Squabbles in the making –
Stokes: Rift in Democrats’ ranks may be brought into open
Quigley ready to demand ousting of Wickard when DNC meets Saturday
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer
Washington –
The meeting of the Democratic National Committee here Saturday will bring into focus the rift between the New Dealers, notably Harry L. Hopkins, and the conservatives and practical politicians who formerly looked to James A. Farley for guidance and jobs.
There is likely to be a lively session, characteristic of Democratic performances before the assembled party leaders sit down with government officials at dinner to celebrate their patron saint, Andrew Jackson, and hear Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and others praise the achievements of the administration, with undertones of unsure hope that it may continue in power.
Squabbles are in the making. How much gets into the open may depend on the finesse of Democratic chairman Frank C. Walker who is retiring – and partly because he can’t stomach so much friction – to give away before the younger Robert E. Hannegan of Missouri, Internal Revenue Commissioner, who is slated for election to the chairmanship Saturday unless there is a last-minute hitch.
Quigley leads malcontents
The leader of the malcontents is National Committeeman James Quigley of Nebraska, a Jim Farley man who has been raising Cain for some time in his Midwestern bailiwick, has organized a bloc of protest in that section with some support in the South, and is ready to speak out Saturday just as he did at the Chicago meeting a year ago.
His complaint, in general, is that the bureaucrats won’t pay enough attention to the politicians out along the line, and, specifically, that they don’t see eye to eye with him and other organization leaders on recommendations for jobs.
Currently he is sore at Secretary of Agriculture Wickard and Governor A. G. Black of the Farm Credit Administration because they did not follow his recommendations, approved by organization leaders in his area, for two appointments to the Omaha Land Bank Board. He is demanding the ouster of Secretary Wickard.
Hot against Hopkins
He is also hot against Mr. Hopkins and David K. Niles, Mr. Hopkins’ chief political lieutenant.
Later in an interview, Mr. Quigley denied the United Press reports that one of the objectives of the Friday meeting was to “blast” Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Niles.
He said:
That’s rubbish. You don’t hear Hopkins’ name mentioned in a blue moon where I come from and I didn’t even know who Niles was until I came to town.
Mr. Quigley has the support here of Eugene Casey, who like Mr. Niles is one of President Roosevelt’s “anonymous” assistants. Mr. Casey, a staunch supporter of the President, has many friends on the National Committee, and he has taken the politicians’ side generally against the Hopkins-Niles dispensation.
Another controversy brewing
Mr. Casey won a resolution of commendation from the National Committee a year ago – a resolution presented by Mr. Quigley, Mr. Casey and Mr. Niles occupy adjoining offices at the State Department.
There is another controversy brewing for the Saturday meeting, growing from the criticism among some members over the presence among committee officers of Oscar R. Ewing, a vice chairman, and George Allen, secretary, because both represent corporate interests which have business before government agencies or Congress.
Mr. Ewing represents the Aluminum Company of American. Mr. Allen is with the Home Fire Insurance Company. Fire insurance companies are now pushing legislation before Congress to exempt them from anti-trust statutes.
Early in the New Deal, President Roosevelt forced three members of the Democratic National Committee who had set up law-lobbyist officers here to resign from the committee.