Monday, Oct. 31, 1932

Side Fights

While President Hoover and Governor Roosevelt were sparring and slugging in the centre ring of the campaign, many a lively political sidefight was in progress last week throughout the land.

Doak v. Norris. As a Roosevelt stumpster Republican Senator Norris charged at Cleveland that Secretary of Labor Doak had dangled a Federal judgeship before Donald Randall Richberg, railway labor lawyer and lobbyist, if he would help the Hoover Administration beat the Norris anti-injunction bill demanded by Labor. Secretary Doak hotly denied the charge as a "libel," called Senator Norris "a professional character assassin who is not to be believed on his oath." Lawyer Richberg supported the Senator's story as "absolutely accurate."

Bacon v. Whitney. Mrs. John Harlan Amen, daughter of Grover Cleveland, made a speech to help Democrat Cornelius Vanderbilt ("Sonny") Whitney in the 1st New York Congressional District. Nominee Whitney's grandfather served in Mrs. Amen's father's Cabinet as Secretary of the Navy. Meanwhile Mrs. Robert Low Bacon, wife of the Republican incumbent, campaigned for her husband among Long Island Italians in their own language.

Lehman v. Donovan. Declared Herbert Henry Lehman, Democratic nominee for Governor of New York: "I want to pay a personal tribute to the Wartime record of my distinguished opponent. Col. Donovan. He was a loyal, brave, upstanding soldier, a splendid regimental commander. I deeply and sincerely admire his war record." Rapped back ''Wild Bill" Donovan, Republican nominee: "What we need now is not some very fine and very amiable man. What we need is someone a little rougher and who is not so sweet and amiable. This is a tough time."

McNutt v. Springer. At Logansport, Ind. Raymond S. Springer, campaigning as Republican nominee for Governor against Democrat Paul Vories McNutt, onetime (1928-29) national commander of the American Legion, mounted a circus elephant, joined a G. O. Parade. Going up an incline the beast stumbled to its knees. Nominee Springer pitched forward, saved himself from a bad fall by grabbing the elephant's ears.

Tubbs v. McAdoo v. Shuler. In California Rev. Robert Pierce ("Bob") Shuler, Prohibition nominee for the Senate against Republican Tallant Tubbs and Democrat William Gibbs McAdoo bought three sacks of onions for 90-c- in San Joaquin Valley. Said he to the onion farmer: "I'm going to take these sacks of onions to Washington, eat 'em every day and blow my breath all over the Senators until they pass laws to allow the growers to make money." Nominee McAdoo's theme song: "Send me to Washington. I'll guarantee I won't need someone to show me the ropes." Nominee Tubbs took a soap box away from a critical orator, harangued a street crowd on the virtues of his own public record.

White v. Ingalls. To critics who say he is too young to be governor of Ohio, David Sinton Ingalls, 33-year-old Republican nominee against George White, Democratic incumbent, quotes William Pitt's reply to a similar charge in the British Parliament: "I content myself with hoping that I may be one of those whose follies cease in their youth and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of age and experience."

Bone v. Jones. Republican Senator Wesley Livsey Jones, seeking re-election in Washington against Homer Bone, Democratic nominee, boasted a letter from Idaho's Senator Borah saying: "Jones and I sat together in the little old church school at Enfield, Ill. We have been friends ever since. We separated as boys but met again in the West. ... I think I know him. ... I shall be more than happy if he is successful in the election." The State's conservatives have depicted Democrat Bone as a wild-eyed radical.

Smoot v. Thomas. To hold the Senate seat he has filled for 30 years, Republican Reed Smoot of Utah is fighting three handicaps: 1) his age (70); 2) his failure to get silver remonetized; 3) a Change. Press polls show his Democratic opponent, Professor Elbert Duncan Thomas of the University of Utah, running 3-to-2 ahead.

Horner v. Small. Behind Len Small, Republican nominee for Governor of Illinois, stands William Hale ("Big Bill") Thompson while behind Henry Horner, Democratic nominee, stands Anton Joseph Cermak who succeeded Thompson as Mayor of Chicago. Mayor Cermak: "The two greatest spendthrifts Illinois suffered in public office were Thompson and Small. To think that those gold-dust twins are talking about economy is laughable. They have brought Chicago and Illinois nothing but disgrace and contempt."

Insurgents v. Hoover. Against President Hoover's candidacy last week Wisconsin's Senator La Follette joined his insurgent colleagues, Norris of Nebraska, Brookhart of Iowa, and Johnson of California (see cut) as an advocate of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election. Insurgent La Follette explained: "I have no illusions about either of the two old political parties. . . . From the progressive point of view, Herbert Hoover has been wrong on every important issue. . . . Governor Roosevelt has taken a position which indicates a willingness to cooperate with Progressives. By & large he expresses a liberal point of view on certain economic issues. ... I shall therefore vote for Governor Roosevelt. ... If he is elected I shall feel free to oppose any of his policies which are not in accord with my own convictions." Behind his brother soon rallied Wisconsin's Governor Philip Fox La Follette, who last week filled Senator Norris' shoes at a Roosevelt rally in Springfield, Ill., when Norris fell ill.

The regular Republican ticket in Wisconsin was further handicapped when Senator La Follette declared for the Democratic nominee for Governor and Senator, against the Republicans who beat out his Brother Philip and his friend. Senator Elaine, for nomination in the primaries.

Another insurgent Republican Senator to bolt the Hoover ticket last week was New Mexico's Bronson Cutting, effete Harvardman. Reason: "Roosevelt is an idealist who has sought to put his ideals into practice. He is honest-minded, able and industrious."

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