Evening star., 1940-07-13
The Political Mill
ForIey Is Called One Of Great Political Leaders
Of Our Time; Loss Seen Great Blow to Porty

a great salesman-selling himself to
a lot Of people. He has always given
value received.
One thing he got out of tending
bar-he never drinks and he never
smokes. His advancement, however,
has not been due solely to abstemi-
Gus habits. He took a liking early
for politics and made career of it.
AS a Democrat he got himself elect
ed town clerk in town which was
predominately Republican, which
shows his resourcefulness. AInci-
dentally 1t was his baseball laying
that helped. He was a first base
man on a local semi-professional
team. His height gave him the
nickname "Unstretch," and he was
a general favorite. When he went
into politics, he called on his base
ball friends to help and they did.
Back to Baseball.
IT the reports now circulated,
seemingly on good authority, are
true, Jim Farley is about to leave
politics to return to baseball-as
the president of the New York
Yankees, with the financial backing
OF former Gov. James M. Cox of
Ohio, 1920 Democratic presidential
nominee, who had Roosevelt as a
running mate, and several others.
This does not mean Farley will take
himself entirely out of politics. He
couldn't. It's in his blood. He may
still hold on to the Craftsmanship
Of the New York Democratic State
Committee, to which he has re.
Gently been reelected.
Froh town clerk, Farley moved
on to Democratic county chairman
for Rockland County, his first really
important political job, in 1918. He
journeyed to New York to urge AL
Smith, then president of the Board
OF Aldermen of New York City, to
run for Governor. For years he
was an ardent AL Smith man and
stayed with him until after Smith
was defeated for the presidency in
1928 and announced he was through
with politics.
Farley then transferred his loyal
ties and his political abilities to
Roosevelt. Indeed, Farley had had
charge OF the Roosevelt headouar-
tiers in New York in Roosevelt IS
first race for Governor in 1923
Roosevelt was elected, although
Smith failed to carry the State
against Herbert Hoover. It wasn't
long after this that Farley began to
think of-and to work for-Roose-
velt's nomination for the presidency
BY 1880, he was hard at it. Roose-
velt had been reelected Governor
of New York by an unprecedented
plurality of 725,OOl.
Farley's Code.
He travelled the country over-a
political drummer"-selling Roose-
velt in all sections. This finally
brought him up against Al Smith,
who had changed his mind about
politics and believed that since he
had carried the torch in 1928 and
before. was entitled to nomination
when 1t seemed the Democrats had
a good chance to win. Farley took
the lead in the desperate fight for
delegates. With Roosevelt against
the field, he won in the showdown.
Farley hasn't many rules for the
great game of politics. But those he
has are important. He believes in
being always frank. in making no
promises he does not intend to keep.
He never lies to a politician or a
neWspaperman-or to any one else.
He is entirely practical. however,
and he knows the value of political
patronage and how to use it.
He is probably the greatest letter.
writer of all times. This is a po-
litical technique that he has de-
veloped to an extraordinary degree.
He writes thousands each year to
thousands of political leaders, big
and little. and to other friends.
He does not believe in seeking
revenge In politics.
There is no money in politics as
Jim Farley has played the game.
He has never'shaken any one down.
1t is no secret that for a couple
OF years or more Farley has been
anxious to get out into private busi-
ness to make money for himself and
his growing family And that is
what he is intent on doing now.