Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08

deSCenQ upon any man IN elIHer party
and upon any other man in any walk
of life, at the moment when he is
about to step across that doorsill, on
the outside of which ones role is that
Of carefree critic, but on the inner side
of which Is the room OF responsibility
AS Mr.. Kent puts it:
"The drawbacks of power often make
a man wonder why he wanted it. In
politics very frequently ambitious men
who dream of the satisfaction Of am
bition achieved find when they reach
their goal more different kinds of trou-
BILE than they thought existed. Nearly
all Presidents have had that expert
ence. Mr. Hoover could give interest
ing testimony on this point. So, too
can the amiable able. admirable and
aStute Democratic leader of the House
Mr.. John N. Garner of Texas.
AS the carefree leader Of the minority,
Mr.. Garner has had a grand time for
good many years. Without response
bility and with the Democratic appe-
tite for pie dormant, because there was
no pie, he has had behind him united
and harmonious party. 1T has func-
toned without friction and he has
given an exhibition of efficient and
effective leadership. So great was the
majority against him that he has not,
Of course, got anywhere; but neverthe-
| less, he pIONlOeO SOO0 SAlOW. NOW,
| however, there is real possibility the
Democrats may become the majority
instead of the minority party.
And then Good Old Jack would be-
come Speaker and the Democrats take
over all House committee chairman
ships, which are the key positions and
most coveted of House prizes. This
possibility would make the caucus of
Democratic members of the next House.
10I1 Kr
| month, the most interesting held since
| 1916. That is, it would be interesting
| If 1t were held-but it is not going to
| be held-at least not next month"
Hammering TO Be Done.
Mr.. Kent thinks and many Of us
with experience of politics think, that
the reason the Democratic leaders post
poned that caucus was dread of what
may happen whenever those ZIG Demo-
| Gratis find themselves all inside the
walls Of one room. In one room. that
IS, with no Republicans present. If
there were some Republicans present
| everything would be normal and happy
In that case the Democrats would har-
| moniously unite in hammering the Re-
publicans. With no Republicans pres
ent, however, they will hammer each
other. That coming caucus of the
|
| greSS-perhapS not literally the first
| one-but some one-iS going to be a
second edition of the 1924 Democratic
National Convention, when they fought
| for three weeks, with practically no in
terruption except occasionally for food
that would sustain them to fight some
more.
What will they fight about? The
bones of contention (among many will
be, alliteratively, prohibition and pie.
do not think they will fight about pro-
hibition in the first caucus. The Demo-
Gratis are going to succeed. think, in
marching shoulder to shoulder on the
| prohibition issue UP to and through
the presidential election of 1892. All
Democrats, of all shades and opinion,
expect to win that election-and the
cohesive power of the expectation Of
Office will hold them together
But some time the Democrats in Con-
greSs are going to fight gloriously over
prohibition. The cleavage among them
Is deep and stark. OF the 216 Demo-
cratic members of the House, slightly
over half come from the South or from
the border States or from rural sections
of Western States-and are very, very
dry. Somewhat less than half come
from Northern States, chiefly from
the large cities "a solid block of %
| -
are very, very wet.
To be sure, there is within the Re-
publican party dry faction and wet
faction. But the Republicans have a
way Of sinking their differences or
patching them up or compromising
them Democratic Senator Claude
Swanson of Virginia says: THE Re-
publicans are divided on principles and
policies-but united for patronage and
perquiSites."
Depth of Cleavage.
The Democratic cleavage is deep; the
looks that pass over the chaSm from
one side to the other hardly conceal
smoldering dislike. Behind each Of
the factions is a train Of bitter men,
cries running back to the 1924 fight
Smith and the dry partisans OF
William G McAdoo Nevertheless, as
respects the cleavage on prohibition, the
Democrats may manage to get by with
out an explosion until after the 1882
presidential election.
AS respects pie, however-as respects
patronage, perquisites and power, the
Democrats are likely to have their fight
in the very first caucus. They won't
fight over making Garner speaker; that
will go through without friction-al-
though, doubtless already Mr.. Garner
finds himself unpleasantly pulled and
hauled. They will certainly fight about
the position of floor leader. And about
the committee chairmanShips there will
be not merely one fight, but Donny-
brook Fair of Kilkenny cats.
Committee chairmanShipS, according
to custom, go by seniority. On each
committee there is already and at : Il
times a leading Democrat. So long a;
he is merely the leader of the mino. y
no commotion arises, for minority lead
ers on committees have no power to
speak Of But the instant the Demo
Gratis become the majority party trouble
will break loose in almost as many
directions as there are committees.
BY the seniority rule the Democratic
chairman of the Immigration Commit
tee, for example, would be Dickstein
of New York City. Other Democrats
. who don't like this prospect, say thai
!. Congressman Dickstein always votes
. against immigration restriction-fron
/ which fact assuming the fact Is cor
. rect, arises discomfort among Southern
Democrats, who strongly favor immigra'
ton restriction. The Democratic chair
| man of the committee having charge
of the District of Columbia would bt
/ another New York City and Tammany
: member, Christopher d. Sullivan-and
southern Democrats don't like that
! Northern Leaders Grievances.
! On the other hand, Northern Demo.
' cratic members have their own griev.
ances against the Southern ones. Mos
Of the Northern Democratic member:
5 are new, and, therefore, at the bottom
of the list on committees. Since thu
South follows the useful practice (use'
full from the point of view Of the coun'
, try as we'll as of the party Of re-elect'
: ing their members, the bulk Of the com
E mittee chairmanships will go to thu
: South Texas alone would get six chair
: manships, four of them quite impor'