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


Its actual sittings will begin either II
June Tin event of a special session.
or certainly and automatically on De-
cember T. And so another headline
looking forward to the new Congress
to the condition that will exist aftel
March 4, again predicts
Sure to Be Mess.
Why should it be "a mess? To try
to put the answer in a sentence would
be misleading But the answer Cal
least. most of the answer will be founc
In what follows.
The new Congress will be an almost
Congress. That is, it will be almost
Republican" or almost Democratic,
depending on how certain number OF
deaths and some other accidents turn
out The Republican MAJORITY
there is a Republican majority-wiIl
be about two. The Democratic majority
.(if there is a Democratic majority, as
there may be, due to deaths or Re-
publican defections) will be about two
This condition exists In both cham
bers. A shifting majority of two in a
body of 90 Senators, along with a
shifting majority of two in House OF
435 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES condition
standing alone, is enough to justify the
prophetic "sure to be mess" His
bllGlC Ildo llGNCI OCCA any
thing like it. The condition has
existed before in one chamber, but never
in both simultaneously.
Chance for Democrats.
If the Democrats happen to be IA
vored by deaths or other whins OF
fortune, they will control both cham
bers of Congress, in which case we shall
have the whole of Congress dominated
by one party-with the presidency In
the hands of the other. In another
outcome, the Democrats may control
one chamber and the Republicans the
other-with the two chambers DELHI
erately practicing mutual obstructive
ness as the almost inevitable conse-
quence of normal political behavior.
For simplicity'S sake let us consider
what is ahead Ca part of what is
ahead from the standpoint of one OF
the two chambers, the House. CAL
though, as I have said. the condition
exists in both chambers) Likewise,
for Simplicity's sake, let us survey the
situation upon the assumption that the
Democrats will organize and control
the House.
The Democrats can organize the
House if they want to. On the count
of the election the figures are:
Republicans ........ 218
Democrats ...... 216
Farmer-Labor ......
Upon that count (omitting changes
that death may bring) can the Demo-
Gratis organize the House? The answer
Is, they can, easily. In the first place,
they should be able to get the help
of that lone Farmer-Labor member.
say this without knowing the present
disposition of Representative Paul j.
Minnocnto If
is obvious, however, that Farmer-LaboE
.Kvale is in a position to become the
pleased recipient Of agreeable Solicita-
lions from both the Republicans and
the Democrats.
Even if the Democrats don't get Mr.
Kvale, they can, if they want to, or
ganize the House. Among 218 Repub-
1icans, 218 men of any sort, there are
sure to be one or two or 10 or 20 who
can see greater virtue-or perhaps, in
some cases, greater personal advantage
in going over to the other side. This
sort of thing has happened again and
again and yet again. Democrats do II
when circumstances are as the present
Republicans do 1t when the circum-
stances are reversed. It was done In
1917 in Wilson'S administration wher
the Democrats were few short OF
majority but were able to organize the
L1OuoC Will Vic oAd Va oOAAlC ANCPAOAA'
cans and ProgresSives. One of the Pro.
gressives, incidentally. came also from
Minnesota. His name was Schall, anC
after voting with the Democrats ht
turned up with the agreeable per
quisites in the nature of appointment
upon the priced Committee on Rules
Frequently with Democrats.
That Schall knew his political onions
a. &ol Lry fan kI1ot 1a ha,
since gone up in the world and is nov
Senator from Minnesota. In the Sen
ate he calls himself a Republican-anc
votes with the Democrats a good deal
Senator Schall is blind, but politically
speaking, he sees very well.
The net of which is that the Demo.
Gratis can organize the HouSe-f they
want to.
But do they want to?
There went about Washington las
month, and into the newspaper dis
patches. announcements that thu
Democrats, in anticipation of the new
Congress, would caucus on February %
Thereafter there went about Washing
ton statements that the Democrat
would not caucus on February %, bu
would postpone their getting togetheI
until as late date as they can post
pone it to, until right upon the eve o
Tile ACTUAL OlJIlIIk Va Vic llCW NO4l6i Coo
The reason given for the postpone
ment was good and sufficient one, ;
motive now general in all circles ant
deemed to be virtuous; namely, tn
motive of personal economy. The eau
Gus was postponed. so 1t was said, be
cause the Democratic leaders did no
want to put upon their 81 new Repre-
sentatives mot members of the presen
body. but members of the new one) tn
~ oytra trim IN WqShlnQfnr
"You see" said Democratic Leader job
Gamer to a friend I'VE Democrats ar
poor and these bad times have not LEI
us much money We are happy an
harmonious. but travel is expensive an
it costs a lot to come to Washington
So we think that We'll give the boys
little more time to save up before call
ing them in"
The author of this report about wha
Democratic Leader Garner gave as tn
reason for postponing the caucus OF n
party is the veracious and EXCEPTIONAL
Frank Kent, political correspondent
And it was the same Frank Kent wit
exercising his acuteness, added on h
own account: "Oh, yes, indeedP
Leaders and Their Reason
One infers that Mr.. Kent had
satirical smile upon his vivacious coun
tenanCe as ne WOiCc IAooe Aos' "AAA
words. One infers, in short, that I'll
Democratic leaders may have had dill
ferent reason for not wanting that cat
Gus on the 28th OF this month an
for postponing it just as long as the
can postpone 1t.
It is Mr.. Kent, likewise, who pu
In words the presumed deeper reason
for the poStponement. He puts 1t
terms Of the troubles now descendir
upon Democratic leader (and DemS