Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16

Now this Ii exactly what th@
shrewder Democratic leaders desire 70
have IN both the Senate and the House.
Fromsnow on the game win be played
with en- eye solely on the presidential
election of 1882. II In Congress there
Is nominal Republican majority, then
the Republicans are responsible In the
eyes of the public for what Is done.
President Hoover as tltular Republican
leader Is responsible. At the same time
the coalition OF Democrats and In.
surgent Republicans can prevent presi-
dent Hoover and the regular Republic
ans from doing what they may want
them with the public.
In short, with a small nominal Re-
publican majority, President Hoover
and the regular Republicans viii have
responsibility in the eyes Of the public
but they viii not have the power
to live up to that responsibility as they
might wish to. That this condition viii
make for disadvantage to President
Hoover and the Republicans. and for
advantage to the Democrats, goes With
out saying. 1t has already been proved,
In the Senate during the past year.
On the other hand. II there Is q
Democratic majority, President Hoover
and the Republicans are relieved Of re-
sponsibility. They can be judged by
the positions they take, and they win
be free TO take the positions they think
good for the country and useful to
them as party men. The picture before
the country would be that of Repub-
lican President attempting laudable
deeds, but handicapped and ham,
strung by q Democratic Congress.
Cleveland ProHted.
There is often much advantage In q
Republican President having q hostile
Democratic Congress or vice versa.
President Cleveland profted much in
personal fame by having hostile Con-
gresS. Much Of Gov. Smiths fame
as Democratic Governor Of New York
came from the picture of himself pro.
posing altruistic legislation but being
defeated by Republican Legislature.
II Smith as Governor of New York had
been obliged to accept responsibility
for what Democratic Legislature
would have done-in that event. Gov
ernor smith might never have emerged
into national approval sufficient to
make him presidential nominee.
Another reason why these Demo-
cratic leaders do not want their party
TO have majority Is that they ere
fearful OF some things the Democrats
in Congress might do. Leaders OUT
side Of Congress, such as Chairman
Raskob, looking ahead to the presi-
Dental election in 1892, want TO give
conservative party. II the Democrats
controlled Congress, some Of them
might attempt things which the euszne
try might not regard as sedate 1na
conservative. The Democrats have d.
vested themselves of Aeain: but his
role as man who does what he feels
like doing ct the time he fsels LIE
the entry Of Huey Long OF Louisiana,
tacular qualities Of Tom Helm and
Cole Blease.
"Thank Heaven for Hoover"
Democratic leaders, the shrewder
ones, and those not dominated by im-
mediate self-intereGt, do not prefer to
have the Democrats charged with re-
sponsibility for what Congress does--
with President Hoover completely re-
Democrats were in control, some Of
them might attempt things the public
as q whole would not approve. The
picture before the country might be
one of the Democratic Congress at
tempting undesirable actions-aHld Re-
publican President Hoover vetoing
them. The country, by 1882, might be
oMyAtB- A4kA4lA 1lCANCAA III 1400N&As
And that Is decidedly what the DEM
ocrats do not want the country to be
saying when the presidential election
year comes around.
Even the best and shrewdest of Dem-
ocrats will make mistakes. II the party
had majority and were responsible for
Congress, imprudent individual DEM
ocrats might do things which would
stick out in the news, to the great caa-
hn Yr 0f ffa &c q vvf40Ia
Already prospective Democratic Speak
er Garner has said some things which,
one feels sure, must have caused pain to
Chairman Raskob and the other national
leaders whose greatest present desire Is
that the Democrats should be very, very
good, and very decorous, and very sedate,
and very non-committal. MIR. Garner,
interviewed at his home in Uvalde, Tex,
said there should be tariff on oil.
Now, oil Is substance which in nsdt-
cine eases pain, but in politics causes
pain. The question of tariff on oil has
already nearly split the Democratic
party in two. 1t Is fair guess that
that interview by prospective Speaker
Garner may have given acute pain to
Chairman Raskob and to working Chair
man Shouse. It is quite possible an
urgent message may have flown over the
wires from New York or Washington to
Speaker to practice silence and great
discretion.
PrOgressives Want Majority.
The sum of this is that the Demo-
Gratis, looking toward the presidential
comfortable If they did not have Respon-
sibility, If they did not have q majority,
and IL they were able, as they would be,
to harass the Republican majority by
the coalition of themselves and the In
surgent Republicans If Mr.. RaslIob or
Mr.. Shouse could humanity remove one
or two Democratic Senator'S and Repre-
tics, they would be likely to perform
that decapitation, and thus transfer the
majority status to the Republicans
OF all the groups in all the parties.
the one that most passionately desires
o Republican majority is, paradoxical1y,
the Progressive Republicans. Having
been Republican all along, they are
now the most earnest for q Republican
majority. The obvious reason is tha&
II the Democrats have a majority they
VIII promptly cast into outer darkness
those Progressive Republicans who now
hold desirable committee chairmanships.
A Democratic majority would promptly
eject Progressive Republican Senator
Borah from Craftsmanship Of the For
eign Relations COMMITTEES and give the
post to Democrat Claude Swanson Of
Virginia. They would eject insllraent
Republican Norris from the desirabSa
and very powerful Craftsmanship Of the
Judiciary Committee and give the post
to Democrat Overman Of North Caro-
lima. OF all the groups, the insurnenk
Republicans compose the one to which
From all Of which 1t follows that the
public watching the moves Of the sannk