Evening star., 1953-08-01
The Political Mill
Plenty Of Candidates
Seek New York Posts
Question Marks Punetuote
Politics in Empire Stote
By Gould Lincoln

The curtain raiser for the always.
important New York elections takes
place September Is, when candidates
for Mayor of New York will be nomi-
mated. The bitter mitigating now TAX
ing place i'm the Democratic Party may
have its effect on the Democratic State
organization and the party'S State con-
vention. which next year will nominate
a candidate for Governor. The liberal
and conservative factions of the party.
between whom little love is lost. SEEM
ingly are building up for showdown.
Representative Franklin D. Roosevelt,
jr., who stayed away from the mayoral
race, is believed to have designs on the
Democratic nomination for Governor
next year. The question is whether
the nomination will be worth having,
if the fighting continues.
The New York Republicans. most Of
them. are hopeful Gov. Dewey may be
persuaded to accept renomination-this
time for fourth term. Certainly many
of the party leaders are urging the
Governor to run again. They feel that
Dewey is unbeatable. The Governor
did not want to run for a third term
in 1850. and he yielded only because
OF the party's need. The financial sit
uation is different this time. A move
is on to increase the Governors salary
from $4,000 to $4,000. Dewey'S PEN
sion rights, if he serves another term
at $4,000 year salary, would be ma
terial. His desire in the past has been
to return to private law practice and
build himself substantial competence.
With taxes what they are, large State
pension may have its attractions. 80.
A Third Attempt?
1t has been suggested in some quar-
ters that Gov. Dewey thinks still Of
another presidential nomination; that
once the presidential ambition has en-
tered the blood it never leaves. If the
Governor has such plans, the best way
he can keep himself in the limelight
and in political prominence is to con-
tinue as Governor of New York. Pre-
sumably, however, his first chance for
third Republican presidential nominal
tion would be in 1960-seven years in
the future. President Eisenhower is ex-
pected to run for second term. Ger
tainly that is the expectation of many
of the party leaders today
The Republican Party in New York
is both we'll organized and efficient.
When Gov. Dewey was first elected
chief executive of the State IL years
ago. he frankly said he would do all
in his power to make the State safely
Republican. He has lived up to that
promiSe-aided in part by the Demo-
Gratis themselves, who since the death
and before-of the late President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. have engaged in
factional wars on large scale. and who
have not developed any outstanding
leaders. The Republicans have a num-
ber of strong and able leaders, in addi-
ton to Dewey. One of them is Senator
Ives, who won reelection last year by
a huge vote. If Dewey is not to run
again, Ives is the man to whom most
of the Republican leaders would turn.
The Senator. however, is not interested
in running for Governor. He wishes to
remain in the Senate, where he still
has five years to serve of his present
term
Whether Mr., Roosevelt will care to
make the race for Governor against
either Dewey or Ives is a question. But
if he puts off running for higher Office,
he may not have a chance, particularly
if he is to cash in on the famous RooSe-
welt name. He is safe for win in his
strongly Democratic congressional dis
trict next year-and he might eventu-
ally become candidate for the Senate
If vacancy should occur in that body.
If 1854 looks like a Republican year."
with President Eisenhower popular and
the country at peace. Mr.. Roosevelt,
who is still young, may play waiting
game.
Fantastic Situation.
The situation which has arisen in
the mayoral contest is fantastic. Ger
tainly if all the candidates go through
with their promises to run, the voters
will have a wide choice The Repub-
lican, Democratic, Liberal and Ameri-
can Labor Parties all plan to put cam
didateS in the race. In addition there
are likely to be fusion" candidate and
one or two independents. The lack
of party leadership and cohesion is
shown in the Democratic Party where
three of the county leaders are Sup-
porting Mayor Impelliteri for renomi-
nation, and two are backing Robert F.
Wagner. jr., son of the late Senator
and at present president of Manhat-
tan Borough. Robert P. Blake, inSur-
gent leader of 7th Manhattan assem-
bly, district, also plans to enter the
Democratic primary. The Liberal Party
is proposing to nominate Rudolph Hal
ley. president of the City Council, who
leaped into prominence AS counsel for
the Kefauver Crime Committee. He,
too. may try for the Democratic nomi-
nation.
The Republicans are planning to run
Harold Riegelman. acting postmaster
and counsel to the Citizens Budget
Commission Clifford T. McAvoy is
the candidate Of the American Labor
Party. Kings County Judge Samuel
S. Leibowitz has the backing of the
City Fusion Party. It's been a long.
long time since the Republicans elected
a Mayor of New York-and it is doubt
full they can this year-although Mr..
Riegelman is perhaps the best-qualified
man for the post of all the mentioned
candidates. 1t could happen only by
a plurality vote-with the other can
didates dividing the opposition.
A:-LG \I~G-L.