Evening star., 1939-05-13
The Political Mill
Geographical Qualifications Of Candidates
Again Occupy Major Parties

Idaho resided in New York or Ohio,
he would undoubtedly have been
nominated and elected President?
And if the late Senator Oscar Un-
derWood of Alabama had hailed from
either Of those States, he. too. would
have been chosen Chief Execu-
tive?
SOuthernerS Taboo Since War.
In the case of Senator Borah, for
example, Idaho has only three elec-
toral votes. 1t is tucked away in
the Northwest, mountainous part
OF the group, with a small popula-
tion. Senator Underwood, how
ever, was handicapped because of
the fact he lived in the South-in
one OF the States which sought to
leave the Union during the Civil
War. No Soutllerner has been
nominated for the presidency by
any major political rarty since the
close of that war. Woodrow Wilson.
1t Is true, was born Virginiah. But
1t was only after he became a citi-
zen and then Governor of New
Jersey that the Democratic party
turned to him for its standard
bearer.
1t will be interesting to see
whether the Democratic party is
willing to jump this geographical
hurdle, put aside the fear of nomi-
mating a Southerner for President
IN 1910. 1t seems incredible that it
has not done so before. For the
South has had able men in public
life since the Civil War, Just as it
had before. The South is knit as
firmly into the Union of States as
any other section; it has played its
part brilliantly in two foreign wars
which this country has fought since
1865. Any attempt to wave the
bloody shirt would be cried down
in these days.
The Republican party, which has
never had a chance in the Southern
States since the Civil War, could
scarcely be expected to pick a cam
dldate from that section-particu-
larly If it seeks a candidate who has
had experience in public life and
public office The G.. o. P. is turn
ing its eyes this year to New York,
Ohio and Michigan for a 1910 can
didate-and it may look farther still
but only in the direction of the
North and West.
Many Democratic Possibilities.
The Democratic party. however
has plethora of candidates-pos-
sibilities-Garner of Texas, Hull of
tennessee, Barkley of Kentucky,
Byrd of Virginia are representative
of the Southern and border" States.
Farley of New York, McNutt of In
diana, Hopkins and Wallace of Iowa
Clark of Missouri, Douglas of New
York cover other sections of the
country
Virginia, in the early days of the
Republic, gave the country four
Presidents, all of whom left their
mark. The fifth Virginian to enter
the White House was President Ty-
Ter. elected as Vice President with
Harrison of Ohio, who died a month
after he became President. All that
| happened hundred years ago, when
the last Virginian and the first
Ohioan headed national administra-
tionS.
Massachusetts has had three
Presidents, and so has Tennessee:
Illinois two and the following States
one each: Louisiana. New Hamp-
shire, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New
Jersey and California.
OF the defeated candidates for
President, most of them have come
also from the so-called geographic
cally stategic States William Jen-
nings Bryan of Nebraska was an
exception and he ran several times
but never caught on.
Conflict Grows Less.
1t is not unnatural that the peo-
pie of the great industrial States
should prefer one of their own for
President. man who should know
their problems. Or that the great
corn and wheat belts of the country
should turn to one of their foremost
figures. 1t is conceivable that eco
| nomlc interests. as represented by
the various sections of the land,
| should enter into conflict in the Sc
lection of presidential candidates.
With the spread of industry farther
and farther into the Middle West
and the West and South such a con-
fiict grows less likely
While it is possible that one of
the 36 States which hitherto has
never had a President will be able
to boast the thirty-third President
yet the mothers of Presidents. -
like Ohio and New York, still seem
to have the call for 1910.