Evening star., 1950-03-23
New York Democrats
Face Tough Problems
In Gubernatoria| Race
By Gould Lincoln
Stor Staff Correspondent

York Democrats today are tread
ing softly before getting down
to the business of picking a guber-
material candidate to run next fall.
In the first place the Democrats
do not know whether they will
have to tackle Gov. Thomas E..
Dewey again. The Governor today
is saying exactly nothing about his
future plans. He has defeated
Democratic candidates for Cover
nor in the last two elections-and
the Democrats have a healthy re-
spect for his running abilities.
In the second place, while there
is plethora of candidates for the
Democratic nomination. none of
them is so outstanding that he can
be characterized as the leading
candidate.
Seven Possible Candidates.
Here is list of potential candi-
dates for Governor about whom
the gossip rattles from day to day.
without any attempt to place them
in the order of strength:
Oscar R. Ewing, head Of the
Federal Security Agency: New
York Supreme Court Justice Fer
dinand Pecora; w. Averell Harri-
man. former Secretary of Com
merce and at present rowing
ambassador" of the United States;
James A. Farley, former Post
master General and one-time
chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee; Paul E. Fitz-
patrick, Democratic State chair
man; Representative Franklin D.
Roosevelt. jr., and Charles W..
Froessel, who was elected judge
of the Court of Appeals last year.
One of the big, hazards the
Democrats face in this guberna-
toriaI race arises from the fact
that the American Labor Party
must put a gubernatorial candi-
date in the field this year or lose
It's status as political party. The
ALP used to be one of the chief
assets of the Democratic Party in
the good old Roosevelt days when
1t would make the Democratic
nominee for Governor also the
ALP candidate. The ALP could
do this again next fall. but it
would probably be the sting of
death. The ALP is Communist
dominated and it's Endorsement
Of the Democratic gubernatorial
candidate probably would lose
that candidate more votes than it
would gain him.
Javits' Victory Recalled.
The Democrats understand this
all too we'll They have only to
recall that Representative Jacob K
Javits. Republican. won in an
overwhelmingly Democratic dis
trict against Democrat Paul
ODwyer. brother of Mayor O'Dwy-
er of New York simply because the
ALP indorsed Mr.. O'DWyer and
Mr.. O'Dwyer accepted the indorse-
ment. One precinct which usually
turned in a 30-vote plurality for
the Democrats went for Javits by
$50. ~
The ALP probably will poll be-
tween 250.000 and 100000 votes
and none of them will come out
of the Republican Party.
Mr.. Ewing has the backing of
the CIO pretty generally for the
gubernatorial nomination. He
halls from the Bronx and has the
support, at least outwardly. of
Ed" Flynn. Democratic national
committeeman and boss of the
Bronx. If the Democrats nomi-
nate him, however. they will have
to take on the issue Of socialized
medicine, for Mr.. Ewing has been
a chief advocate of President Tru-
mans compulsory health insur-
ance bill.
Justice Pecora is believed to be
willing to make the race for Gov
ernor. A Liberal Democrat. JUS
tice Pecora is of Italian blood. and
the Italian vote in New York is
both large and clannish. Further,
he will be of retirement age-al-
though he is in vigorous health
within year or two. and he would
like, his friends say, to top off his
career in the Governors office.
Farley Very Popular.
Mr.. Hartman, millionaire, has
been in public Office under the late
President Roosevelt and under
President Truman for many years.
How much appeal he would have
for the run-o -the-mine voter is
uncertain, but he is highly re-
garded.
Probably the most popular of
all these potential candidates is
Jim Farley-but that does not
mean necessarily he would make
the best run. The old Roosevelt
New Dealers and some of the
members of the Liberal Party
whose support a Democrat must
have to win next fall-might run
out on Mr.. Farley in considerable
numbers.
State Chairman Fitzpatrick is
widely known and we'll liked. but
there are doubts about his receiv-
ing the nomination and about his
election should he be nominated
He has recently taken on a big
new real estate development in
Florida, which runs into millions
of dollars and some say this is an
indication he has given up thought
of becoming Governor.
This brings us to Franklin D:
Roosevelt, jr. The older Demo-
cratic leaders do not want him
and they fear he might be vulner-
able. The cold reception he re-
ceived when he understudied as
a speaker for Mayor O'Dwyer at
the $1Q0-a-plate dinner. given to
pay off the debts of the fall cam
paign, put a crimp in the plans
for his nomination for Governor.