Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
HOOVER ENDS YEAR
OF ACHIEVEMENTS
Republicans to Stand Largely
on His Record in Con-
preSsionaI Races.
CONTINUED From First pagel

agreed generally that this action by
the Executive had much to do with
allaying apprehension and continuation
Of business "as usual"
Had the President not called a special
session of Congress last April, farm re-
lief probably would still be in the max
ing and tariff revision, which now Is
In sight. would be year IN the future.
Final enactment Of the new tariff law
Is expected to aid in stabilizing business
and the reduction made in the Federal
income taxes already has had favor
able reaction on business.
The stock market crash last Fall was
bad break" for the Hoover admins
tration. II vas inevitable because Of
been raised. 1t is political axiom that
when times grow hard, the party in
control Of the Government is likely to
suffer and to lose popularity. There
are signs the stock crash and the re-
Sultant losses to many investors, both
real and on paper, are having their
effect politically. Despite the fact that
business has not slumped greatly, but
even in some instances shows signs of
increasing, there is unemployment in
various section of the country. That,
too, IL having its influence on politics.
Wet and Dry Question Seethes.
Not since national prohibition came
into effect o decade ago has there been
IS much agitation over the wet and dry
question as there is today. President
HooVer-has set his shoulder to the wheel
OF Law enforcement to greater extent
than any other President in these days
Of prohibition The vets have replied
more strenuously than ever that the
law cannot be enforced and should not
be enforced. This agitation over pro-
hibition Is having its effect, too, on the
political situation, particularly IN the
East and North.
The President has had to meet q
determined minority opposition in his
own party in the Senate almost since
the moment Congress met In special
session last Summer The Republican
"inturgentS," coming from States of the
west and Northwest, fought for the So
called debenture plan for farm relief.
They were defeated in the end because
tn House and the President stood
squarely in opposition to the plan.
The Republican insurgents, who had
formed q coalition with the Democrats
Of the Senate on farm relief, continued
this coalition when the tariff bill came
UP. This coalition has run rough shod
over the rates proposed by the major
ity members Of the Senate finance COM
mfttee. It has placed in the tariff bill
the debcnture clause in somewhat modi-
lied shape and has stricken out Of the
bill the so-called flexible provisions Of
the tariff which at present give the
President authority to modify tariff
rates by so per cent, provided the
United States Tariff Commission has
made an investigation and report on
schedules of which there has been COM
plant.
Opposition to Hughes Cited.
The most recent opposition, to the
President on the part of the Repub-
hcan insurgents was the attack on the
nomination of Chief Justice Hughes.
The insurgents found it impossible,
however, to persuade the Democrats to
line up with them so1idly and the nom
tnation Of the Chief Justice was con-
firrned by a to vote.
Notwithstanding the opposition Of
the Republican Progressive bloc in the
Senate, and the amount OF noise which
it has made, the administration 20 far
has received no severe checks. AS .
matter Of fact, the coalition In the
Senate has, in dealing with the tariff.
brought about O situation more favor
able 70 the final enactment Of a
limited revision" such as was adVo-
Gated by the President when he called
the special session Of Congress.
In the end, this bill will have to be
worked out in conference between the
two houses, and It will be much modi-
fed. The probabilities are that the
debentaIre clause will be dropped and
a compromise reached with regard to
the flexible provisions of the law. Many
Of the Senate rates will be accepted,
and the bill, when sent to the Presi-
: dent VIII more nearly meet his ideas
than did the House bill or the bill as
1t vas reported from the Senate finance
committee.
When there Is talk Of the slaps
which the administration has had at
the hands Of Congress it is not amiss
TO measure those reverses with the
reverSeS Of former Presidents Wood
row Wilson was defeated by the Senate
In his effort to have the treaty of
Versailles and the League Of Nations
Covenant ratified. He mad the Vol
stead act passed over his veto.
Coolidge Beaten on Bonus Bin.
President Harding lost out when he
used his influence to put through a
had the soldiers bonus law passed
over his veto. A coalition Of progress
sive Republicans and Democrats, sim
liar TO that now in the Senate but
even more extensive, twice put through
the old McNary-Haugen farm bill
which he vetoed. He nominated Charles
Beecher Warren to be Attorney Gen.
eral, only to have the nomination re-
Jected, and the same treatment was
accorded several other nominations he
sent to the Senate. No reverse COM
parable to. these reverses Of other Pres
tdents so far has happened to Presi-
dent Hoover.
With q congressional election in the
ofnng, every possible political advantage
Is being sought. The Democrats nat
urally are seeking to put the admin
istration in hole whenever it is pos
stble. The Republicans in Congress
must 60 to the country largely on the
accomplishments of the Hoover admin
tstration and of the Congress, although
only year and Q half shall have In
tervened since the beginning Of the
administration. The intra party row.
brought on by the Western Republic
ans in the Senate, and the agitation
over prohibition and unemployment, in
certain sections Of the country, are
likely to have their effect in the cam
peign.
Controlling Party on Defensive.
The frst congressional election, fol-
lowing the entrance Of an administra-
ton into ofhce, almost invariably finds
the party in control on the defensive.
It Is likely to bring q swing back of
the political pendulum. For example,
in December, 1925, after the trium-
phant election of former President
Coolidge, the political make up of the
Senate was IS Republicans, 80 Demo-
carts and Farmer-Labor. But two
years later, when Congress met after
the 1926 elections, the make up of the
Senate was 48 Republicans, Al Demo-
carts and / Farmer-Labor, showing q
tremendous swing back.
In 1879 before the Araf Alanfinla