Evening star., 1931-12-03
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

the Democrats have shown an unusua
spirit OF harmony. In the first place
no other Democrat has come forward
to dispute seriously the claim of Rep
resentative Jack" Garner of Texas K
the party nomination for Speaker
Secondly, there has been a gradua
but certain crystallization of Sentiment
in favor of giving the Democratic 400,
leadership to Representative Henry T
Rainey of Illinois, veteran Democrat
of progressive tendencies. Other DOS.
sible contenderS for the floor leader
ship have withdrawn from the race
one by one, leaving the field to Mr.
Ralney; The only real threat of trou.
Die In the Democratic caucus, which Il
70 be held Saturday night, seems tt
lie IN a proposal that Steering com.
mlttee, composed of II members, b,
appointed to pass on the Legislative
program. Neither Mr.. Garner, tht
prospective Speaker, nor Mr. Rainey
VINO Is to become floor leader, likes The
idea, although it is advanced bv such
lnlluentlal members as Byrns, Tennes.
see; Crisp, Georgia, and Ayres of Kan.
SaS, who have been reported as favor.
ing 1t. The Democrats SO far, too, have
oeen hesitant to discuss changes II
the rules OF the House, although while
Cney were out of power and the Repub-
means were in control many Democratic
voices were raised in a demand fol-
nDerallzation' of those rules. They
may be again.
But II there has been considerabl,
harmony among the Democrats regard.
ing the organization of the new House
.he ooVe OF peace has been singularly
lacking on the Republican side. The
HepuoHcan House members have beer
spit INTO two camps-the camp of Repre-
sentative John @. Tilson and the camr
OF Representative Bertrand H. Smell
Mr. Smells campaign fer the Republi.
can Speakership nomination begar
almost Immediately after the death oj
the late Speaker Nicholas Longwortf
and was vigorously resisted by Tilsor
and his friends. The Smell campaign
however, was effective, and Smell wor
yhe speakership nomination after q
heated debate in the Republican caucus
few days ago. He insists that the
party leadership goes with this victory
and that ne will be named the floor
leader of the party after a Speaker oi
the House shall have been chosen. II
Is expected that his adherents will stick
This row among the Republicans
however, has not served to cement the
party in the House. Tilson was chosen
floor leader at party caucus months
ago, and the fact that he is now to be
denied the leadership Is not calculated
10 make the situation any better for the
Republicans. Tison, however, Is g
strong party man. He is not of thu
lnsurgent type and it may be ex-
pected that he will go along" with tn,
Republican organization of the House.
X X *s
The willingness, now advanced, O.
congressional leaders to permit a vot,
on the wet and dry question in botf
Senate and House seems to assure some
kind Of a division before the session
is over on prohibition. Such a vott
might cut both ways. In the first place
there are plenty of drys in Congress wht
believe that the showing made would b,
so overwhelmingly against the vets tina
the drys could well afford to have tn,
vote taken ard that 1t would reac
strongly against the vets. On tn
other hand the vets say that such
vote would show a great increase il
the wet sentiment in Congress an,
would be demonstration which woul,
aid their cause and give the voters bacl
home a chance to check up on thei
representatives in Congress.
Leaders in both the Democratic an,
the Republican parties have urged tha
referendum" of the liquor question
to the people themselves be allowed
Chairman Raskob of the Democrati
National Committee is strongly in favo
Of such proposition, and former Sena
tor Wadsworth of New York has urge.
Chairman Fess of the Republican Ma
tional Committee to have a referendum
plan favored by the G. O. P. nationa
organization and convention. A vote IL
Congress within the next few month
might give both parties a clue as Il
what they should do when it comes {,
framing their national platforms mex
Summer.
Just what form the referendum prop
osition submitted to Congress shall take
however, is puzzle. There are thos,
who wish to have Congress submit t.
the States. to be passed upon by popu
lar vote, moot question, Does ths
Nation wish continuance of Nationa
prohibition" There is no provision
in the Constitution for such a refer.
endum even If Congress put through 6
resolution for such purpose. State.
would be at entire liberty to ignore thu
whole matter If they wished to. or be.
lieved that the expense of such a refer.
endum which after all would be in nj
way binding, was not warranted 9th.
er members of Congress, like Senator
Bingham Of Connecticut, would like Il
place before the House and Senate a
resolution resubmitting the eighteenth
amendment by calling for its repeal
That Is constitutional proposal. II
would take two-third vote of botr
Houses for adoption, however. and un.
doubtedly would be strongly resisted by
the drys, who have no desire to repea
the eighteenth amendment.
Ihere is more uncertainty today re
gardlng the strength of the drys and tn,
vets than there has been for a Ion.
time A proposal to bring about a vot,
on prohibition in Congress, In referen.
oum form. might be embarrassing tt
some OF the members who hail from
states and districts where feeling ha.
run nlgh on this prohibition issue, with
an election in the oftlng,
The Republicans took a bump In the
NTH New Jersey congressional district
ron 1ueSoay, where they lost a House
seat to the Democrats. Representativ,
VIII Wood of Indiana, chairman of thu
Republican Congressional COMMITTEES
issued statement comparing the re.
suits OF the election to the results ir
the gubernatorial election in the fiftf
New Jersey district on November last, II
the gubernatorial election the Democrat,
carried the district by II 900 votes, anc
m the congressional election Stewart.
plurality, was only 1902 votes, and ar
independent Republican polled PASS
votes which, if added to the vote OF
the regular, party nominee, would have
overcome the Democratic leader, Mr.
wood takes some satisfaction out of this
analysis of the election. But the fact
remains that this district in November
!, 5s5o, was carried by Republican BY
81 ,Voo votes, and privately the result OF
last tuesday has been discouraging to
many OF the Republicans here.
X X **
Another test of party strength IS
coming on January In the tirst New
hampshire district, where House
vacancy is to be filled The Demo