Spring Gardening

Early this year Franklin Roosevelt, whose Congressional garden was reacting unfavorably to too much White House cultivation, publicly promised to keep hands off the sensitive spring crop of Democratic primaries. To date, however, he has directly or indirectly dug his gardening tools into most of them:

P: Last week South Carolina's Governor Olin Johnston announced, on the steps of the White House, his intention to enter his State's Senatorial primary next August against old, unreconstructed Senator Ellison D. ("Cotton Ed") Smith. Trumpeted Governor Johnston: "During my administration as Governor of South Carolina I have backed the reforms and policies of President Roosevelt 100%. In South Carolina . . . the policies of the New Deal . . . have lost none of their popularity. My campaign for the Senate will be based on a record of constant, unshakable loyalty to the Democratic platform and the head of our party, President Roosevelt."

P: In Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley's campaign for re-election against ambitious Governor "Happy" Chandler--it began last January with a testimonial banquet at which his supporters read a forthright letter of endorsement from the President--was proceeding with active White House support. It was indicated that the President himself might make a Barkley speech in Kentucky after attending the 75th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Gettysburg.

P: Last fortnight California's William Gibbs McAdoo, facing a tough four-corner fight, was able to pull an encouraging "Dear Mac" letter from his pocket.

P: Wisconsin's Francis Ryan Duffy, an Administration man, has received an unmistakable White House pat, almost as broad as the endorsement of Son-Secretary James Roosevelt which helped boost Florida's Claude Pepper to victory month ago. Meantime two States where Gardener Roosevelt has been busy went to the polls:

Pennsylvania. Franklin Roosevelt recently said that Pennsylvania's Democratic primary campaign reminded him of Dante's Inferno. Suave Democratic State Chairman David Lawrence had refused to support the United Mine Workers' Secretary, Thomas Kennedy, for Governor. So Senator Joe Guffey and Miner John L. Lewis formed an alliance to unseat the regular Democratic organization. Not only did Guffey-Lewis back Miner Kennedy against the organization's gubernatorial candidate, a mild, mustached Pittsburgh lawyer named Charles Alvin Jones. They also supported Philadelphia's mud-slinging ex-Republican Mayor Samuel Davis Wilson against Governor George Earle for the Senatorial nomination. To add to the confusion, Governor Earle's ousted State's Attorney General Charles J. Margiotti ran for Governor too.

When the last days of the campaign became so savage that it seemed Pennsylvania's Democracy might be wrecked, James A. Farley made an election eve proposal that each faction sacrifice one candidate, compromise on an Earle-Kennedy combination. This proposal Governor Earle promptly repudiated. Next day Pennsylvania's other Democrats repudiated it too, nominated Candidate Jones 6-to-5 over Candidate Kennedy. Candidate Earle 2-to-1 over Candidate Wilson.

Primary portents: 1) Joe Guffey's control of 6,000 Federal jobs plus his much mooted control over 230,000 WPA jobs is still no match for the regular organization controlling 27,000 State jobs. 2) John L. Lewis' 800,000 C. I. O. enrollment in Pennsylvania produced only 520,000 Kennedy votes. 3) Republicans in re-nominating Senator James J. ("Puddler Jim") Davis and nominating Judge Arthur H. James for Governor over 72-year-old Gifford Pinchot cast 135,000 more votes than Democrats.

Oregon, Governor Charles H. ("Old Iron Pants") Martin, a retired major general and once a Republican, now 74 and a Democrat, supported the New Deal in Congress, was boosted on a Roosevelt ticket in 1934 from Congress into the Governor's chair. But crusty Governor Martin energetically sniped at Secretary Ickes' plans for Bonneville Dam, criticized the NLRB in blistering speeches, blasted "that miserable" Secretary Perkins, ended up by antagonizing both C. I. O. and A. F. of L. Not averse to tweaking even the Roosevelt nose, at Bonneville Dam last year the Governor introduced the gift-bearing President to his constituents: "He comes to us like the Greeks of old. . . ." He was opposed for renomination last week by onetime State Senator Henry L. Hess, who received oblique White House endorsement through letters from Secretary Ickes and Nebraska's George W. Norris. Governor Martin and his sturdy Law & Order platform were edged out, 57,727 to 50,905. Uncertain whether the President or labor had given him the harder boot, Old Iron Pants growled: "The results have in no way changed my convictions. . . ."

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