Evening star., 1941-11-06
The Political Mill
New York Stote Democrats Still Intact
For 1912 Elections Despite O'Dwyer Defect
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

ny OOCAD A1NSOLNs
New York Democrats in Con-
gress are making the best of the
situation arising out of the re-
election OF Mayor La Guardia for
a third term, over their candi-
date, District Attorney William
ODwyer of Brooklyn. AS some
Of them see it, the party is. left
intact for the congressional and
gubernatorial campaign next year,
Notwithstanding Mr.. O'Dwyar's
defeat on Tuesday. All of the
Democratic leaders in the State,
with the exception of President
Roosevelt, backed Mr.. ODwyer.
They acted wholly together, and
should be in shape to go to battle
for a gubernatorial candidate
next year. Presumably the candi-
date will be in sympathy with
the Presidents foreign and do
mestic policies. The President
will back the candidate so Sc
1ected. This will bring the whole
party as strongly together as it
was in 1888, when Gov. Lehman
was reelected. That election
took place the year following a
La Guardia victory in New York
City under much the same cir
cumStances as the election just
completed.
What will be the attitude OF
Mayor La Guardia? For example,
will he support, and endeavor to
have the Ameyican-Labor Party
support, Gov. Lehman if he runs
for another term in Albany?
Gov. Lehman took a prominent
part in the effort to defeat Mr..
La Guardia. 1t was the Governor
to whom the Mayor referred in
the hot moments of the campaign
now closed as a double-cro
and "goniff," a low thief in
Jewish language. The Governor,
replying. declared that Mr.. La
Guardia had shown himself unfit
to be Mayor of New York by his
charge against him and the
Court Of Appeals, of which Irving
Lehman, the Governors brother,
is chief judge.
Hope La Guardia Will Help Out.
The Democrats hope Mr.. La
Guardia will see the light and
support their gubernatorial can
didate-particularly if he should
be firm friend of the President
and. his policies, as Gov. Lehman
surely is. 1t was recalled that Mr..
La Guardia did not 60 to the
aide OF Thomas E. Dewey, his
own running mate in the city
election of 1897, when Mr.. Dewey
made his race for Governor
against Gov. Lehman in 1898.
The American Labor Party lined
up for Gov. Lehman that year,
too.
Gov. Lehman may or. may not
be candidate to succeed himself.
II he is not, then what Demo-
Gratis here hope for is the nomina-
tion Of another liberal Democrat,
in hearty sympathy with the
Presidents policies. The Governor
is believed to have an ambition
to come to the Senate. In fact,
he had that desire in 1898, and
would have been pleased with the
senatorial nomination which
went to Senator Mead, while
he himself stood for reelection
as Governor. Gov. Lehman was
regarded as the strongest pos
sible candidate the Democrats
could, put forward that year
against Mr.. Dewey, and every
effort was made to persuade him
to run. He won from Mr.. Dewey
by less than 10000 votes.
There will be no senatorial
vacancy for Gov. Lehman to as
pire to next year. Senator Wag-
ner does not come up for re-elec-
ton until 1914, and Senator Mead
in 1916. Senator Wagner has been
in i'll health for months. He has
shown much improvement, how
ever, and there Is no indication