Evening star., 1940-08-03
The Political Mill
LoyoIty to Democratic Party Gives Flynn
The Help Of Farley for Victory in Vitu New York

up the present Democratic national
organization to its present propor-
tions. If Mr.. Flynn wishes, like
any other new broom. he can sweep
out the shop-put other men and
women in key places. This might
appeal to some Of the inner circle
of the New Deal, but it would not be
good politics. The national Demo-
cratic organization has been hit
ting on all cylinders for the last
seven or eight years.
The Irish have fair for politics
and Mr.. Flynn is no exception.
In proportion to their numbers,
Irish Americans have held and do
hold very large percentage of
political off1ces-especially In the
Democratic party. There is legend
that when the Irish immigrants
came to this country in large num-
bers TO years or so ago, the first
question they asked was: "Who is
the Government" They were told
the Republicans ran the Govern
ment. Accustomed as they were to
be "agin the government" in the
old country, they turned with ease
to the Democratic party, and there
most of them have remained-not
all, however, for Joe" Martin, Re-
publican leader of the House and
newly named Republican national
chairman, has Irish blood in his
veins too.
In Massachusetts,, there was hope
that the President might select Joe"
Kennedy, Boston Irishman who
made good in business and who has
held several important governmental
posts under the Roosevelt admins
tration, at present American am
bassadorship to Great Britain, to
head the Democratic National Com
mittee. Mr.. Kennedy might have
been a good selection, too, although
he has not had the long experience
in practical politics that Mr.. Flynn
has back of him. There were fol-
lowers of Federal Security Admin
istrator Paul v. McNutt, former
Governor of Indiana and former
national commander of the Amer
ican Legion, who believed the Hoo
sler would be the best man for the
place.
McNutt in 1914.
Mr.. McNutt, however, was a can
didate for the presidential nomina-
ton provided President Roosevelt
did not run this year. He was a
candidate for the vice presidential
nomination If the President did not
run. The President. however, turned
thumbs down on McNutt, and chose
Henry A. Wallace of Iowa to be his
running mate. 1t is quite in the
cards that Mr.. McNutt will be a
candidate for the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination in 1914. The
former Hoosier Governor is only 40
years old. He was potent figure in
the national convention just closed.
The President has just had an ex-
perlence with a national chairman
who was also candidate for the
presidential nomination-in the per-
son OF Mr.. Farley. The White House
circle did not like the idea that Mr..
Farley should be a candidate against
the President and also hold on to
the job of national chairman. There
was nothing that could be done
about it, however. For the President
to put into Office. as national chair
man, Mr.. McNutt, VINO will almost
certainly be candidate four years
from now, would have been like en-
couraging another situation similar
to that which sarose when Mr. Far
ley became a candidate and con.
tinued to run the national organiza-
ton. This does not mean neces-
sarily that Mr.. Roosevelt is looking
forward to being a candidate for a
fourth presidential term. But SUD-
pose the President should fail of re-
election this fall. He might con-
ceivably be candidate himself in
1914.