Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-14
MANEUvERs FOR 1882 SEEN.
Fight on Power Commission Nominees
Viewed in That Light.
BY MARK SULLIVAN

The resistance by Democratic and
Progressive Republican Senators to the
confirmation of one out of President
Hoover's five appointeeS to the Tariff
Commission was less vehement than
their cutlery against his appointees to
the Power Commission. This differ
ence in attitude arises from their diff
fering conception of the issues in the
1882 presidential campaign.
The Democratic Senators do not eX-
pect to make the tariff more than a
minor issue, if that. Their subordtna
ton of the tariff is the more signifl-
cant since it is done without any
particular elaboration, as a spontaneous
expression of their state Of mind. They
don't think of the tariff as being she
best kind of political ammunition in
1882, especially if good times should
be restored.
It is the power trust" that the
Democratic Senators expect to empha-
size as the leading economic issue next
year. 1t is as a contribution TO the
campaign next year that the fight was
made against President Hoover's ap-
pointees to the Power Commission by
the coalition majority in the Senate.
The emergence of the power trust" as
an issue in next years campaign can
be counted on as confidently as if the
campaign were already under way.
Legal Issue Is Dead.
The constitutional aspect of the re-
cent Senate fight on the Power Com
mission is completely over The Sen
ators who led the fight against the
Power Commission say they neither
intend TO do anything more themselves
nor do they anticipate anything from
any source whatever about the ccnsti-
tutional part of the fight Reference
of the constitutional issue to the courts,
which was universally anticipated while
the fight was on, is now dismissed as
not desired by the Senators and i'm
possible anyhow.
It IS not too much to say that the
constitutional point never did weigh
much with the Senators who made the
fight. Senator Borah says he never
believed 1t was possible for the Senate
TO GUST the new Power Commission
What Senator Borah frankly said was
tacitly thought undoubtedly by practi-
cally all the Senator's who like Senator
Borah, voted for a proceec--ss designed
to GUST the commission.
The fight was made by the coalition
Senators as contribution TO and prep
aration for the broader fight on thu
power trust" in the presidential cleo
ton next year. In THIS aspect tne ngn
over the Power Commission is beinl
carried forward on even a broader scale
than when 1t was acute on the Senatt
floor last week This week there
being inserted in the record the ma
terial which partisans on both side
can send out under their franks a.
campaign material next year.
Nature of Material.
ton inserted newspaper comment from
Hearst papers, Scripps- Howard paper
and others. asserting, among othe
ti.>.Qs, that III the Power Commission
matter. as the Hearst papers put Il
President Hoover goes to tn
support of the power trust" Agains
this, Republican Senator Hastings @
Delaware counters by inserting com
ment from 20 newspapers throughou
the country, including some Southern
Democratic ones, supporting Presiden
Hoover and asserting that, as the Al
lanta Constitution put it, 1.-The actio
OF the Senate must be alarmin
IN every deyotee of orderly govern
ment." Both these sets Of arguments wi
be distributed iT hundreds Of thousand
under senatorial frank in the pres
dental election next year.
The next move to put forward wni
Democratic Senator Dill of WaShingto
calls 1.-The power octopus" as the can
paign issue for newt year will come
the action on Muscle Shoals. tn