The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-18
RALEIGH
BRIEFS
Star-News Bureau,
Sir Walter Hotel.


BY HENRY AVERILL
RALEIGH, Sept. 17.-Picking' a
Speaker of the 1871 House of Rep
resentatives in mid September,
1910, is at best a very risky bust
ness; but your Raleigh reporter
gained a very definite impression
from the hosts assembled for the
Young Democrats convention last
week that George Uzell Of Rowan
county is most likely to do the
gavel welding when the General
Assembly convenes early in Janu-
airy.
This is not to say that he is 4
sure and certain victor over Odus
Null of Cleveland, who appears to
be the only other announced candi-
date with any real chance Of sue
cess. Jim Vogler Of Mecklepburg
and Clarence Stone of Rockingham
apparently can be classed as hav.
ing the same chance Al Roger Bab-
son, prohibition candidate, and Nor
man Thomas, nominee Of the So
cialists. in the presidential race.
At least that's what your re-
porter's private Gallup polI' indi-
Gates as Of the current writing.
OF course all bets would be of
if next-G Governor j. M. Broughton
should come forward with an open
endorsement Of Mr.. Null or If
really authentic word could be
passed out that 1.-The Governor" is
for the Shelby man who describes
whole political philosophy on the
theory Find the biggest crowd and
get right in the middle Of it."
Even MI. Broughtons' positive
and flat approval could hardly put
Vogler over. The Mecklenburger
has been too "anti" too long, and
his views on taxation differ too
radically from the orthodoxy Of the
powers-that-be.
There seems little likelihood that
Broughton will enter the fights,
however, though he is being be-
ing besought by some Of his adj
visers to do so. The folks pushing
him toward the battle are doing it
because the think Uzzen will win
if nothing is done; they know they
can't control the Rowan man, and
they want an out-and-out Brough-
tonite in the chair.
Most amusing utterance Of the
speakership campaign to date was
the statement in Sundays Charlotte
Observer by Stanley Wohl, W h o
spoke Of a tide Of public senti-
ment'' for MI. Null.
Anybody who knows ever a part
Of his political ABC's knows that
there isn't any public sentiment"
connected with the speakership. OF
the some GOO, 900 Tar Heels who
vote the democratic ticket not one
in a hundred knows who r the
candidates for speaker and n o t
many more than one in fifty Chats
120) care a whoop in handles who
wins.
OF course the 120 house members
are vitality interested, and there
may be that many more altogether
who have some sort of stake In
the matter.
So public sentiment" s t
"ain't" and that's all there is to
it. No speaker ever has b e n
elected by it and no speaker ever
will be.
It's a nice little private war In
which only the democratic men,
bers Of the house, usually about
10 in all, have any say; and even
they do not have to 80 on record
as the voting is by secret ballot.
Personalities usually count far
more than issue; there r more
deals" made or proposed than IN
a statewide primary; and in gen.
eral it's a contest like no other In
the state.
That's what makes it so hard to
forecast; but usually the diligent
seeker after omens and portents
can make a fairly accurate ap'
praisal of the direction in which
the speakership winds are blowing.
But, it is again repeated, public
sentiment" isn't even remotely re.
| sponsible for anyone's choice az
presiding officer Of the North Caro-.
lima house. i