Thomas v. McCooey

Though the Constitution requires a candidate for Congress to reside only within the State to be represented, political custom requires him also to live within his Congressional district. Last week Norman Mattoon Thomas, 1928 Socialist Nominee for President, 1929 Socialist Nominee for Mayor of New York, shocked orthodox politicians when he, a resident of Manhattan, accepted the Socialist nomination for the House from the 6th New York Congressional district in Brooklyn.

Said Socialist Nominee Thomas of the 6th District: "It represents a cross-section of Greater New York. Yet it represents in Congress one man--John McCooey, politically the owner of Brooklyn. He gave to Brooklyn ex-Judge Vause [see p. 19], he names all candidates." Among McCooey's puppets, said Socialist Thomas, is the Democratic incumbent, Congressman Andrew Lawrence Somers, onetime (1925) "baby member" of the House. Political observers guessed that high-minded Socialist Thomas, backed by the League for Independent Political Action of which famed Philosopher John Dewey is chairman, had chosen the 6th District less in hopes of winning a seat in Congress than of making life uncomfortable for "Owner" McCooey.

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