The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-12

| 1dOOIAdA " d IL VI u
date just because of his America
First leanings and utterances that
long ago seems at first glance to be
bit farfetched. There are lots bet
ter tests of isolationism coming
up later. Most important Is Sena-
tor Gerald P. Nye's fight for renom-
/ 1nation in North Dakota. To a lesser
| degree, a contest for the seat of
d. Worth Clark Of Idaho, and to
a still lesser degree, the races of
Bennett Chmap Clark of Missouri
and Robert A. Taft of Ohio.
When you get .theis far down in
! the scale it isn'tNSo much a case Of
having been isolationist as of hav-
ing been opposed to many of the
! administration policies. Robert r..
Reynolds of North Carolina has
thus far stuck to his determination
not to seek reelection to the Sen
ate, though he did smile coyly arch
isolationiSt Gerald L. K. Smith
picked him as likely presidential
timber few months ago. Senator
Burton K. Wheeler of Montana
doesn't have to seek reelection till
1916. That will be the real test.
AFRAID HE'S EYING
SENATE AGAIN
In the cast of Rush Holt, some of
the effort to pin the isolationist
skunk cabbage on him at this time
stems from the fear of where he
might go from there, If her should
be elected to the governorship this
year. Under West Virginia law, a
governor does not have to resign
from while seeking election to fed
eral office, and in 1916 West Vir-
GINA elects senator. Holt, it is
feared, has his eye on coming back
to Washington as successor to
Harley M. Kilgore.
Since he last graced the capital
scene, Holt has (a) been married,
CD registered for the draft, (c)
been elected to the West Virginia
state legislature. Otherwise black
out. He has kept his trap shut on
all the things about which he used
to rant-the New Deal, the war
mongers, John L. Lewis and the c..
I. O.. who helped him to election
in 1884 and whom he repudiated in
1885. Maybe people have forgotten.
At any rate, it will be an interest
ing test Of the old theory that the
memory of the American electorate
Is short.
EDITORIAL GRASS
ROOTS OPINION
AS to Hollis chances next month,
and as to the effect which Hollis
pre-Pearl Harbor isolationist may
have on the primary, opinions of
three West Virginia newspaper edi-
tors queried on these points are en-
tightening:
Hollis pre-Pearl Harbor actions
haven't even been mentioned, ac-
cording to S. G. Damron of the
Charleston Daily Mail. This editor
says observers think Holt will get
big anti administrator protest
vote.
Holt is an enigma to Malcolm T.
Brice, editor of the Wheeling News
Register. Hollis traditional anti-la-
Dor stand while he was in the Sen
ate would argue against his getting
any labor support in this election,
says Brice, but If John L. Lewis
told the states 10000 miners to
support an anti-administration can
didate, his chances for nomination
would be favorable! This editor
points out, however, that all straw
ballots indicate the state is going
Republican in the fall anyhow, with
or without Roosevelt, so Holt doesn't
matter.
From Clyde A. Wellman, editor of
the Huntington Advertiser, comes
the guess that Holt will be a sure
winner in the primary, the basis
of his strength being the fact that
his opponent, Clarence Meadows,
has been tagged. rightly or wrongly,
the crown prince of Governor Nicely
and all anti-Neelyites are rallying
to Hollis. Hollis isolationism is not
considered big factor. Republicans
are hoping Holt gets the nominal
ton SO they can beat him with the
/ iSolationist label