| Show Round Merry Merry Merry-Go- Round RoundS S By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. S ALLEN W The WASHINGTON great Lone Star state where Jack Garner was born and with whose heretofore heretofore unfailing b backing he rose rose- roseto to fame and fortune is today the stage of what in inthe inthe inthe the opinion of insiders will be his last political battle batUe For the grizzled old warrior it is a bitter bitt r and ironic clash Bitter because he finds himself on the defensive in his own home bailiwick where he reigned supreme for so many years ironic because he actually is only a pawn in a struggle in which he figures prominently but in which he has no real personal stake S For behind the fierce political conflict churning up Texas democracy the real issue is not the fate or fortunes of f Jack Garner but who win will control the state organization the organization the old guard group that has bossed it for an era orthe or or- the new deal militants who have surged t to td th the front in recent years S President Shook His Ills Head The battle was joined a few days after Roosevelt's smashing g eight to one Illinois victory victory vic vic- tory when Representative Sam Rayburn Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic floor leader and an old Garner crony went to the White House and made this proposal proposal proposal pro pro- S Jacks licked and we know it Its It's no use to rub it in or have a fight in Texas Why not call off your friends who are out for a third- third term delegation and well we'll agree to a favorite son delegation that will give Garner a first firstA ballot complimentary vote and no more more The president was uninterested He told Rayburn that he had not intervened in any other state fight and had no intention of calling calling call call- ing off the Texas new dealers dealer They had as much right to campaign for what they believed in as the new dealers in other states Rayburn then asked permission to send a aS S wire to Texas to the effect that he was authorized authorized author author- to say that the president did not approve vc of the third-term third campaign being waged for for- him Again Roosevelt vigorously shook his head A few days day after Rayburn's failure Jesse Jones wily federal administrator tried his hand at the same strategy but with no better success Ace Up Third Sleeve Texas new deal l leaders aders naturally informed of the undercover maneuvers promptly intensified intensified intensified their fight This This is conceded concededly y a tough one as under Texas law delegates are chosen at a state convention convention convention con con- and with the exception of the larger cities tl the e old guard controls most o of the county organizations But the bi big ace up the third- third sleeve is the ardent desire of Garners Garner's Garners Garner's Garners Garner's Gar Gar- ners ner's friends to avoid a knock-down-and-drag- knock out f fight in his home state The new dealers are bearing down strong on this fact They have served notice notice that unless unless unless un un- un- un less a satisfactory compromise is IS offered they will fight to the last ditch Their terms are these They are willing to give Garner a complimentary vote as a favorite favorite favorite fa fa son on candidate but thereafter the Texas delegation must take orders from the new deal deal- ers In other words control of the delegation will wil be in the hands of the liberals and not r. r the old who ran Garner as a stop Roosevelt c candidate in Wisconsin and Illinois S. S The argument of the new dealers is th that t tI I while Awhile in Texas the old guard is boosting Garner Garner Gar Gar- ner only as a favorite son candidate at the S Chicago convention if if they ther are in control of I the they delegation dele delegation they they will revert to form and play ball with other elements elements elements ele ele- ments to fight either Roosevelt or his choice if he decides not to run F- F The new dealers are standing pat for a pro- pro Ro Roosevelt Rosevelt sevelt delegation on ron the ground round that if there ther were were a popular ballot in in Texas such a slate would win hands down S N New v Deal Generalissimo S 1 General Generalissimo of the emb embattled new dealers is is' unknown to the country at large but in Texas h he is widely known as a two-fisted two fighting man and one of the greatest trial lawyers in inthe inthe inthe the state He is Alvin J. J Wirtz of Houston recently made undersecretary of the interior and one of Roosevelt's closest southern political ad Other administration leaders are Mayor Maury Mav Maverick rick of San Antonio Mayor Miller Miller Mil Mu- ler of Houston Mack Taylor of Tarrant county youthful Representative e Lyndon Johnson and Representative Ewing Thomason Distributed by United Feature Syndicate Jt |
