Evening star., 1940-01-13
The Political Mill
Candidates Angle for Delegates as
Primary Dote Neors in New Hampshire

ing" he adds, that Republican
leaders in many other States (than
New Hampshire), notably Cali
fornia, see the situation the same
as I. We feel that this is no time
for the party to be spending its
energies In pre-convention fights.
Bitterness aroused in these fights
has been costly to the party in the
past. We owe it to the country not
to permit strife to creep into our
ranks this year"
There are Republicans, however,
who take this kind of advice with
grain of salt, who believe that the
rank and file of the voters should
have a voice in the selection of the
presidential candidate, through the
selection of instructed or pledged
delegates. They do not see why the
voters in New Hampshire should not
state their preference, as is per-
mitted by the primary law.
Senator Bridges special reference
to the Republican leaders of Cali
fornia as favoring a national con-
vention made up of unpledged dele
gates calls to mind the statements
attributed to former President Her.
bert Hoover-Californian-strongly
urging that the States send high
grade, uninstructed delegates to the
convention and let them decide after
they have met who shall be the
party standard bearer for 1910.
OF course, uninstructed and un-
pledged delegates will be expected
to have their preferences just the
same before they reach the conven-
tions. And the efforts to persuade
them to favor this or that candidate
will be put forth on a large scale
While Mr.. Hoover is not believed to
have his own candidacy In mind. 1t
is understood that he and his
friends wish to have a powerful
voice in the final selection of the
presidential and vice presidential
nominees.
Senator Bridges yesterday filed his
own declaration as an unpledged
candidate for delegate at large from
New Hampshire. And after express
ing his hope that the other Re-
publican delegates will go unpledged
he said: Il am confident of its (the
delegation's) loyalty and confident
that such delegates will serve tht
State we'll"
Garner Might Seek Delegation.
The Garner-for- President mana
gers again and again have expressed
the opinion that instructed delega.
tions-not uninstructed-should be
sent to the Democratic National
Convention. For that reason, i,
would seem probable that the Vice
Presidents friends will seek Gar.
ner delegation from New Hampshire
Just how Mr.. Garner will fare in q
contest there is a question. In the
first place, Garner halls from the
South. In the second place a grea,
many of the textile workers in New
Hampshire have been out of work
during the depression and on IRE.
lief" of one kind or another, which
AAoAAp %SAAo w PoV All OllS
Roosevelt third-term camp, or al
least iii opposition to a candidate
who has not always seen eye to eye
with the President on New Deal
issues and legislation.
The supporters of Senator Wheeler
a native New Englander, recently
have been active for Wheeler in New
Hampshire. If there is to be a real
contest for instructed delegates on
the Democratic side, Wheeler, who
has many friends in the ranks Of
labor, might do very well. On the
other hand it is reported that sup
porters of Paul McNutt have good
cause to believe that something may
be done for the Hoosier candidate ir
the State.
1t may be the various candidates
and their friends will finally &C
along for uninstructed delegations
provided that they can be assured
that each will have their friends ir
| the delegations.