Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-05
The Political Mill
By C. Could LiscoIa-

Election day has come and gone, leav-
ing in its wake many interpretations
and predictions for the future. Demo
Gratis are reading into the results In
Michigan and New Jersey and Connec-
ticut sure portents Of victory in the
presidential race next year. Republic
ans. on the other hand. are pointing
to the victory in the first Ohio district,
which produced a normal Republican
majority for John B. HOLSTER, their
candidate for the House. A year ago
the late Speaker Nicholas Longworth
grazed by with a $500 lead over his
Democratic opponent. HOLSTERS VIC
tory in this year of hard times indi-
Gates there is still life in the O. Q. 2.
an. that the Democrats may. after all.
have to watch their step II they are to
carry the country next year.
- y
Michigan Is rapidly becoming the
lost sheep of the drys. In strongly
Republican district a wet Democrat
was elected to the House on Tuesday.
II reports be true the wet and dry
issue had as much to do with his sue
cess as home pride in Saginaw and
anti-administratio sentiment out IN
the rural districts. Not long ago Mich
igan's whole delegation in the House
was dry politically. Today out OF
the 10 members of the delegation are
against prohibition. Because of Michi-
gan's growth in population in the Con-
gress which is elected next year Michi-
gan will have II members of the House
instead of Is. The probabilities are
that all 4 of the new districts located
in populous sections of the State will
elect we. members of the House. split
ting the delegation 10 wet to dry.
The eighth Michigan district. which
has now elected to the House the wet
Democrat, Michael J. Hart, proved the
stumbling block for the Republicans
in Tuesdays election. The Democrats
were thought to have a better chance of
victory in the first Ohio district. But
the result proved otherwise.
II the Democrats organize the House
OF Representatives in the coming Ses-
sion of Congress as they now seem
likely to do, they will have charge of all
legislative measures taken up for con-
sideration and action. All revenue
legislation and tariff legislation, under
the Constitution, must originate in the
House. Just how far the Democrats
are ready to go in the matter OF in
creaSing taxes, on the eve of an cleo
Pat Harrison of Mississippi, one of their
national party leaders, has expressed
the opinion that the Government can
meet Its financing by borrowing money
instead OF increasing the tax burden
when business is trying to struggle to
its feet again. The Democratic leader
OF the Senate, Senator Joseph r. Rob-
inson of Arkansas, as spokesman for
his party in Congress, has promised
that the Democrats will undertake to
revise the tariff law downward when
Congress meets In December. It Is one
thing for the Democrats to attack Re-
publican tariff law on the eve of q
national election and quite another for
them to attempt to frame a new tariff
law of their own. II the Democrats
bring in tariff bill and put 1t through
the House they cannot conceivably
please all the voters, and certainly not
all the Democratic voters. There are
Democrats in Massachusetts and Texas
who are as strong for protective
tariff on the goods they produce as are
the Republicans in Pennsylvania and
Ohio
Should the House be Democratic in
It's organization, the Democrats will
have charge, in the first instance, of
all appropriations for the Government
oAAAAAS bAAC 4ACAG 1ISChI year,
those for the Navy How far they will
be willing to follow the recommended
lions OF the Hoover administration re-
mains TO be seen. They may have to
determine also whether they will stand
for the Federal dole, for which some
of the Democrats were so active in
Congress at the last session, when they
knew that 1t could not pass. Control
OF the House may not be a bed of
roses for the Democratic party.
X X
1t begins to look as though the Re-
publican ProgresSiveS in the House,
who have talked loudly of the demands
they will make in trade for their vote
on House organization, will have
nothing to offer either to the regular
Republicans or the Democrats. One
more victory by the Democrats In a
district hitherto held by the Repub-
licans will give the Democratic party
a total of 218 votes in the House or
an actual majority of one. Narrow as
this would be, the Democrats would be
in a position to snap their fingers at
the Progressive Republicans. II they
could win in the first New Hampshire
district or in the fifth New Jersey. in
the elections still to be held to fill
vacancies in the House, the Democrats
for the first time In IS years.
y X
President Woodrow Wilson was the
last Chief Executive who was COM
PEELED to wrestle with a Congress con-
trolled by an opposition political party
The Republicans elected majoritieS in
both House and Senate in 1918. and
Mr. Wilson called a special session of
the new Congress in May, 1919. Since
that time the Republicans have con-
trolled both houses of Congress- al
though coalition of Republican Pro-
gressives and Democrats in one house
or the other has ridden rough-shod
over administration measures now and
then.
New Jersey has a seat in the Senate
to fill, the seat made vacant by the
death of the late Senator Dwight w
Morrow. The Governor of New Jersey
is Republican and will continue to
hold Office until January when his
Democratic successor will be inaugu-
rated. Under the State law Gov. Lar
son, the Republican incumbent, NAV
appoint until the next general election
to fill a vacancy in the Senate, or
until special election is held. The
appointment of a Republican is ex-
pected within a short time. Whether
the newly elected Democratic Govern
or, A. Harry Moore, will be content to
let the Republican appointee remain
in office until after the general cleo
ton in November, next year, becomes
a question. The Democrats have lust
won a Statewide contest in New .Jer~
sey eIecting Mr. Moore Governor by a
huge Democratic majority. If they
feel the need. therefore, of an earlv
election to fill the Morrow Senate seat