Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
BY MARK SULLIVAN.


TN the Lower House on the opening
day of the present session the
Republicans nominated Nicholas
i Longworth of Ohio for Speaker:
the Democrats nominated John M.
Sa-np. Of Texas Longworth. of course,
was elected and became Speaker; Gar
ner, by virtue of receiving the unani-
sSous vote of the Democrats for
Speaker, became leader of that party.
In accord with the customary formula
of courtesy, Garner presented the sue
sessful Longworth to the House, saying,
among other things:
He lLongworthl is beloved by the
entire membership of the House, re-
CARELESS Of party affiliation"
Iongworth thereupon made speech
Gan excellent speech, by the way,
charged through and through with
common sense). Among other things.
Longworth spoke Of his defeated oppo-
Nent. Garner of Texas, the Democratic
eader. saying:
THE gentleman from Texas lGar-
nerl and I entered Congress together
rs years ago." During all these
years our friendship has been continu-
o,Gsly abiding, and our affection, es-
sasem and respect the one for the other
D. and has been, am proud TO say,
mutual"
re said there ought to be "a modifica-
ton of certain tariff rates, as few in
number as possible" Having put him.
self on record in favor of keeping the
tariff changes down to very milo
basis, he turned to the relation OF
the Democrats to the proposed tariff
changes. saving: THE line of cleav-
age between the two great political
parties would seem to have crumbled
In the last few years almost to ques-
lions of detail. l apprehend that I'M
der the leadership of the gentleman
from Texas we will hear resoundlng
from his party no clarion call that the
American consumer" etc.
X X *x
Now all that was as free from guile
as ANYTHING could possibly be. Mr..
Iongworth was speaking as sincerely
and simply as. man remarking that
the weather is fine. All that he said
was we'll known by every member OF
Congress to be true. Mr.. LongWortn
and the Democratic leader, Garner OF
Texas. are intimate friends. ana IL Is
q fact that the Democrats came close
to the Republican point OF view about
the tariff in their platform last year
and in the campaign utteranceS OF
their presidential candidate, Gov. Smith.
What Speaker Longworth did was as
unargumentative and as unpohtlcal as
a remark about the lateneSs OF the
Spring. Nevertheless 1t had an enecI.
The effect was put in words few DAYS
later by Frank r. Kent, OF the Demo-
cratic Baltimore Sun:
Speaker Longworth split the minor
ity, split it without intending 10 spllI
1t, split it in a way for which ne can
not be blamed, split it when 1t wasn't
looking. started diSsensionS In the
Democratic ranks, caused one Demo
cratic leader to sling brick at anotner,
practically removed any chance OF ef1ec-
tive opposition to his House machine.
It was the simplest thing in
the world. He split the Democrats by
merely being sincere. All Mr.. Long
worth did was to state the obvious TACT,
proved up to the hilt in the last cam
paign by both Democratic candidate
and platform. that. in the matter OF tne |
tariff, the two parties differ now only
in detail. Therefore. he sought to Sc
cure more equitable taxation. To this
end there should not be much dlt11culty
in getting together on a bill this time.
He followed this perfectly sincere re-
mark by touching tribute to the Hon.
Jack Garner. Democratic leader. speak
ing of their long and intimate acquaint-
ance the deep affection between them. |
the high value he placed on the Garner
friendshin It was from the |
heart out. Yet had there been sinister |
purpose back of every word, they could |
not have been more Democraacally
devastating"
The following day another Democrat !
SPOKE I'D, Cordel Hull of Tennessee.
His remarks were obviously inspired by
what Speaker Longworth had said. by
the intimacy between Republican
r -
Leader Garner. and by Speaker Long
worth's assumption that the Democrats
would "go along with" the Republicans;
or. at the least, put no formidable OBJ
stacle in the path of the Republican
program on the tariff. If Representa-
tive Hull's words seem strong, that Is
due to the seriousness With which the
Situation is taken by him and such
Democrats as believe with him. Repre-
sentative Hull is a most mild-mannered
man. a gentleman and scholar In the
liberal sense, and not at all In the
ornate sense. His knowledge of the
tariff is not exceeded by that OF fve
other men in both branches of Con-
Etess Representative Hull is. in short.
as far as possible from mere HEAVIER
OF partisan bricks. In his comment on
Speaker Longworth'S address he said:
THE most amazing thing in our po-
fttical annals is now tranSpiring, and
that is the attempt Of the ultra stand
pat and embargo tariff forces in this
country to unity the two leading politi- |
cal parties behind a fixed and perma-
nent policy of super-protectton and
narrow nationalism. Speaker Long |
worth possesses Pickwickian rather than
Machiavelian traits. He bordered on
the Machiavellian in cunning, however, |
when on yesterday, with the boldeSt
impudence, he practically assumed to
speak for both political parties with
respect to existing prohibitive tariffs
and to proclaim their complete unfit
cation. I assure the Speaker that this
undertaking is not so simple as that.
denounce and challenge this
proposed course as an outrageous libel
on the great historic Democratic party
and on sound economics. admit that,
as always, there are some Democrats
who are undertaking to effect arrange
nents for the unconditional surrender
of the Democratic party to the forces
of high tariff greed and privilege, and
they may think that such surrender Is
now assured I predict, however, that
in this they will find themselves as
badly mistaken as was Benedict Arnold
when he felt cocksure that ne had
arranged for the certain surrender OF
West Point. I prefer to hold
fast to the tested economic wisdom and
philosophy of Jefferson, Jackson, Tllden,
Cleveland and Wilson than TO follow
supinely those who would now make
the great Democratic party subservient
to the most corrupt partnership be-
tween politics and vested interests in
American history"
Now, all that constitutes Gas respects
the Lower House, where the tariff bill