Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-01
SPEAKER ISSUE
NOW MORE ACUTE
Missouri Democratic Victory
Makes Congress Control
Less Certain.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Democratic victory in the election
last Tuesday TO fill A Missouri vacancy
IN Congress has thrown into acute doubt
the question whether the Democrats or
Republicans will have the ma iority and
name the Speaker and otherwise control
the House IN the Congress that meets
December Z. Probably the delicacy of
balance and the fundamental i'm
pOrtance involved in that question will
not be realized by the public until the
outcome is actually at hand
II makes a wide difference whether
the party In power in the White House
is also in control OF the two branches
OF Congress. or whether the situation is
one in which the Republicans continue
control Of the Senate While the Demo-
Gratis step into control OF the House OF
Representatives.
To suggest but a few of the intricate
and weighty consequences, it makes a
difference whether the committees OF
the House. many Of them extremely i'm
pOrtant, are in control Of Republican
chairmen sympathetic to Rdministra-
ton policies or OF Democratic chair
men. AS respects the administration S
opposition to veterans bonus payments
for example. 1t happens to make an
immense difference whether the chair
man of the Veterans Committee. hav-
ing charge of legislation about the
bonus, is a Republican or a Democrat.
Possibilities for Bonus.
II the Republicans control the
House. the chairman OF the Veterans
Committee in Congress will be Royal
Johnson OF South Dakota, who hap
pens 10 be a valiant fighter for moder-
alton in payments to veterans. II the
Democrats win. the chairman will be
John E. Rankin from Mississippi, VINO
happens to be- in the whole Of Con-
EreSs, the most determined and agrees
sive advocate OF large payments to the
veterans. A similar difference exists
in whether a Republican or a Demo-
cratic chairman heads the Ways and
Means Committee which will write the
new tax law, assuming one is made.
The entire situa ton contains a score of
such vital distinctions.
AS of today, following the Democratic
victory in Missouri the two parties in
the House are exactly even. each hav-
ing 2l4. One lone member from
Minnesota is officially designated
FarmerLabor. There are six vacan-
cieS which Will be rilled at special cleo
lions during the coming five weeks. OF
the six members whose deaths created
the vacancies four were Republican and
two Democratic. II would take a robust
Republican optimism to think they will
hold all four seats. II the Republicans
begin with the two parties exactly even
and the Fermentation having super
flcially the deciding vote.
Whole Story Not Told.
Actually. however, these figures do
not tell the whole story The Republi-
cans preceding the sitting OF Congress,
are going to have u controversy among
themselves to choose their candidate for
Speaker
The Eastern States will divide be-
tween two candidates. Tilson of Con-
necticut and Smell OF New York Some
Western Republicans will have at least
one candidate. 1t will be a miracle If
this controversy among the Republicans
does not leave sores that may lead to
OBJECTIONS. For any reason and on any
ground a dozen or more of the Western
ProgreSsiveS will be insurgent about
supporting the regular Republican
nominee The Democrats. on the other
hand, will have no such rift and no
such controversy. 1t is a fixed GER
tainty that their candidate for Speaker
will be John Garner Of Texas, that he
will be nominated with no q bate or
division or opposition in the Demo-
cratic caucus, and that he will have q
hundred per cent support from his
party in the election as against the
Republicans. Looking upon the stua-
ton as whole. there is much juStifica-
ton for the confident claim of acting
Democratic National Chairman Shouse
that his party will organize the House
that meets December Z.
Copyright, 1870