Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-12
Politics at Large
By C.. Could Lincoln.

The President and the Senate have
split vehemently over the farm relief
bill. An appreciate number OF his own
party in the Senate have refused to
play ball and have combined with the
Democrats in support of debenture and
in opposition to the President. Unless
all signs fall the President Is going to
win in the end his fight for the admin
istration farm bill. To that extent the
row in the Senate will increase the
Presidents prestige in the country and
lower that of the Senate. The serious
ness of the situation, however, arises
because of the fact that, having once
been lead into a coalition against the
administration, these Republican Sen
ators, some IA in number, may be found
lined UP against the President on other
measures which come before the Senate
for consideration. The first step of the
reservation is usually the hardest.
y y r
Mr. Hoover in a statement issued last
night after the Senate turned down
the conference report on the farm bill
did not mince words In criticizing the
Senate. There was no vituperation in
his statement such as has been directed
at the President by supporters of the
debenture in the Senate. But it was
straight to the point. He charged the
Senate with delaying farm relief legis-
lation needed by the American farmer
and with interfering into the discus
sion of the farm bill the so-called de-
benture clause which he said was not
discussed at all during the campaign.
The appeal made by the President is
to the country, over the heads of the
members of the Senate. 1t has been
known to some of the Republican lead
erS that the President was prepared to
go to the country on the farm relief
issue, and it. is quite clear from his
statement that he will not hesitate TO
do so If the matter Is longer delayed
From a political point of view, the
delay caused by the Senate in putting
gram is not likely to enhance the po-
litical prestige of members from the
farm States. The man in the street
or on the farm is more likely to figure
on results than on hypothetical argu-
ments, judging from the political his
tory of the past. Republican Senators
from the Northwest and from the Middle
West say they have had very few COM
munications regarding the debenture
clause, indicating in their minds that
the farmers are not worked up over
that issue at all.
, X r -
Opponents of the administration are
taking satisfaction over the break which
has come between Mr.. Hoover and wing
of the Republicans in the Senate. They
foresee greater trouble for him in the
future. They shake their heads fore
bodingly over the tariff bill and other
measures that are to come. The House,
with its overwhelming Republican ma
jority, has stuck close to its party al
legiance and promises to continue to do
so, although that body, too, has gone
considerably beyond the limited re-
vision" of the tariff advocated by the
President. It is pretty early in the adj
ministration to say with certainty how
the President and the Congress will
stand and how successful the President
will be in obtaining the fulhllment of
the campaign pledges through legisla-
the administration farm relief bill Is
likely to become a law-unless the
coalition leaders determine that even II
| the House turns down debenture di-
rectly, they will continue to hold UP
that measure. 1t is doubtful, however
that these coalition leaders will be able
| to hold their forces in line in such
event.
The Democrats have staged a get-to-
gether dinner six months after their de-
1
, part to disastrous split in the party
ranks. The dinner, which was given
| in honor of Jouett Shouse, the newly
! appointed chairman of the Democratic
executive committee and in charge OF
the national headquarters here In
Washington. was more successful than
even its originators hoped it would be
There was a spirit of restraint mani
tested in the speeches which promises
] k1x, a,,4ry ia
| particular good for the Republicans
Apparently the Democrats have de-
termined to bend their energies toward
more comprehensive organization and
less toward personal political aninosi-
ties. If they carry out such a program
they are likely to meet with consider
ably more success than they have in
the last decade.
whats in name?" Senator Over
man, veteran statesman from North
Carolina and ceurtly Southern gen.
tleman, caused no little 'merriment al
the Democratic dinner when in the
midst of complimentary allusion tc
the guest Of honor he failed to re-
member the first name of the chair
man Of the executive committee -
Jouett. "Jouett" is an unusual name
! it is true, but it is likely to be better
known to the Democrats of the coun-
| try in the near future than it has been
in the past, although Mr.. Shouse has
played a prominent part in politics fol
, a number of years and served first as
a member of Congress from Kansas
and then as Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury in the Wilson administration
| X y
The Democrats are about to get out
of debt-which it must be admitted is
unusual for the party, due to the man
ner in which it has been run in the
past. But the present management Is
| not only planning to wipe out the def
icit coming over from the last cam
paign, but also to set up a war fund
of $250,000 to be used in carrying on
national organization during the next
two or three years. They have pre-
vailed upon Charles Nicholson, veteran
| Washington correspondent of the New
| York World and one of the most widely
known newspaper men in the country,
to take charge of their publicity divi-
sion. The indications are that the
Democrats are looking to the future
with more hope than they have had
| for some years.
X Il *
Next Monday the fifth Minnesota
congressional district will elect a sue
cessor to Representative Walter Newton,
who is resigning to fill one of the
secretarial offices at the White House,
The primary, held only two days ago,
nominated Lieut.. Gov. w. I. Nolan on
the Republican ticket, Einar Hoidale,
an attorney, on the Democratic ticket,
| and Ernest Lundeen, former member
of Congress. on the Farmer-Labor ticket.
Lundeen was elected to the House in
1916 as Republican, but was succeeded
two years later by Mr.. Newton. The
race for the Republican nomination was
| very close, with three candidates in
the field. Arch Coleman, former post
master of Minneapolis, was regarded as
| the Newton candidate. The returns in
dicafo ia lost IN the lio1Itap yot oya,.,oc,.