Evening star., 1942-07-21
BY GOULD LINCOLN.


Senator Pass the Biscuits
Pappy" ODaniel is fighting again
for his political life in Texas.
He is opposed in the Democratic
senatorial primary, which takes
place next Saturday, by two for
mer Governors. James V. Alfred
and Dan Moody. The principal
issue raised against him is that
he voted last summer against the
bill to extend the period of mill
tary service under the Draft Act
his first vote after reaching the
Senate. The charge is made that
he lined up with the isolationists,
instead of backing up to the limit
President Roosevelt's national
defense and foreign policies.
If Senator ODaniel, who left
the Governors chair to come to
the Senate, can win a majority of
the votes cast in the primary on
Saturday, he will. of course, be
renominated. That is the same
as being elected in Texas, where
the election of a Republican to
the Senate is as inconceivable as
the election of Democrat to
the Senate in rock-ribbed Repub-
lican Vermont. Under the Texas
law, however, if he fails to receive
a majority of the vote cast, he
must enter runoff primary elec-
ton against the candidate who
received the next highest vote.
1t is taken for granted that
Senator O'Daniel will lead the
field in the primary vote-with
the opposition to him divided. If
a majority of the vote In the
primary is cast for his two oppo-
nents, the opinion is expressed
that he might be beaten In a
runof election. The Senator,
however, has been a tough Gus
toner In political battles in re-
cent years.
The contest has stirred up a
great deal OF interest, and the
chances are substantial vote
will be cast. Some Of the OBJ
servers believe that former Gov.
Alfred will run second to Senator
ODaniel, with former Gov.
Moody taking third place. That,
however, is still speculation.
Senator ODaniel came here to
fill the vacancy caused by the
death of the late Senator Morris
Sheppard, author of the 18th
amendment to the Constitution.
He has espoused the cause of pro-
hibition strenuously.
Born in Ohio and reared in
Kansas, Senator ODaniel moved
to Texas and engaged In the
flour milling and grain business.
He ran for Governor in 1898,
after he had been petitioned by
nearly IS, 900 citizens to make the
race. He defeated II opponents
in that primary, receiving a clear
majority of the vote cast. Two
years later he repeated the same
performance against six oppo-
nents. He was elected to the
Senate in q special election last
year.
Only Two House Contests.
Only two members Of the Texas
House delegation have serious
contests-Beckworth in the third
district and South in the twenty
first. Texas has its full share OF
leading figures in the House, head
ed by Speaker Rayburn, Represen-
tative Summers, grand old con-
stitutionalist and hard fighter,
Is chairman OF the Judiciary
Committee; Representative Lu-
ther johnson is ranking Demo-
cratic member of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee after
Chairman Bloom; Representa-
Latham is chairman Of the Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds Com
mittee and Representative Mans
field is chairman of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee. There
is, too, Representative Dies.
chairman OF the so-called Dies
Committee, which has stirred up
more hornets nests during recent
years than any other congress
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