Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13
Temptation.

seek to put the President in hole"
will be great when Congress reassenn-
bles, with the Democrats almost equally
dividing in strength the House and the
Senate with the Republicans. The fact
that by uniting with the Republican
Progressives against the administration
forces the Democrats will hold the whip
hand adds still more to the temptation
to put measures through the Congress
which may appeal to this class or that,
to one group or another, so that the
President, by his veto of the measures
in question. may arouse the enmity OF
these groups and classes. But the
soberer heads in the Democratic party
realize the danger which such course
holds for their party on the eve OF
national election. They understand
that if the Democracy in Congress gives
its support to half-baked measures. to
ill-advised panaceas. it will lose caste
with the country at large. The country,
despite The depression is sound at heart
and has shown no indication OF losing
Its head.
The lob which the Democrats have
cut out for them is to prove to the
country that they are capable OF
handling affairs of public interest under
dindcult conditions. II they chow them
selves, when Congress convenes. ready
to run hither and yon after nostrums
advanced by we'll meaning but ILL
balanced persons they are likely to fan.
Indeed, If they put through Congress
legislation of that character and Presi-
dent Hoover withholds his approval of
the measures, the Democrats will merely
NAV into the hands of the Republican
Chief Executive. The President Will
become. in effect, the champion OF the
people against an irresponsible Congress.
The danger of such a situation arising
from the Democratic point OF view, Is
in the minds of some Of the DeNo-
cratic leaders today Many OF them
are confident that If their party In
Congress makes no great mistakes the
Democracy will win sweeping victory
next year. Whether they are right or
not. time will tell. But certainly the
Democrats will be in far better position
to achieve victory if they can demon
strate to the people in their course in
the coming Congress that they are
Trustworthy
There will be the temptation, too, for
the Democrats to oppose the admin1stra-
tons relief plans and its recommended
lions for other important legislation
for the sake of opposing them and to
make political capital. Such opposition
may be merely way of losing political
capital if the plans of the administra-
ton are well considered and generally
approved by the voters.
1t is not to be expected that the
Democratic opposition to the Republic
can administration in Congress will sit
supinely by during the coming session
of Congress 1t would be neither human
nature nor good politics If 1t did. But
there is such thing as overriding oppo-
sition. If it is overdone President
Hoover is likely to thrive on it. One OF
the reasons the late William Jennings
Bryan. Democracy's nominee for Presl-
dent three times, never could cross the
line a winner lay in the fact that ne
so often advocated policies which the
country regarded in the last analysis
as unsound The country faced hard
times on at least one occasion when he
was the Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent, but 1t was unwilling to turn TO
Mr.. Bryan and his party under the
circumstances.
Certain of the Republican insurgents
may undertake to show the Democrats
in Congress ways of embarrassing the
Hoover administration. 1t remains to
be seen, however, whether the Demo-
Gratis are willing to constitute them
selves a body to be wagged by handful
of insurgents from the other side Of
the House and Senate chambers.