Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-02
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

from division over prohibition and from
hard times, have taken heart OF grace
in the last day or two. This may
be merely q dream on the part OF the
Republicans, but they see their Demo
cratic opponents letting themselves In
for considerable criticism in the coun-
try as a whole because OF the Demo
cratic ultimatum that unless certain
program of relief, opposed by the ad'
rninistration. is written into law the
Democrats of the Senate will fiilibustel
against annual appropriation bills anc
force a special session OF the new Con-
gress in the Spring. The Republican:
do not believe that the country want:
q special session of a Congress Whicf
admittedly will be legislatively impotent
because of the even division between
the parties, and the inclination OF In
surgent Republicans from the West tt
play ball with the Democrats. They
the Republicans, also see the Demo
Gratis espousing the dole" as an issue
and, finally, they see the Democrats
championing the proposal to spend some
three billion dollars of the taxpayers
money to pay the soldiers bonus now
with deficit of 1915, 900, 900 already
staring the Treasury in the face. II
the Democrats persist in their support
of these proposals, the Republicans be-
lieve the country will turn against
them.
Some of the Democrats apparently
believe that it is enough to ind the
Republican administration in opposition
to a certain course to win the Demo
cratic support of that course. If they
can put something over" which the
administration does not want put over
then they are point ahead. But sober
thought among the Democrats takes q
different view. That sober Thought i
wondering where the Democratic party
Is going to land If it continues to look
at issues and legislation from that point
of Viaw.
The demand for the cash payment OF
the soldiers bonus certificates has
grown apace. Both House and Senate
committees are holding hearings on the
various bills. The American Legion
which was at first unfriendly to the
proposition, through It's Executive Com
mittee, has changed its attitude. Mem
bers of Congress, according to theil
own private statements, are as q general
thing opposed to the cash payment OF
the bonus at this time. But these same
members admit that If the matter Is
brought up and pressed it probably viii
be passed by both houses of Congress
Republican leaders in the House, how
ever, say that If the measure for cash
bonus is passed, through the support OF
the Democrats and group OF Repub-
licans, 1t will bear the name Of John
Garner, the Democratic leader in the
House and the ranking Democrat or
the Ways and Means Committee which
handles such legislation. These Repub-
lican leaders feel so confident that in
the long run, If cash bonus Is now
paid to the veterans, running into bill
lions of dollars, paid to the well and
to the men who have jobs and are moi
in need as WILL as to those who are out
of jobs, the country will react against
such legislation and they are anxious
to have the Democrats get the credit
or the blame, for the legislation.
X 4 4
President Hoover, If he backs up Sec
rotary Mellon and his other advisers, will
veto a soldiers cash bonus measure
Whether he would agree to some measure
proposing to increase the loan value OF
the adjusted compensation certificates
now held by the veterans would have to
be determined later, it is said. But such
a measure would scarcely give the\ vet
Grams any real measure of relief. A
cash bonus is what was demanded by
many at the time the present bonus Law
was written and cash bonus is what
is being demanded by some Of the vet
Grams now. With an election in the
offing though it does not take place
until next year, the members of Con-
gress are showing signs of being ex-
tremely nervous over the matter
Opponents of the general cash bonus
are stresSing the fact that the Gov
eminent must continue to give Its
principal aid to the disabled veterans
It is spending hundreds of millions of
dollars to aid them now. If billions
are given to the veterans who are not
disabled 1t is feared that the real needs
Of the disabled may be neglected.
Up in Vermont rock-ribbed Republi-
can State, already plans are under way
for a senatorial primary in March, to
nominate the successor of the late
Senator L. Frank Greene. 1t is a fore
gone conclusion that a Republican,
nominated at the primary. will be elected
later Gov. Weeks of Vermont, after
the death of Senator Greene, appointed
Frank G. Partridge Senator to fill the
vacancy. Under the Vermont law, how
ever, the place must be filled compare
lively early by an election. Senator
Partridge is to be a candidate for the
nomination. Warren r. Austin, lawyer
and attorney for Vermont in its dis
pute with New Hampshire over the
boundary line between the two States,
is also to be a candidate, it is reported.
Senator Partridge may have to conduct
an absentee campaign to a large ex-
tent, owing to the fact that he is needed
here in the Senate, which has ire
mendous amount of work to accom-
afn hn nln Of ha
March f. 1t happens that Senator
Partridge is chairman Of the Committee
on Enrolled Bills, an unusual honor FOR
newly appointed Senator, and that
committee is particularly active at the
close of Congress.
~
Senator Partridge is a man Of wide
experience in public affairs. He was
private secretary to Redfield Proctor
when that Vermonter was Secretary OF
War. Later he was solicitor OF the De-
partment of State and American Min
lister to Venezuela. He has served In
the State Senate and after the great
flood in 1927, which injured Vermont
greatly, Senator Partridge became
president of the Vermont Flood Credit
Corporation. He stands for strict en-
forcement and observance OF the pro-
hibition laws Whether the prohibit
ton issue will be thrown into the cam
paign depends largely upon what his
opponent will say about the matter, II
anything.
Il X X
All chance of any revision Of the re-
apportionment of the House under the
1880 census has gone. The House MEM
bership will be reapportioned in &C
eordance with the plan adopted by the
Congress at its last session after a long
fight. To change 1t would require leg
islation at the present short session, for
otherwise the reapportionment becomes
automatic. There seems not the slight
est chance, with only four weeks OF the
present session remaining, that any new
legislation relating to reapportionment
could be put through. 1t would be seri-