adjourned while the neutrality
fight was on; in the next session, poll
tics will dominate from the start.
That is inevitable in any session
preceding a Presidential campaign. 1t
is forced by the facts that the Presi
Dental primaries, beginning in March,
run through until June and that the
session itself runs right up to the
dates of the nominating conventions.
In the coming session the political
flavor will be greatly heightened. For
this there are several reasons. One is
because it is the end of the sitting
Presidents second term, which opens
the field for a convention struggle in
the majority party. Recognition that
a President is not only entitled to one
denomination but can secure it mo-
matter how great the party discomfort
is so general that the second nominal
ton is always conceded. The reverse
is true when he is finishing a second
term. Then, no matter how great the
Presidents popularity, it is traditional
that he retire and it is quite certain
that any effort for a third nomination
would meet determined resistance.
***
That is why, despite third-term SEN
timent for Mr.. Roosevelt (similar to
that which existed for Mr.. Coolidge in
1928 and for other two-term Presi-
dents who preceded COOLIDGE, there
are at the moment various Democratic
figures looming up and number OF
States which are preparing to put for
ward favorite sons. Some of these are
making active campaigns. Some are
simply "receptive". In the Senate it
self there is Vice-President Garner,
Senator Wheeler, of Montana; Sena-
tor Clark, of Missouri; and Senator
Tydings, of Maryland. Outside the
Senate there are Secretary Hull, Mr..
Farley, Mr.. McNutt and Supreme
Court Justice William 0. Douglas,
who, to the modification of his col
leagues, is being mentioned both for
the Presidential and Vice-Presidential
nominations. Four years ago no name
was spoken except that of Mr.. Roose-
welt; this time the woods are full OF
candidates and the session will be
given over to political jockeying.
This is as true of the Republicans as
of the Democrats. For example, in the
Senate, the Republicans have three
avowed candidates-Taft, of Ohio;
Vandenberg, of Michigan, and Bird
ges, of New Hampshire. Outside the
Senate District Attorney Dewey is the
outstanding Republican aspirant
Blanketed by the outbreak of war and
the embargo debate, his friends eX-
pect him to forge again to the front.
Clearly, the politics of the coming SEES
sion will be more intense than usual.
It is true that the Roosevelt jobhold-
ers. the elmer circle" advisers and
some of his relatives who hate the idea
of relinquishing the power which
their White House connection conters,
will keep the third-term movement
alive so long as they can.
#*#
AS fast as one thing happens to
fatten them out something comes
along to restore their optimism. Last
week their "Western conference" was
scuttled by Labor Leader Lewis, but
this week the Gallup poll declares
eightv-three per cent of the Demo
Gratis want Mr.. Roosevelt again.
Promptly they rebound. But, neither
the Lewis blast nor the Gallup poll
affects the fundamentals or changes
the conviction of the more discerning
that there will be no third nomination;
that at some time Of his own choosing
Mr.. Roosevelt will irrevcoably take
himself out Of the race 1t is, OF course,
easy to understand that in addition to
the satisfaction of making it clear that
his retirement is voluntary and not
compulsory, he wants to insure two
livingstone, that the platform indorse
his administration and promise con-
tinuation of New Deal policies; second,
that the nominee be someone accep-
table to him.
Those whose judgment is best are
completely convinced that Mr.. Roose-
velt's mind is set upon achieving those
two things, that he is entirely clear
headed about the unfeasibility of a
third term and will end the movement
II 70