Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-11
The Political Min
Hurrimon- r Roosevelt
Issue Moy Get Bitter
Ives Seen Likely to Win
New York Governorship

ives Seen Likely to Win
New York Governorship
By Gould Lincoln
The political aspirations Of Franklin
D. Roosevelt. jr.. suffered severe set
back when the Democratic leaders Of
New York turned him down for the
gubernatorial nomination and picked
w. Averell Hartman to make the race.
At that, Mr.. Roosevelt may have
escaped q worse fate--a beating by
Senator Irving Ives, whom the Repub-
leans have picked to run for Governor.
It seems unlikely that Senator Lehman.
the elder statesman of the New York
Democrats, Mayor Wagner Of New
York, Democratic State Chairman
Richard H. Balch, and Carmine q.
De Sapio, Tammany leader, would have
united In o decision against young
Roosevelt unless they thought he might
not win. Mr.. Roosevelt had for weeks
and months been campaigning actively
for the gubernatorial nomination. Early
In his campaign. however, it developed
there was q very considerable division
among New York Democrats-many Of
them did not want him for their party
nominee.
Mr.. Roosevelt can. II he desires. try
to buck the decision Of the leaders and
force floor fight In the Democratic
State Convention, which is to open
September 81 in New York City. II he
chooses such q course, the fight will
be bitter. but the cards seem to be all
against his winning. The last time the
Democrats engaged In such battle
was In the State convention Of 1912,
when the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt backed the then Senator
James Mead for the nomination for
Governor. and James A. Farley, the
Democratic State chairman, backed
John j. Bennett MIR. Farley won and
Mr.. Bennett was nominated, only to
fall before Thomas e. Dewey, Republic
can. in the fall election.
Not Giving Up.
Reports from New York assert that
Mr.. Roosevelt is not withdrawing from
the race for the gubernatorial nominal
ton, that he will continue actively CAM
paigning for the nomination, and that
the issue viii be taken to the coriven-
ton. The Roosevelt forces insist that
their candidate has a great popular
following, and that growing sentiment
for Mr.. Roosevelt may yet force his
nomination. These supporters of Mr..
Roosevelt insist that polls taken-in New
York City as well as upstate show that
Mr.. Roosevelt is far ahead OF Mr.. Har-
riman and other potential candidates
for the gubernatorial nomination.
Whether Mr.. Roosevelt wins nomina-
ton for Governor or not, he seems as
sured Of denomination and reelection
the House in the Goth New York
congressional district. The primaries for
House nominations will be held Sep
TENDER IA, and the necessary petitions
! have already been filed for Mr.. Roose-
welt. He is serving a third term in the
House, having been elected first in 1949
to fill the unexpired term of the late
Sol Bloom. This district is overwhelm-
ingly Democratic.
If MIR. Roosevelt fails to win. the NOM
nation for Governor, he will have to
wait another four years to, try for that
Office again, or he could seek nomina-
ton for Senator, If Senator Ives. is
elected Governor. Senator Ives would
appoint a Senator to fill his seat tenn
porarily. Mr.. Roosevelt Is 40 years old
and has time to wait He also will have
opportunity to make a record for him
self in the House, particularly should
the Democrats take control of that
body in the November elections. Up
to the present. he has not shown con-
spicuously in that field Of endeavor.
Ives Is Strong.
AS was expected, Senator Ives has
agreed to run for Governor, following
the announcement by Gov. Dewey that
he will not be candidate for any Of
flee this fall. The Republican Senator
has been a great vote-getter in the
State. His first victory for the Senate
was over Senator Lehman by approx
mately 100000 votes. In 1852, Ives
carried the State with tremendous
plurality. He has many friends and
supporters in New York City. the Demo-
cratic stronghold. as well as upstate
He is known as a liberal and friend
Of organized labor. The State FEPC
law bears his name-he was majority
leader in the State Legislature. It. is
exceedingly doubtful that any Demo-
crat could today defeat him for Gov
ernor.
If Mr.. Roosevelt is reelected to the
House, he is likely to find his older
brother, James Roosevelt, alongside
him. James is the Democratic nominee
for the House in a strongly Democratic
California congressional district James,
four years ago, sought election as
Governor of California but was over
whelmingly beaten by Gov. Earl War
rem, now Chief Justice.
The decision of the Democratic
leaders in favor of Mr.. Hartman, who
held many important Offices in the
Roosevelt and Truman administrations
was made, it Is learned. before Gov.
Dewey announced his determination
not to seek a fourth term in Albany.
They decided, it is said, that Mr.. Harri-
man would be the strongest Democratic
candidate against any Republican NOM
inee. So far as the State convention Ia
concerned. these leaders believe that
Mr.. Roosevelt viii not be able to OBJ
tain more than 200 votes. where $40
are needed for nomination.