Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-12
The Political Mill
BY C. Could Lincoln.

The Democrats in Congress viii have
TO make up their minds by December
whether they are going through with
the legislative program which Is ex-
pected to come out Of the Progressive
Conference meeting here now. Out.
standing In this program probably viii
be the debenture plan of farm relief,
Government operation Of the Muscle
Shoals water power and fertilizer
| plants and revision of the tariff In
many particulars. The ProgresSives viii
hold the balance of power In both
houses of the next Congress. If the
Democrats throw in their lot with them
, they can send bills to President Hoover
for his approval or disapproval dealing
with many OF the subjects which the
ProgressiyeS place In their program.
4 n II
With q general election hanging over
them, the Democratic leaders are likely
| to give considerable thought TO these
Progressive proposals before they COM
nit themselves to them. What they
| do In the Congress will be material
| for the campaign, either to be used TO
their advantage or against them. It
seems almost impossible that President
Hoover viii escape having q farm de-
benture bill sent to him by the next
Congress, however. The Democrats In
proposal when the farm bill was up for
| consideration almost to a man. Even
| Senator Copeland of New York, ad-
| hitting that he held his nose" while
ne was doing so, voted for the de-
benture.
In the last Congress the oVerwheIn-
| ing Republican majority in the House
was able to stave of not only the de-
benture, but other proposals advocated
| by the ProgreSSiveS and opposed by the
| administration. The Democrats in that
| Congress could with comparative little
danger to themselves get behind these
proposals of the Progressives, If for no
other reason than to annoy the admin
istration. They knew that these pro-
/ posalS would not become law, and that
in the main they would never reach the
President because of the opposition of
the House Republicans. But when the
new Congress meets next December
there wiz be a very different situation
to face. If the Democrats line up for
the progressive measures, not only will
| they go through Congress and to the
President, but there is the chance that
some Of them may pass over a presi-
| dental veto. just how far the Demo-
cratic party Is willing to become an adj
Junct OF the Progressive group remains
| TO be seen. The Democratic leaders will
| have to determine, too, whether the
| passage of Progressive measures will
| make them solid or the reverse with the
majority OF the voters IN many Of the
States.
The Progressive Conference, called by
group of five Progressive Senators
headed by Norris of Nebraska, is laying
its plans for keeping their program be-
fore the pubic and laying them cleverly.
The leaders of the conference keep right
on denying that they are seeking to
form a political party, a new party
But that does not mean that the Pro-
gressives are not playing politics. They
are bent on having their influence In
the national conventions of both the
Republicans and the Democrats next
year. There is always the threat, too
that If the Republicans go ahead and
nominate President Hoover again and
adopt platform in conformity TO his
views on economic and political issues
which are one and the same thing in
this country-the Republican Progress
sives will bolt to the Democratic stand
ard. Senator Norris gave an example
in 1928 of what may be expected. If
the Democrats put forward candidate
whom Norris considers progressive to
oppose Mr.. Hoover, what more natural
than that he should jump the fence
again, Notwithstanding his reelection
as a Republican? Gov. Roosevelt. OF
admired by Senator Norris for his stand
on the water-power problem.
. Il -
Just what the Progressive Repub-
Hcans viii do in the event President
Hoover is faced by q more conseRya-
tive Democrat in the presidential race
no one can say definitely today. They
are disclaiming vigorously any sugges-
ton that a new liberal political party
be formed. At the meeting of the
Progressive Conference here yesterday
afternoon Senator Bofah Of idaho, in
his eloquent appeal for the 90 per cent
Of the people In this country who do
not own 30 per cent Of the wealth Of
there would be a political party which
would worry about the So per cent
more than they worry about the per
cent" who own so much. He added that
If not a political party, then political
voices" 1t looks at present as though
the ProgresSives were going to provide
the voices" Certainly it is a proper
function for the ProgressiVes and for
any political party, also.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor of
rev YORK ana widely considered a
likely nominee of the Democrats for
President, Is making his bid for Pro-
gressive support. Although he did not
come to Washington for the Progressive
Conference, he sent most sympathetic
telegram, explaining that he had the
New York Legislature on his hands
and, therefore, could not be present.
This was the same excuse that Gov.
La Toilette of Wisconsin and the Gov
ernors of three other States gave for
not being present, so 1t would be Diff
cult to charge that Roosevelt was
"ducking" too close a connection with
the Progressives because of his desire
for general support among the Demo-
Gratis. Incidentally he took occasion
to call the attention of the conference
to his own position in regard to water
power, which the PTugreSsiyes are
stressing as major issue in the COM
ing campaign.
1t was learned today that Charles A.
Russell, who was solicitor of the old
Federal Power Commission, but who
was not re-employed by the new COM
mission, has been summoned to Albany,
presumably to do some work for Coy.
Roosevelt in regard to the power cues
ton. RuSsell's failure to be re-employed
reused the ProgressiveS In the Senate to
fever heat. 1t brought about a de-
mand for the reconsideration OF the
vote of the Senate by which DR.. George
Otis Smith, new chairman of the Fed
eral Power Commission, was confirmed.