Evening star., 1931-12-06
BY WILLIAM HARD.

"The Democratic party will commit a
fatal error II it now proceeds to try to
make q record and write platform
satisfactory to the big business people,
who, in any case will support the ticket
of our Republican opponents in the
next presidential election"
Such was the further contribution
made the other day by Senator Burton
X. Wheeler of Montana to the principal
question now perplexing the Democratic
party on the eve Of the reconvening of
Congress.
The Democrats, controlling the House
of Representatives and nearly con-
trolling the Senate, are concerned to-
day with three successive steps in the
development Of their ambition to COM
plete their control of the Senate and to
capture the White House and to possess
the whole Government The first Of
these steps is legislative record to be
achieved during the coming Congress.
The second Is a legislative record to be
promised In the national party plat
form of next June. The third--and
only the thirds the naming Of pres
idential candidate.
1t is conceded that If the legisla-
tive achievements and legislative pledges
of the Democratic party are not such
as to command the confidence OF the
country, the Democratic presidential
candidate will enter the race against
Mr.. Hoover severely handicapped.
Legislatively, thereupon, the alter
natives now ardently discussed among
Democrats in Washington are:
Shall we take progressive plunge?
Or shall we watch our step?
X 4 X
The advocates of step watching
contend that in times of economic ad-
versity the common man" is inter-
, ested principally in getting back his job
and Is therefore dominantly inclined to
| follow the gentlemen who are thought
| to be able to do most in the matter of
| Jobs; namely, the leaders OF business,
The Democratic party, accordingly
should give no offense to the leaders OF
| business. On the contrary, 1t should
operate In harmony with them for the
revival of prosperity on q business basis.
Such Is the argument, in general way,
Of the right wing" of the Democratic
party in the National Capital,
This argument Is known to be given
large weight in the Democratic National
| Committee party headquarters. 1t re-
ceives instructive sympathy from Mr..
John j. Raskob. chairman. It appeals
with considerable force to Mr. Jouett
Shouse, executive manager. The at
tacks made by the committee upon the
present tariff law are not at all nec-
essarily indicative Of any anti-big -busi-
4 ness point OF view. Great segments OF
big business-psrticularly In financial
New York-are vigorously opposed to the
present tariff law and are moving
toward belief in virtual free trade.
** +
The test comes not on the tariff, but
chiefly on (a) taxation and (b) "the
Government in business"
On these points 1t seems inevitable
that the Democrats in the Congress will
make q record at wide variance from
! the wishes of most big-business leaders
The reason lies partly In the prospective
behavior Of certain minority within
the Republican party in each Of the two
houses Of the Congress
| n X II
| In each house the supreme Demo-
| cratic command is quite fairly mod
| crate" In the House of Representatives
Mr.. Garner, the coming Democratic
| Speaker, and Mr.. Rainey, the coming
l
| age critics of the Republican apples in
the national cart, but, while squeezing
the apples, they are not likely to be
found really upsetting the cart. 1t hap
pens however, that in the House of
Representatives there are some 40 or so
! Republicans who conceive themselves
bound to be extremely "anti-Hoover'' In
order to get reelected in November OF
next year. These Republicans. In coll-
bination with the mass Of the rank and
| file Democrats In the House will be able
| any time to enact so-called radical
! legislation, for which the Democratic
I party will be accounted mainly re-
! sponsible.
The same situation exists even more
/ obviously in the Senate. Senator Rob-
inson of Arkansas has already Ylmously
! warned his party against "raoicalism
| in taxation, but combination of the
mass of his rank-and-file Democratic
colleagues in the Senate with the pro
gressive" Republicans in the Senate will
almost indubitably produce taxation
legislation thought extremely radical by
the possessors of large fortunes.
y x 4
| Moreover, in any competition with
the average regular Republican states.
man for the esteem of the poSsessors OF
such fortunes, Mr.. Robinson will try in
vain, and Mr.. Garner and Mr.. Rainey
will not even try.
There should seem in truth to be moi
the slightest doubt that the Democratic
legislative record, when ultimately com.
| pleted next year, will seem to the lead
ers OF big business to be quite more
radical than the Hoover record.
! Democratic Senators, like Mr.. wheeler
| OF Montana, thereupon maintain that
the Democratic party should not accept
its manifest destiny irresolutely anr
apologetically, but should boldly anf
convincingly announce itself as The
party OF revolt against big business
domination" -''N
| Mr.. Wheeler conversed with th;,
writer as follows:
"NeYer mind fnr a ,,,n.,nnn4 L.. .-.