Sons & Daughters

Relatives of public figures often avoid the public eye. As often they cannot escape it. Many a political son and grandson has had a distaste for politics--viz., the late Robert Todd Lincoln--or keeps out of it because of a feeling that the glory he might gain might be partly reflected. A case of the latter kind is Grandson Henry Cabot Lodge, able political writer on the New York Herald Tribune, who has repeatedly declined nominations in Massachusetts. Cases exactly the opposite of Grandson Lodge are Sons Theodore Roosevelt (unsuccessful) and Son Robert Marion La Follette (successful).

Campaigning for one's relatives or their party, or their opponents' party, is different. Most sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, are glad to do that. In the present campaign, many a famed descendant has been active or at least visible. Grandson Arthur Smith Jr., aged 30 months, sang "Sidewalks of New York" for the "talkies" last month. Son Arthur Smith, a blond young man of 21, last week took up speechmaking. He asked support for the "courageous and honest leader of the Democratic Party" and said: "You know I am the luckiest boy in the world to receive my first vote in time to cast it for the man I have the honor to call father. ... I think my father is the best fellow in the world. . . ." Al Smith Jr., too, made speeches.

Sons Herbert Hoover Jr. and Alan Hoover have traveled on their father's campaign trains but made no speeches.

James Roosevelt, Harvard junior, second son of Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been practicing football in the afternoons and stumping Massachusetts for the Brown Derby in the evening. The evening that his father accepted the Democratic nomination for Governor of New York, James Roosevelt was speaking on the Democratic side of a bi-partisan radio program. His partner was Miss Sarah Jackson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jackson, National Committeeman and Committeewoman of New Hampshire. Their opponents were Maxon H. Eddy, Yale football captain, and Miss Elizabeth Hughes, daughter of Charles Evans Hughes.

Niece Betty Rogers of Philippine Governor Henry Stimson (Republican) took time from her study of law at Yale to campaign--for the Brown Derby. Other famed Smith campaigners were Miss Sally Cabot of Boston and her cousin Maude Cabot of Manhattan. A reason for this Cabot support was seen in a campaign letter from Mrs. Constance Lodge Williams of Hamilton. Massachusetts. Supporting Senator David Walsh against his Republican adversary. B. Loring Young, she wrote:

"When Mr. Young speaks of himself as the logical successor to Henry Cabot Lodge he is stating something which is not true.

"My father was not a coward and I believe him always to have put ideals above expediency.

"As the campaign progresses it has become increasingly apparent that the Re publican party at this time is the party of hypocrisy and the Democratic party, the party of progress. I consider that Mr. Hoover is honest, but Governor Smith is both honest and brave."

Mrs. Rosamond Pinchot Gaston, famed Nun of Producer Max Reinhardt's Miracle, niece of Pennsylvania's Gifford Pinchot (Republican) was active at the Brown Derby's headquarters, choosing speakers, speaking herself. Over the radio her rich voice pleaded one night for the election of "a human being" and not "a cold, meclianical sort of a person." "Governor Smith is deeply sympathetic," she said.

Richard Cleveland, tall son of "The Good Grover," who lives in Baltimore and campaigned thereabouts for Nominee Smith, notified National Democratic Headquarters that his son, Thomas Grover Cleveland, aged 1, spoke his first words early in October and the words were: "Al Smith."

Proud though the late great Grover Cleveland would doubtless have been of Thomas Grover Cleveland, no less proud would the late great Champ Clark of Missouri have been of his daughter, Mrs. Genevieve Clark Thompson, for a "crack" she uttered during a campaign speech last week at Liberty, Mo. The crack: "If the Pope wanted the United States, he would have bought it when Fall and Daugherty had it for sale."

The Republicans laid little store by announcements of famed descendants favor able to them during this campaign. They kept no lists, made no special effort to obtain lineal support. Most Republican sons -- Undergraduate Paul Mellon of Yale, for example--were taken for granted as being true to the faith.

Democratic tendencies among the young of potent business figures were treated as live news during the campaign. In Iowa, for example, it was news that Mrs. Gardner Cowles Jr. and Mrs. John Cowles of Des Moines declared for Smith. They are daughters-in-law of the publisher of the arch-Republican Register, Iowa's "only" newspaper. In the East, it was news when three sons of the House of Morgan proclaimed themselves Smith men. Two of these were Corliss and Austin Lament, sons of Morgan Partner Thomas W. Lamont. Son Austin's declaration marked him as an outspoken youth like Son Corliss, who was famed for insurgent leadership when an undergraduate at Harvard.

The third Democratic son of the House of Morgan, reported last fortnight, was Dwight Whitney Morrow Jr., Amherst freshman.