The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-26


  as state party chairman although he gave up his national party com- mand and his cabinet place 8 couple of years ago in protest against MT, Roosevelt's third term nomination, Farley selected and nominated At- torney General John J. Bennett for the governorship this year.
 It was Farley's hope that the President would be able to keep left wing New Dealers in line for Ben- nett. But that is not the way it worked out. The American Labor party, which enabled Gov. Herbert H. Lehman to defeat Dewey in 1888 announced that it would not sup port Bennett and it is chipping away at his election chances by re- fusing to withdraw its own guber- material candidate, Dean Alfange.
 Mir. RooSevelt's first reaction to the defeat he suffered in the August nominating convention when his candidate, Sen. James M. Mead, was refused the gubernatorial nomina- tion, was to suggest that he was too busy to welcome Bennett as the top party candidate in his home state, But on Oct. 4, he announced that he would vote for Bennett because he regarded him as the best quail fled" of the gubernatorial candi- dates. Some observers regarded that endorsement as faint praise in view of MT. Roosevelt's fairly well estab- lished lack of regard for Dewey and the relatively obscurity of the Amer ican Labor Party candidate, AL fange.
 But faint or not, it did not per- suade the ALP to withdraw its man, which doubtless was a grave disap- pointment to Farley. As samplings of opinion indicated that Dewey might enjoy a runaway victory on election day, the White House spoke again last week. Mir. Roosevelt de- nounced "a whispering campaign" which he said sought to spread false rumors that h.s spport of Bennett was formal and lukewarrIl." He and Bennett had a friendly and fortnight exchange of telegrams and MT. Roosevelt pointedly advised Bennett that T do not believe in protest voting" If the telegrams were intended to get Alfange-a protest candidate out of the race they were futile because the ALP organization has not budged from it's program which, evidently, will help elect Dewey and defeat Ben- nett since Alfange's election Is re- garded as impossible.
 Not only the goyernorship IS at stake here. If Bennett were elected he and Farley would control New Works l04A national convention del- egates and that fat bloc of votes would oppose a fourth nomination for Mfr, Roosevelt or the nomination for president of such Q new dealer as, for instance, Vice President Henry A. Wallace,
 If Dewey Is elected he automatic. ally becomes a major figure iil Re- publican presidential strategy for 1894. The Republican party row here centeTs around Dewey and Wendell L. Willkie, the let0 pFesl. dentlai nominee. Wlllkie opposed Deweys nomination and, almost irl. eyitably, they are pointing foF head. on collision at the lell national convention, It was Wslikies ns tentl0n before departing on his swing around the world to take some part in the New York state eaIIls palgn on his return. But he has been back sog more than 6 week now and has yet to speak . word for Dewey. yt is assumed, however that sometime before election day be VIII say something similar to MF, Roose- velt's llEst statement on Bennett probably that he will vote the Res publican ticket.