Evening star., 1940-04-06

except those G. Gould Lincoln.
who are willing to go on record
against a third term and in favor
of Vice President Garner-are re-
luctant to state any preference, as
of today, for a presidential nominee
other than Mr.. Roosevelt. There are
two reasons for this attitude. The
first Is that most of these leaders
want the President renominated If
they can get him to run. They see
storm "a Republican storm -
looming on the horizon. They look
to the man who carried them to
victory in 1882 and 1896. They
want, in other words, to remain in
Office and in control of government
third term or no third term.
Included in this group are the
heads and lesser officers of political
machines-the Kelly-Nash machine
in Cook County, ILL.,, for example
What the Kelly-Nash outfit has
done in Chicago might make any
true liberal shudder. The Kelly
Nash machine needs bit of white
wash, and so does the whole Demo-
cratic organization in Illinois. Hence
the present effort of the Kelly-Nash
organization to wrap the name of
Franklin D. Roosevelt around it
to give the hard-pressed organiza-
ton covering Of respectability.
Hague Cries for Roosevelt.
This kind Of thing is by no means
confined to the Middle West. There
Is, for example. the case of Mayor
Frank Hague Of Jersey City. No one
clamors more vociferously for Roose-
welt for third term than does the
Democratic boss of New Jersey-Mr
Hague. The leaders of the Demo-
cratic machine in Pennsylvania are
keeping right up with Mayor Hague
of Jersey City and Mayor Kelly OF
Chicago in this acclaim of Roosevelt
and the New Deal.
This is not good year for political
machines of the more vicious type.
The people in number of cities are
rebelling. Kansas City, Mo-, has
finally shaken off the iron hand OF
Pendergast. The boss himself has
gone to jail, and the remains of his
political organization went down to
defeat at the polls this week. 1t is
easy to understand, therefore, the
eagerness with which these leaders
are shouting for Roosevelt Also they
have seen how deadly is the hand OF
the Federal Government when
raised against the Long machine in
Louisiana and the Pendergast ma
chine in Missouri. They would like
to keep on the good side of Wash
ington.
Honest-to-goodness liberals have
viewed with some dismay the ap-
parent willingness of administration
politicians to play with the Kelly
Nash and Hague organizations, not
to mention the Pennsylvanians
Third termers, however, are practi-
cal. They understand that such
bosses are able to deliver delegates
and to vote them at the proper time
Voters Practically Muf1ed.
The second reason for the reluc-
tance of party leaders to state a
preference is that there has been
no chance whatever for the voters
to express their choice as between
other aspirants for the Democratic
presidential nomination. The only
entries in the primaries have been
President Roosevelt and Vice Presi-
dent Garner, running against each
other. Postmaster General Farley
1t is true, has agreed that his name
be entered in the Massachusetts
presidential primary. But the Demo-
cratic State chairman there has an
nounced that the slate of delegates
put forward will, of course, be for
President Roosevelt first.
In none of the primaries are the
supporters of Secretary of State
Hull battling it out, for example,
with the supporters of Federal Sc
curity Administrator Paul v. Nc
Mutt. Nor is there any contest
which would bring a choice between
Senator Wheeler of Montana anG
Attorney General Jackson, who halls
from New York.
The leaders are cropping in the
dark. They are not getting out on
any limbs that may be sawed off
by President Roosevelt little bit
later. In Ohio, where a Roose-
velt observation-disclosures pledged to
Stalking Horse Charles Sawyer aft
er the primary takes place May IA
has been picked by the organization,
a candidate for the Democratic NOM
ination for Governor discussed the
situation. There are seven candi-
dates for the gubernatorial nomi-
nee.
Objects to Garner.
One by one this Democrat re-
viewed the candidates whose names
have been put forward, other than
Mr.. Roosevelt. Mr.. Garner, he said
would not do for the simple reason
he halls from the South, where Ne
groes are not permitted to take part
IN Democratic primaries. Ohio has
a very large number of colored
voters. Also the radical voters in
Cleveland, a large number, would
not look with favor on the Vice
President.
Senator Wheeler, he complained
has made himself unavailable be-
cause he had been tarred by the
John l.. Lewis-C. I. o. brush wher
he went to Columbus and addressed
a meeting Of the United Mine
Workers of America. Mr.. Lewis Ii
president Of that union, which Il
the backbone of the c. I. O., and Mr.
Lewis, while not saying so directly
certainly gave the impression thai
Wheeler was his candidate. Mr.
Lewis and the G. I. O. are about a.
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