The Omaha guide., 1940-04-06

DEWEY AS G. O. p. NOMINEE?

The editorial below was printed in the New York
Daily News, January IL, 1910. The Daily News has
the largest newspaper circulation in the United
States-1, $3.50 0 daily, 100000 Sunday.
Yesterday in this space we reported having a
bunch that President Roosevelt wants a third term
and is wheeling his heavy guns into place for a third
term drive. We explained our reasons for that bunch
at some length, most of them being drawn from what
happened at various Jackson Day dinners around the
country Monday evening.
Today we opine that the Republican candidate
for President will be Thomas E. Dewey, if the Dem
ocratic candidate is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Dewey has the supreme virtue, from the practi-
cal politicians point of view, of being a terrific vote
getter, at least in his own city and his own state.
Dewey was elected District Attorney of New
York County (Manhattan) in November, 1897. For
a Republican to get elected to any important office
in Manhattan is usually the neatest trick of what
ever decade it happens in, because it happens very
seldom.
In the following year, 1888, Dewey ran for
Governor against the incumbent, Herbert H. Leh-
man, himself a superior vote getter. Dewey came
within 10000 votes of beating LehmanS who previ-
OuSly had been accustomed to pluralitieS of 400, 900,
100000 and such.
Dewey had a couple of bad breaks in the 1888
to boot. 1t rained in upstate New York
that day, so that a lot of Republican farmers and
their wives didn't turn out to vote; and something
decidedly phony was strongly rumored to have hap
pened in connection with the vote count in Demo-
cratic machine-run Albany. Even so, Dewey cut
Lehman's plurality to a wisp of its former self.
Dewey's Youth; Dewey Record
1t will be objected to Dewey that he is too young
to be President-only 81.
Well, graybeard though we be, we must insist
that a man of 81 is not a child. Alexander Hamilton
became Secretary of the Treasury at 80; Napoleon
was crowned Emperor of the French at 35; William
Pitt the Younger became Prime Minister of Eng
land, and a darned good one at that, at A.Half of
our voters are 81 or younger. We don't think Dewey's
youth will cut much ice against his chances of vic
tory if he runs.
1t will also be objected that Dewey has no ma
tlonal political record, as against the Presidents
long and i~llustrious record. As a Republican with a
record, most of the Republican professional politi-
clans offer Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Mich
igan.
Vandenberg has a record, true; but it is a sort
OF half-and-half record. He has been long on the
political stage, but he has never quite achieved star
dom. Sometimes he has played ball with the New
Deal, sometimes fought it. AS we see it, Vandenberg
backs the fire and colorfulness which makes voters
want either to do and die for a man or cut his poll
teal throat.
Messrs. Dewey and Roosevelt have those posi-
tive qualities in full measure. If they oppose each
other for the Presidency this year, we'll see the
lovellest Presidential campaign in a long time, heap
ed up and running over with fiery oratory, beauti-
ful maneuvering and the fanciest kind of political
skullduggery.
If the Republicans don't nominate Dewey. it is
hard to see how they can hope to carry New York
State. And If they don't carry New York, it seems
for them to win the national election.
One of the Six employees of our group in the
District Attorneys Office who holds an Executive
nCIfI HA1Aa y a.