How It's Done

(See front cover)

Robert Johns Bulkley, the genial, bulky Wet Democrat who won a Senate seat in Ohio three weeks ago, last week lay abed in Cleveland breaking three important rules. He had bronchitis. He was not traveling around letting himself be seen. He had not yet found an alter ego to build him up as a candidate for the presidency.

For that, in a very embryonic way, is what Robert Johns Bulkley of Ohio already is. The presidential season opens formally the day after an off-year congressional election and even before the season opened Mr. Bulkley was being "spoken of by his friends" as a likely contender. Had not Democrat Bulkley overwhelmed Republican Senator McCulloch even though President Hoover visited the state during their campaign? Does 1932 not look like a year of great Democratic expectations? And is not Ohio the Mother of Presidents?

The fact that Mr. Bulkley was breaking three important rules (Nos. i, 6 and 7) for presidential aspirants, was interesting, and Mr. Bulkley himself is at this time interesting, only because a dozen or more other gentlemen in both parties are at this time studying the rules with care, and because from now on for two years any vigilant citizen who wishes may observe the process by which people become candidates, serious contenders, nominees and Presidents of the United States of America.

The qualifications which an aspirant must have are so well known as to require scant perusal. The 'Constitution says one must have been born in the U. S. at least 35 years ago and lived there at least 14 years. Unwritten laws at present add that one must be a white male with no known criminal, immoral or undignified tendencies, preferably Protestant, preferably a holder of public office.

Alter Ego. Rule No. 1 of the practical handbook of How to Become President says: Acquire a wise, devoted friend who will work and speak for you as you would for yourself. Obviously, the aspirant cannot go about telling people he wants to be President. He must have an alter ego without egotism. This friend and spokesman should have political wisdom, like Mr. Smith's Judge Olvany and Mr. Wilson's Col. House. He should not be chosen carelessly, as Charles Curtis chose loud Matthew Quay Glaser (1928), nor should he have an excess of zeal as did Charles Dawes's Col. Ed Clifford. He should be a man of some distinction in his own right; often he will come to the aspirant of his own accord after the season is well advanced. In not having obeyed Rule i Ohio's Bulkley (to continue with him as a handy specimen) is not yet at any disadvantage since his fellow Harvard man, Governor Roosevelt of New York, and that Johns Hopkins bachelor, four-time Governor Ritchie of Maryland, have neither of them found their greatest & best friends vet, and Owen D. Young will require a whole distinguished reception committee before he will admit he is running at all.

Money. Rule No. 2 says: Close in the background must be an eminent banker or financier. This gentleman's dollars are as important as his endorsement. Until one is one's party's choice, one must not only be privately financed but prepared to show that one could summon large sums for the party coffers. And no great banker's endorsement, certifying to Business one's soundness as a leader, is worth much if it is unaccompanied by a substantial cash investment. This cash must not be too obvious too early, however, as in the 1920 case of Leonard Wood's Col. Proctor, the soap tycoon.

The Leaders. Find strong communities of interest with the leaders of the party, says rule No. 3. This means the permanent, entrenched leaders, rather than the party executives of the moment. Some Democratic leaders who will control important blocks of delegates (outside of New York) in 1932 are Executive Committee Chairman Jouett Shouse, Senators Robinson of Arkansas, Harrison of Mississippi, Walsh of Massachusetts, Glass of Virginia (whom Ohio's Bulkley already knows well, having helped him write the Federal Reserve Act in the 63rd Congress) and Senator-elect Lewis of Illinois. Some Republicans who must not be overlooked are Ralph Williams of Oregon, "Tieless Joe" Tolbert of South Carolina. Perry Howard of Mississippi, Virginia's Bascom Slemp.*

Issue. To become nationally known, rule No. 4 instructs: Identify yourself early and firmly with a national issue. Herbert Hoover's unique feat of getting elected on "American individualism" without ever letting his stand on any national issue be known, is not likely to be duplicated soon. Highly recommended as an issue this season is any distinct subhead of the Economic Situation. Senator Wag-ner of New York, himself hopeless as a candidate, has pre-empted the Unemployment subhead in the Senate for the time being but might be persuaded to share it with the right Democrat. His friend Governor Roosevelt has spoken for Unemployment Insurance and is also known as quite a Water Power man, on the government-control side. Newcomers like Bulkley and Morrow must, upon reaching the Senate sounding-board, sound off loudly and repeatedly on their chosen theme-but never too specifically. The tariff should be attempted only by acknowledged economic experts. Prohibition is a theme best left alone, though Democrats are now-Wet by definition and Republicans should strive to seem amphibious.

The Press. By the same token that "You're dead when they stop writing about you," you are unborn until they begin writing about you. So rule No. 5 declares: Get a Press! This is accomplished in several ways. The alter ego must see to it that editors get courteous, efficient service when they exhibit curiosity. Friends of editors may be asked to bring the editors to call, dine, have a drink. Writer friends should be encouraged to undertake character sketches. Greatest of all press handlers for the Messrs. Hoover and Smith were two New York women-Mrs. William Brown Meloney of the New York Herald Tribune and Mrs. Belle Israels Moskowitz. Anecdotes (safe, amusing ones) should be frequently dropped among newspaper men. Any specially quotable or laugh-getting phrase in the candidate's speeches should be noted for reiteration Newspapers snatch at good little bits for front-page "boxes." Any cartoonable physical characteristics or appurtenances should be emphasized-as were Roosevelt's grin and spectacles, Taft's girth, Dawes's pipe. Smith's hat.

Travel. The candidate must move about the country. Not aimlessly, of course, or just hoping he will be seen. He must be supplied with places to go, people to visit, ceremonies in which to participate. Dedications of bridges, schools, memorials-especially statues of great dead leaders of the party are especially good. If the candidate is a Southerner, he should get a summer home in the North; Northerners should winter in the South.

Health. Rule No. 7 is: Seem always full of health. This touches upon what is actually the prime requisite for political success-physical energy. Whether or not energy will continue after the candidate gets in office, there must be no doubt of its existence while he is trying to get there. Bursting, blooming, up-at-seven physical condition is readily suggested by appearing on horseback, walking to the office, going swimming, playing golf. Fishing from a boat is good (but never be seen at the wheel of a yacht). Younger men have an advantage over sedentary types like Mr. Morrow, though his legend of mental activity (including detective stories) is well developed and Governor Roosevelt has demonstrated what can be done even after infantile paralysis.

Ladder. Rule No. 8 is the last one: Don't go around without a ladder. That is, always have handy a means of climbing down from the eminence you achieve, that you may live to try again four years later. Most notable recent breaker of this rule is Lowden of Illinois who committed political suicide after losing the 1928 Republican nomination by rushing angrily off without due warning to his friends.

Following the rules will get a man to the convention doors as a live candidate-live in the sense that there is no good reason why he should not become the nominee.

Ohio's Bulkley having been taken as a timely specimen, and also because of all mentionable specimens he is the least known, it is only fair to describe him.

He was born 50 years ago into a pioneer Cleveland family, wealthy through real-estate. His friends call him "Roy." His Harvard class was 1902 and he went to the law school. During his college vacations he traveled, went around the world with a letter of introduction from the late Secretary of State John Hay, who described him as "A very good friend." He practiced corporation law in Cleveland for a while, but family interests and his own ambition led him to larger fields. He owns Cleveland's big Bulkley Building, presides over its Morris Plan Bank. He has been president of its Harvard Club and City Club. In 1910 he was elected to the 62nd Congress, served two terms on the Committee on Banking & Currency. He was coauthor, with New Hampshire's Senator Henry French Hollis, of the bill which created Farm Loan Banks. During the War he was successively chief legal officer of the General Munitions Board, the Emergency Fleet Corp., the War Industries Board. He appeared before the public again as Democratic county campaign chairman in 1928. In getting elected this year, he cracked party lines, gained the backing of the late great Republican Marcus Alonzo Hanna's grandson Dan's newspaper (Cleveland News).

He will sit where Death has sat thrice. Glory once. From the same seat in the Senate, the late Warren Gamaliel Harding went to the White House. After Harding came Willis, who died; Locher, who died; Burton, who died. Having taken the fateful seat away from Roscoe Conkling McCulloch, who succeeded the late great Burton by appointment, "Roy" Bulkley's will be the most newsworthy new face on the Democratic side of the Senate chamber when it fills up next week.

* Not merely in obedience to rule No. 7 was Dwight Whitney Morrow sojourning in Pinehurst, N. C. last week.

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