Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23

them have been in the Senate a lonI
time, have very good committee seat.
and chairmanships. Progressive Re.
publican Borah of Idaho, for example
having been in the Senate for 2:
years, has come to be chairman (wher
the Republicans are In power) of on,
of the two most important Senate
Committees, the one on Foreign Rela.
tions. When and If the Democrats or.
ganize the Senate, that chairmanshir
will go to Democrat Claude Swanson
| of Virginia. Insurgent Republican
George w. Norris of Nebraska has come
to be chairman of the powerful Com.
mittee on Judiciary, which passes upon
the qualifications Of appointees selected
by the President for federal judgeships
| When and If the Democrats organize
the Senate, that craftsmanship will be
| taken by them for Democrat Lee S
Overman of North Carolina.
The Progressive Republicans, In
short stand to lose much of their
power, much that makes their expert
ence in the Senate agreeable, when and
If the Democrats organize the Senate
Democrats Stand Alone.
From this follows one Of several Gu
provide the politics of the year to come
and which the public will need to
watch closely II 1t is to understand.
OF all those who do not desire the
Democrats to organize the Senate of
all who hope the Republicans will or
ganize it, the one group holding that
hope most strongly is the Progressive
Republicans. Practically every news
paper reader knows that the Progress
sive Republicans, in matters of legis-
lation, and In the Senate generally,
have as a rule been helping the Demo-
Gratis. From that the reader has in
ferred that the conditions most ar
IDENTIFY desired by the Progressive Re-
publicans was Democratic victory. But
the fact is the InSurgent Republicans
do not desire Democratic victory-if
Democratic victory reaches the point
of actual control. Most emphatically
the Progressive Republicans do not
want OF see the Democrats organize
Congress. The Insurgent Republicans,
indeed. it is safe to say, are In state
close to sweating blood In their secret
hearts lest the Democrats organize
Congress. OF all who will hope that
Democratic deaths will be In larger
quantity than Republican deaths, the
Insurgent Republicans are the ones
who will hold that hope most steadily.
Must Plan Ahead.
The next and even stranger paradox
Is that the Democrats do not really
want to organize Congress. One can
not say this of all Democrats: there
are exceptions. But it Is perfectly safe
to say that, speaking broadly, the Dem
Qcrats do not desire to organize Con-
kress.
Probably the Democratic state of
mind can be stated more exactly. It is
necessary for the reader to grasp it
accurately II he Is to understand the
politics of the coming two years. The
Democrats are pleased by the results
Of the election, looking upon those
results as symbol. They are pleased
at having the credit and the psyche
logical advantage of having made great
gains against the Republicans. They
are pleased, for the present, when those
gains are described in newspaper head
lines as "a majority" They will con-
tinue to be pleased during the year to
come when newspaper headlines from
time to time will say that the decision
Of contested election, or the death of
Senator, assures a Democratic ma
tority. But beneath this pleasure, and
growing stronger all the time, will be
sense OF uneasy apprehension.
Hopes Center ON 1882.
If We inquire the reason why the
Democrats do not want a true majority
and do not want to organize Congress,
we shall find the beginning of the
answer In some words from Frank Kent
in the Democratic Baltimore Sun: THE
fact is that the Democrats, having
achieved great success at the recent
election, are naturally looking toward
the next with the hope of capturing
the Presidency; from now on every
move the party managers make will be
with that idea in view"
And from the point of view of win
ming the Presidential election of 1882,
1t Is not beneficial to the Democrats to
organize Congress, to have control of
Congress, to have-here we introduce a
different and portentous word-respon-
sibility for what Congress does.
II the Democrats have power to or
ganize Congress. then. as soon as they
exercise their power and effect organi-
zation-at that moment the agreeable
word power" Is displaced by the less
agreeable word responsibility" The
Democrats, in their present state of
mind, would like to have their cake and
in the closet and not eat 1t for two
years. They like to have, as they do
have, the prestige of having won control
or near-control of Congress. Having
received that benefit and pleasure, they
would much prefer to postpone making
use of their control until after, as they
hope, they shall have elected a Presi-
dent in 1882 and have control over all
the branches of the Government.
Game Is Complicated.
For the next year the public will see
what seems to be desperate effort by
the Democrats to take each point in the
game, to win each contested election,
or to name each successor to a de-
ceased Senator. Up to a certain point
that picture will be accurate enough.
But along with that, and less obvious to
the public, will go game in which the
essential art lies not In taking the
cards but in forcing undesired cards
upon your adversary.
To understand why it is less desirable
to the Democrats to organize Congress,
consider the Affirmative. II the Repub-
licans organize Congress, then the Re-
publicanS are responsible. To a degree
President Hoover, as head of the party,
will be responsible. In that situation
the Democrats will be extremely COM
Portable They will have, of their own
Democrats, within one or two of ma
jority. In addition they will have, for
the purpose OF passing or defeating leg
islation, the aid of the Progressive Re-
publicans. The two groups combined
will be clear majority, and will be able
to thwart the Republicans without limit
The Republicans will have the respon-
sibility in the eyes of the public: the
Democrats with their Insurgent Repub-
lican allies will have the real majority
and the real power. That picture, with
the Republicans In nominal control of
Congress, is far more attractive to
Democratic leaders who understand po-
litical tactic&
Common Interest Seen.
This philosophy, this natural desire
and shrewd strategy was expressed two
days after the election by q wise and
experienced Democratic member of the
| House who was uilufad hv a I1euSra-