Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02

AS pdIt VI Tie Uulluup VI VIC 1leSl-
dent Garner for the Democratic Ma
tional Convention in 1910, his Texas
friends are announcing that he will be
presented to the party not as New
Dealer, not as a middle of -the-roader,
not as conservative but as a Demo-
crat with militanty liberal record over
a period of 38 years in national govern
ment.
There is still some doubt whether the
Vice President regards himself as a
bona -fide candidate for the presidency
or as political trader who wants to go
to the convention with several hundred
delegates pledged to his candidacy to
be used to block the nomination of
President Roosevelt's choice or even the
third nomination of Mr.. Roosevelt Mr.
Garner has not said a word publicly
about his candidacy and until he does
the voters, particularly the Democrats,
must rely on the declarations of his
supporters as to his ultimate intentions
These supporters insist his name will De
kept before the convention even if the
President seeks third term.
Mr.. Carriers legislative voting record,
however, is public property, and while
his most effective work has been and is
in the committee rooms and corridors Of
the House and Senate it reveals much
of his political philosophy Whether he
was and is militant liberal" is proper
subject of debate, with substantiating
evidence on both sides of the question
Ardent New Dealers deny that he de-
serves the name of liberal and call him
the Republicans choice for the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination; con-
sentative Democrats especially those
from the South, consider him one of
their favored group; many Senators,
Representatives and political writer's,
while respecting his shrewdness and
smooth political tactics, insist he is an
expert at hopping on the bandwagon at
the most opportune time and at march,
ing under triumphal arches erected by
other men; old-time progressives re-
member his help on the Norris Muscle
Shoals bills and the Norris lame duck
amendment, and his spectacular and
successful fight against the Mellon tax
bill in 1924
Almost Legendary Figure.
For the ordinary voter, to whom par
liamentary practice is an incoherent and
uninteresting puzzle, Mr.. Garner has de-
veloped into an almost legendary political
figure, colorful frontiersman of blunt
and earthly speech. who can match wits
with the best in Washington, including
Presidents, and who can show his ir-
reverence for royalty by slapping King
George vi on the back. To such ordinary
citizens, Carriers legislative record, like
that of many other outstanding poll
ticians, is taken on faith in the belief
that his votes have conformed to the
general mental picture
And like most political records of any
length, Carriers is far from conservative,
middle f-the-road or liberal. Garner
has repeatedly declared that because Of
his safe" district he has been free to
vote his personal convictions, except
when he was bound by party platform or
caucus.
In a speech in 1882, which he considers
the most memorable of his career, he
told his colleagues in the House:
Il am an organization Democrat I
never in my life cast vote against my
own judgment except had to 60 along
with the Democratic organization"
There, perhaps is one key to his legis-
lative record. On controversial issues
he has been as liberal or as conserva-
tive as the Democratic party was-at that