Evening star., 1925-03-04
Politics at Large
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.


for President and chose Republican
majority In the House and Senate
substantially larger 1han in the Con-
gress just closing.
AS it happens, Mr.. Coolidge was al
ready In the White House, and has
been right along. But had he not
been President at the time of his
election the American people would
have been waiting third of a year
for the Chief Executive they elected.
And as 1t happens, they have been
waiting for the new legislative body
they elected. while the old Congress
struggled futileiy. utterly unable to
translate into legislation the pledges
made to the people during the CAM
paign.
But today the Republican admin
istration and the Republican Con-
gress take command. Mr.. Coolidge, II
appears, has decided that Congress
can wait until the next regular ses-
sion in December OF this year before
tackiing the legislative program. This
notwithstanding the failure of the
farm legislation program. Senator
Berab of Idaho. Republican, has
warned the leaders OF his party that
this Is a mistake. He has urged that
a special session be called-urged in
season and out-ever since he re-
turned to Washington after the cam
paignsi st fall. But with the price OF
wheat reaching the 81 mark and how
ering round that point there has been
lessening of demand for agricul-
tural legislation. Senators and MEM
bers of the House from agricultural
States frankly say that their mail,
which year ago contained scores
and hundreds of letters from farmers
asking that something be done to
help them, contains very few such
letters now. But Mr.. Borah takes the
view that high prices are likely te
fall with a dull sickening thud next
Summer and Fall IL the wheat crops
in Canada and Russia and the Ar
gentine are good crops and the pro-
duction of grain in this country is not
curtailed. Then he says, what will
the voters say?
x y < n
On the other hand, the administra-
tion has set it's face firmly against
price fixing legislation for the aid OF
the farmer, and has based its hopes
on cooperative marketing measures,
certain improvements In credit legis-
lation, and more education regarding
diversifcation of crops. The new
Secretary of Agriculture. William II.
Jardine of Kansas, the first cabinet
officer that the Sunfiower State has,
is at one with the President in his
opposition to any legislation that
savors of price fixing, including the
McNary- -Haugen bill, in its original
or even in it's modified form.
But Senators from the agricultural
West are predicting now that a
change will come by the time the
next session of Congress has rolled
around. They say that the big CO.
operatives have shown clearly dur
ing the session of Congress just
closed that they are opposed to Gov
ernment regulation of co-operatives,
as proposed in the Capper Haugen
bill, that, in fact, they are unable to
the case, the only thing which re-
mains is a return to the proposal of
a Government expert corporation, to
handle the surplus crops of the
American farmers, and to see that the
price of their products is kept up.
Hx x y
The Democrats, from a political
angle, are not anxious that their Re-
publican opponents should solve the
farm blem-not now. They are
hoping to make a strong come back
two years hence when a new House
must be elected and one-third of the
Senate. It's their job to dig up some
issues with which to go to the peo-
pie. John w. Davis, the Democrats
standard bearer during the last CAM
paign, was In Washington this week,
talking politics ami appearing before
the Supreme Court Mr.. Davis is en-
phatic in his Recommendation that tn e
Democrats get down to business and
build up credit with the people. Is
sues will come, and the Democrats,
he says, should put themselves in. a
position to make the most of them.
Iractd dentally Mr.; Davis has done what
National Chairman Clem Shaver .un-
dertook to do for him--dec1ared him.
self outside of any consideration for
the nomination IN 1928. Mr.. Davis
considers; that talk ef candidates at
this stage of the game is Idle.
:. How ever, ii may be borne in mind
by some Of. the Democrats. that the
failure to unite ON strong candidate
fort the nonnination conpar lively
early In the day caused great trouble
for the party last July An New York,
and resulted in a slaughter in No
vember.
Among the Senators who go out of
ONCE today is Senator David 1. Walsh
of Massachusetts. Democrat, who
went down to defeat before Speaker
campaign. Senator Walsh Is making
no statements at this time as to
what his future course shall be other
than that he intends to practice law.
But his friends are not so silent.
They recall that twice he was elected
Governor of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and that he was
elected Senator against Secretary
Weeks six years ago. Chairman
William NJ. Butler of the Republican
national committee is serving in place
of the late Senator Lodge, under
appointment by the Republican gov
however, In November, 1925, to fiil
the seat now occupied by Mr.. Butler.
That, his friends say, will be. the
occasion of Mr.. Walsh's re-entry into
the political arena
y = x
I Senator Butler Is in. He is chair
man of the Republican national COM
mittoei n place of great power. He
Is going to be in the Senate for an
other Ii months before the election
corhes off. Massachusetts, is ordi-
narilyta a strongly Republican State
when IT comes to the election of
United States Senators. These are
matters ; to be considered.
{ Senator Butler. it may be expected,
VIII become more and more a power
an fthe Senate. During the session
just closed no has made comparatively
little ssplAsh4-certainly in the open.
But there Ia nossecE4t about the fact
that he, has strongly backed the
President irk his efforts to, have the
Senate confirm, hrst. the, nomination
of Harlan Ffske Stone as associate
justice of the Supreme Court, and
later, Charles B. Warren OF Michigan
as Attorney General. Mr.. Butler will
lead the fight in the Senate over the
Warren nomination in the special
session of the Senate just opening.
The chairman Of the Republican ma
tional committee is q forceful man.