Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-16
PROGRESSIVES BID
FOR PARTY FAvORS
Democrats Considered Likely
to Offer Most for Votes
in Congress.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

BlSJ u ldSb WEEK pOllUlC1l events
reduces itself to the influence which
the Progressives design to exert upon
the two great parties. The key as re-
Spects legislation lies in the makeup of
the next Congress. The Congress will
be made up of an almost exactly equal
number of Democrats and of Repub-
hcans in the House and in the Senate
Such evenneSs of division existing in
both the chambers is Unprecedented, so
far as off-hand memory can recall, and
is vital in the opportunity it offers to
the ProgressiveS.
Overlapping the two parties and made
up OF a fringe of each is the Progressive
group. Merely to state this condition
is to suggest its influence. The Pro-
gressives, by swinging their strength
one way or the other, can determine
whether the Republicans or the Demo-
Gratis shall prevail. They can deter
mine the outcome of any roll call upon
which there is a normal lining up of the
two great parties. To put 1t another
way-the Progressives stand in the mid
die and ask for offers, though, OF course,
not mercenary ones, for their strength.
From roll call to roll call whichever
party offers most for them will get
their support. The nature of the offers
consists, of course, in willingness to go
the greatest length toward the Progress
siVeS' ideas about legislation.
Regular G. o. P. Position.
In this competition for Progressive
support the regular Republicans, OF
course. will not win. For the most part
they will not enter the bidding. The
course of the Republicans has already
been determined in the Congress just
ended. What will happsn is that the
regular Republicans will attempt ceI-
tain legislation or take certain positions
Drayraccixrpc with their balance
of power will oppose them. This is
what has already happened in the Sen
ate. In short it is practically incon-
ceivable as to most matters coming up
that there should be in the coming
Congress any union between the regular
Republicans and the Progressivas.
The next question is whether there
will be union between the ProgreSSlVes
and Democrats, whether the Democrats
will bid for the balance Of power which
the Progressives possess. The question
almost answers itself. It is true there
is in the Democratic party nationally,
as in the Republican party nationally,
a cleavage between conservatives and
those who are called ProgreSSlVes, II
you like them, or radicals, II you don't
like them.
To the conservative wing of the DEM
ocratic party it will be acutely dis
tasteful to bid for the Progressive
strength or to unite with the Pro-
eressives Nevertheless the Democrats
as a whole will do it. They have done
it already in the Senate of the last
Congress. In the roll calls on Muscle
Shoals, on the debenture plan for farm
relief, on the soldiers bonus, on the
tariff and many others the Democrats
as a unit almost without exception,
united with the Progressives.
A characteristic roll call was on the !
bill providing for Government opera
ton of the power plan at Muscle
Shoals On that all the Democrats
except three voted with the ProgreSsives |
for Government operation. For the |
most part, as in Muscle Shoals, 1t was
the Progressives, such as Senator Nor |
ris of Nebraska, or, in other cases, Borah |
of Idaho, who proposed the ideas and |
in effect provided the leadership Tor !
the combination. In case after case |
the Democrats united with the Pro-
Rressives. To some Democrats. con-
seryative by conviction. this was dis
tasteful, but they went along" for the
sake of party solidarity and registering
party victory.
The net Of this is that in the COM
ing Congress the ProgreSsives viii have
the balance Of power and In almost
all cases viii throw that balance on
the side Of the Democrats. The Pro- |
Rressives will propose legislation and |
the Democrats will support it. 1t Is |
precisely the anticipation Of this legis-
iative situation in the coming Con- |
eress that constituted about 90 per cent |
of what the ProgreSsives had In their |
minds when they called last weeks |
conference. During the Temanlhg
months they will formulate the legis- |
lation which they will propose and Tor |
which they will expect TO secure Demo-
cratic acuuiescencc.
The other so per cent Of the pur-
nose of last weeks Progressive confer
ence has to do with the Democratic |
nomination for the presidency. The |
Progressive purpose is to bring about /
Democratic nomination satisfactory 10 |
them. They. at least the shrewder /
among them, such as Senator Norris OF |
Nebraska. have no notion OF third |
party, which would be futile. AS re-
spects the Republican party, the Pro-
gressives will, of course, dissent from |
the denomination Of President Hoover.
Their leader, Senator Norris, has al
ready voted against President Hoover |
in the 1928 election.
Roosevelt Is Favored.
The Progressives' hope and purpose
lies in having the Democrats make a |
nomination which they can support. |
The nomination they have in mind is |
Gov. Franklin Roosevelt Of New York. |
The particular attraction Gov Roose-
welt has for the Progressives is his po- |
sition on the power question, which |
Progressive Leader Norris considers |
paramount What has already gone on |
amounts in effect to the Progressives |
saying to the Democrats: Nominate |
Gov. Roosevelt for the presidency and |
we will try to lead our following in the |
West to vote for him in the election"
What has been said 50 far has TO do |
with union Of the ProgreSsives and !
Democrats on economic issues. As re- |
spects prohibition the Progressive posi- |
ton as put by Senator Norris, is that !
prohibition is sham issue" on which |
the Progressives are willing to be silent. |
The Progressives in their conference |
last week practiced silence on prohibit |
ton as a deliberately arrived at and |
formally announced policy. The bear |!
ing of prohibition on the union between |
Progressives and Democrats is a more !
complex story. While there is ground |
for union in the economic issues there !