Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-31
Futher's Name an Asset
To Roosevelt Brothers
But Writer Says Its Magic
Has Been Decreasing
By Fronk R. Kent

Dut VUtSt SuyS uS Wu9N
Hos Been Decreasing
By Fronk R. Kent
Though no Nationwide Offices are TO
be filled in the election next fall, in
many States interesting contests, the
outcome of which will be significant,
are developing. Situations such as have
not been known before are already in
sight and there is chance some po-
litical history may be made.
For example, there, Is a state Of
affairs presented by the candidates. Of
the two Roosevelt brothers-Franklin.
jr., who seems certain to be the Demo-
cratic nominee for Governor of New
York, and James, who will run (also
as a Democracy for the seat In the
House of Representatives now occu-
pied by Representative Samuel w.
Yorty of the 26th California district.
Mr.. Yorty. it is reported. intends to run
for the Senate.
It Is true that each of the Roosevelt
boys has been a candidate before.
Franklin is now serving his third term
in the House from New York district.
while Jimmie ran for Governor in Cali
fornia in 1850. But this will be the
first time they have run in a way to
justify bracketing them. The reason
for this is that though both have been
active in politics for some years, each
has exactly the same asSet-the name
of his father. And that is their only
asset. Neither has achieved anything
in the way of public record.
1t will be interesting to see how their
asset can be cashed this time. OF
course, there is some reason to believe
that it has diminished in value in the
last few years. For one thing, the
late President has been dead for nearly
q decade. It is little hard to. keep
even the prestige Of very great man
from slipping some in that time. In
the case Of Mr.. Roosevelt. . consider
able number Of things have come to
light since he died which tend to de-
tract from the so-called magic" Of his
name. For example, there is the YaltA
agreement by which he made conces-
sions to Russia that now appear vastly
adverse to the interests Of this country.
Certainly. the denomination OF the
Yalta agreement has done the Roose-
welt memory no good. Nor has the So
called Secret Diary of Harold Ickes."
in which he. in effect, says that Mr..
Roosevelt's word could not be taken.
and that long before he died he felt
he could not be trusted, added to his
prestige. Mr.. Ickes, himself. was not
man to tie to but he was close to
the late Roosevelt and when he says
regretfully that his word was not good.
it can be taken as an understatment.
Raymond Moley, James A. Farley, the
late Hugh johnson and others init.
mately associated with the ex-Presi.
dent came to that conclusion long be-
fore Mr.. Ickes. Considering all these
things, plus the well-established politi-
cal fact that no man, however great
his personal following. can either trans
fer or bequeath it to another, and
there is some reason to doubt that
this asset Of the Roosevelt boys will be
adequate.
1t might be different If either had
anything else upon which to rely. Take
the case Of Jimmie. In 1850 Jimmie
ran against the popular Gov. Earl War
rem. now Chief Justice of the United
States. Perhaps. it was too much to
expect Jimmie to defeat Gov. War
rem. But with the magic name"
and nearly.a million Democratic regis
tration majority, it certainly was not
expected that he should be beaten by
more than a million. But that is what
happened. Nor did the campaign Jim
mic made commend him to many. He
exhibited himself as so cheap a dema-
gogue that Gov. Warren, one of the
most temperate Of men. was led to say.
rs there no end to this mans trickery?
He has had no equal since patent medi.
cines were sold on street corners from
blackboard" AS to young Franklin. not
even his friends claim he has achieved
anything creditable in the way of a
record. He has voted regularly with the
left-wing element Of his party, but has
shown neither originality nor ability. He
is not personally popular with his COL
leagues in the House and in the 1852
Democratic convention. made rather a
fool of himself by joining Senator
Humphrey and the labor bosses in a
futile effort to coerce the Southern
delegates.
AS a gubernatorial candidate he will.
of course. have the support Of the
American Labor Party. the Liberal
Party. Tammany and his mother. And.
certainly. he will have such of his
fathers strength as can be transferred.
Also the labor bosses will help finance
his campaign. With all this he may be
elected. but the prevailing opinion is
that if Gov. Dewey runs again he
will win. So might any other good Re-
publican. This can be said of young
Franklin-his self-conf1dence is superb.
Since l949 he has put on a good deal of
weight and lost much of his good looks.
but none of his self-conceit. Should he
and Jimmie lose this time it would defi-
nitely prove the magic name" a myth
which would be good thing It would
seem man should have something
more to run on than his fathers name.
in the history Of the country. is q free