Evening star., 1954-12-25
The Political Mil
De Sopio q New Power
Politicians Will Watch
After Initial Successes, He
Moy Try to Pick President
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Carmine u. De Sapio. Tammany
leader and Democratic National Com
mitteeman for New York. IS . man to
be reckoned with In the field Of ma
tional politics during the next two years
at least. He succeeded In picking and
electing q Mayor Of the greatest city
or the United States and o Governor
of the country's most populous state
during the last two years,
He has, moreover, succeeded In Hitting
the Democratic organization Of New
York out Of the dust-where It had been
during II years Of the Dewey Republi-
can regime. It viii not be surprising II
Mr.. De Sapio undertakes the job OF
picking . President.
Time. In its current issue. comments
on the New York Democrats leader at
length. It says. among other things: In
his managerial function (managing
New York Democratic politics). Car
mine De Sapio Is q man to watch.
W. Averell Hartman (0overnor-elect)
and New York City Mayor Robert Wag-
ner hold two Of the Nations most I'M
portant political ofnces both are
immensely beholden to De Sapio. More
over. De Sapio's probable control Of tho
largest bloc Of delegate votes ct the
Democratic National Convention In
1856 gives him rich chunk Of political
capital that he can be expected to
invest shrewdly."
In Powerful Position.
Whether Mr.. De Sapio viii have q
NY.,,, yyrxi, - A{aa ID %xs. @1aA TavVsnNratiN
presidential nomination In 1855. or
whether he viii seek to bring about the
selection Of nominee from some other
State will be determined by events Of
the coming l8 months. In any event, he
is In position to WELD lot Of political
power. Presumably. II Mr.. De Sapio II
to back New Yorker for the presiden-
tial nomination 1t viii be Mr.. Harri-
man. Mayor Wagner is reported to have
his eye firmly fixed on Senate seat.
His father was New Deal Senator
from New York. II Mr.. Hartman proves
q successful Governor, and has real
desire to become President, Mr.. De
Sapio will be there to do the pre-
convention work. At present. Mr.. Harri-
man goes about saying he Is for the
denomination Of Adlai Stevenson. and
Mr.. De Sapio does not dissent.
Mr.. Harriman's experience In public
life has been largely In the national
and international field-not In State
affairs. He held q long series Of Jobs
D. Roosevelt and Harry s. Truman.
Among the most important were AM
bassador to Russia, Ambassador to
Great Britain and Secretary Of Com
merce. II he makes good as Governor.
he may use that success to get back
into the larger field. II he is to do 80.
1t must be In 1866. For In that year
Mr.. Hartman will become IS years
old. Two years ago. he was New York's
candidate for the Democratic presi-
dental nomination--in part to hold
the big delegation together ct the ma
tiona1 convention, but also with the
idea that in the event Of deadlock
the political lightning might strike him.
Harriman's Debt.
As Time points out, Mr.. Hartman
owes his nomination and election for
Governor to Mr.. De Sapio. Indeed, 1t
was clear to political observers in New
york last summer. when Mr.. De Sapio
was saying little but saving wood that
the Tammar1y leader would settle the
race for the gubernatorial nomination.
At that time Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr,
was doing ell the running. and claim-
ing q big array Of delegates to the
convention which was to meet In late
September. Tammany had no love for
young Mr.. RooSevelt-and Mr.. Roose-
velt thought he could take the organ
ization on and defeat it--as he had
in his congressional district several
years ago. Mr.. De Sapio. at the stra-.
tegic time, lowered the boom. Mr.. Har-
rirnan was nominated. But Tammany's
determination to get rid Of Mr.. Roose-
velt--as a prospective gubernatorial
candidate in the future-did not halt
there.
When Mr.. Roosevelt agreed to run
for attorney general on the ticket with
Mr.. Hartman. he made the mistake
Of undertaking the organization again.
He even thought he would run ahead
Of Mr.. Hartman. But instead, he lost
by considerable margin In the race
for attorney general to Representative
Jacob X. Javits. Republican.
MIR. Hartman has already begun to
nquidate his debt to Mr.. De Sapio. He
has appointed the latter secretary OF
state job which. pays $1,000 year.
plus o $4,000 expense account. Decid-
edly, Mr.. De Sapio--and Tammany--
are going to have quite bit to say about
the State government. II Mr.. De Sapio
plays shrewd game--as he is expected
TO do--he will use his efforts to see
that the Hartman administration Is
successful and free from scandal. That
program would help both Mr.. Hartman
and Mr.. De Sapio. Mr.. De Sapio Is the
son of Italian immigrants. At 46 he Is
the FIRST man Of italian blood to head
Tammany--breaking o long line Of
irish-American bosses Of that orgarii-
Eation.
THE Moon When the Bark
Of the Tree Crooks
lee trsn0ed the ssnsous riDers: trees
st0JteG