Evening star., 1940-04-25
The Political Mill
HomiIton's Organization Wins Approval Of Majority
Of Republican National Committee

there are Republicans who believe
that II Mr.. Roosevelt is renominated
for third term Mr.. Farley will be
found on the Job again directing the
national campaign. Mr.. Farley Is
himself candidate for the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination-and
perhaps for the vice presidential
nomination. II he should be on the
Democratic national ticket, whoever
the national chairman selected to
succeed him, Mr.. Farley's organiza-
ton, 50 painstakingly developed, will
be continued in operation 1t seems
entirely clear.
In England political parties have
their permanent organizations-they
continue to function year after year
with the same officials, no matter
who the party candidates may be.
The theory there is that the party Is
going concern, designed to operate
for years, and that candidates are
merely transients on the stage.
Naturally a great deal will depend
upon the candidate selected by the
Republicans in their national con-
vention in June to head the party
ticket. The custom has been for
the oldest member of the Republican
National Committee in point of
service retaining membership in
the committee after the convention
has concluded its labors, to call
meeting Of the committee to elect
chairman. First, however, this men,
Der usually consults the presidential
nominee and asks his wishes in the
matter of chairman. There Is no
law, or rule, providing that this
must be done. 1t has been con-
ceded, however, that a presidential
candidate should be empowered to
pick his own man to run his cam
paign. Usually the choice has gone
to pre-convention campaign man.
ager for the successful candidate
and occasionally that has been
mistake.
Headquarters Is Neutral.
Undoubtedly. next June the Re-
publican presidential nominee will
be given the same leeway, if he
insists upon taking it. However,
there is reason to believe that some
Of the candidates in the field are
already convinced of the wisdom of
continuing going national organi-
Zation.
The national headquarters, under
the leadership Of Mr.. Hamilton, has
kept itself entirely neutral in the
pre-convention campaign. There has
been no favoritism shown to any Of
the presidential possibilities. All are
treated alike. And whoever gets
the nomination can feel assured of
the loyalty of the organization, it is
said.
1t Is no secret that some of the
Republican leaders, outside of the
national committee, have not been
friendly to Chairman Hamilton.
They have agitated from time to
time the idea that he should be
removed. Nevertheless, Mr.. Hamil-
ton has had the continued support
of the great majority of the mem
bers of the committee itself, repre-
senting as they do every State in
the Union. A new chairman would
find 1t necessary to make contacts
with 48 State chairmen, not to
mention 106 members of the ma
tional committee, all within a short
time.
A crowning achievement of the
Hamilton leadership of the national
committee has been the liquidation
Of the entire debt of the committee.
The committee not only has paid
OF 81 ,267 900 coming over from the
last campaign, but 1t has been able
to raise the funds necessary to build
up and operate the present organ
ization.