Evening star., 1953-08-18
The Political Min
Real Campaign Fight
Seen in Boy State in "a
6. O. P. Sees No Trouble
In Choosing Candidates
By Gould Lincoln

SVSb0 @uUSVu
Massachusetts,, with huge independ-
ent vote, promises again to be a battle
ground in the congressional elections
next year. A Governor is to be elected.
too. The Republicans will have no
trouble in picking their senatorial and
gubernatorial candidates to head their
ticket-Senator Saltonstall is a cer-
tainty for denomination and Gov.
Christian Herter also. For the Demo.
Gratis, however, the problem is vastly
different. When Democratic Gov.
Dever was defeated for reelection last
year and Maurice Tobin, one-time
State and Secretary of Labor in the
Truman cabinet, later died, they found
themselves looking for new faces and
new blood.
Had things gone differently in the
1852 election and Dever been reelected,
former Representative Furculo, Demo-
crat. might we'll have been the candi-
date for Governor next year, and Dever
have been chosen to run against SAL
tonStall for the Senate. Furculo, who
resigned from the House to be appoint
ed treasurer by Gov. Dever. was gen.
orally believed to have ambitions for
higher Office. He was elected treas
urer in the same election Dever was
defeated. So Furculo remains a po-
tential candidate for the gubernatorial
Democratic nomination. He halls from
the western part of the State. In
primaries, the Boston area, with it's
big Democratic vote, usually dominates.
Boston Democrats in large numbers
would like to have Mayor Hines nomi-
mated for Governor next year. If they
persist, the Mayor may be drafted,
willy nilly. Hines is extremely pop
ular and has made an excellent Mayor.
Mccormack Mentioned.
The Democratic members of the
House, John Mccormack, the present
party whip and formerly majority
leader, and Representative Philbin,/ who
has had 10 years service in the House,
are also potential candidates for top
places on the party ticket next year.
Mccormack. veteran of the House,
however, may wish to continue a men,
ber of that body-indeed, he probably
will-where he could reasonably expect
to become Speaker in the event of fu-
ture Democratic victories. Philbin comes
from Clinton, home of the late Senator
David I. Walsh, with whom he was in
timately associated in politics.
Senator Saltonstall, after serving in
the State Legislature, was three times
elected Governor and has a strong fol-
lowing. He first came to the Senate in
January, 1945, having been elected the
fall before to fill vacancy caused by
the resignation of Henry Cabot Lodge,
jr., Republican, who went into the
Army. In 1948, Saltonstall was re-
elected with a lead of 134,077, while
Dewey was losing the State to Truman
in the presidential contest. The Sena-
tor, therefore, has been victorious in
two successful Democratic presidential
years. He will be hard man for any
Democrat to defeat. He was an early
and strong supporter of President Eli
senhower, both for the Republican NOM
ination and for election. Eisenhower
still retains great popularity in Mas
SachuSettS.
Eisenhower's great popularity-he
was the first Republican to carry Mas
sachusetts for President since Coolidge
ran in 1924-was helpful in the election
of Gov. Herter last year. Also Dever
had lost ground, and his administration
had been under heavy f1re-so heavy,
indeed, that political observers here do
not believe Dever can make comeback
next year. Herter, even some of the
Democrats will tell you. has made
good Governor. He makes his appeal
to large number of the independent
voters. He is former member of the
United States House. where he was
highly regarded.
Curley in Picture.
Irrepressible Jim Curley, former DEM
ocratic Mayor of Boston, member of the
House, and Governor, has announced
he will toss his hat in the ring for the
partyS senatorial nomination. He is
we'll up in his seventies but still active.
While it seems extremely unlikely Curley
can stage a comeback, he might make
it awkward for another Boston Demo-
crat in a three -cornered race for the
nomination. Former Senator and now
Ambassador Lodge defeated Curley for
the Senate back in 1888, when Curley
was still Governor.
The bright young star of the Demo-
cratic Party in Massachusetts is Senator
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, son of former
Ambassador Joe Kennedy and grand
son of John F. (Honey Fitz) Fitzgerald.
a one-time power in Boston Democratic
politics. Kennedy was elected last
November. after serving three terms in
the House. He defeated Lodge by
100000 votes. Lodge had alienated a
considerable number of Taft Republic
cans-Lodge was the Denomination
campaign manager for Eisenhower and
conducted fighting campaign against
the Ohioan. Further, many of the con-
servative Democrats who had previously
supported Lodge. swung over to
Kennedy.