Evening star., 1932-03-07
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

n
well as the Democrats standing sponsor
for the little giant which is to raise
the sum of S1,10O,O 100000 additional
revenue and make it possible to balance
the budget. Neither the Republicans
nor the Democrats are claiming credit
for this bill. The Democrats in con-
troll OF the House, were in a position
where they had to bring in tax bill
The Republicans, with a President in
the White House and in control of the
executive branch of the Government
also had to adopt tax program to helm
out the Treasury. The division of con-
troll the Democrats dominating in the
House. where revenue measures orig
mate. and the Republicans in the Whit
House, has forced them together IN
father and mother a measure that is
bound to be unpopular. If one party
alone had controlled both branches Of
the Government. legislative and execu-
tive. the minority party would have
been in a position to attack Ms enemv
through the tax legislation. AS il is
both parties are hanging together and
both are seeking to place as much re-
sponsibility as possible for the tax bill
on the other party.
A revenue measure. increasing taxes
which has the unanimous slIpnort 3f
a House Ways and Means COMMITTEES
unless in time of war is a rare avis
But here it is at last. It will not
please those who believe that the only
taxes which are to be levied should
fall upon the wealthy or those who
would postpone the evil day of in
creased taxes by having the Govern
ment borrow several billions of dollars
to carry on. The So-called manufac-
turers' sales tax, around which the bill
is really constructed. is not popular.
But with a unanimous vote of the
Ways and Means Committee the bill
promises TO go through the House with
plenty OF votes from both the Repub-
licans and the Democrats. 1t is pre-
sumed that Speaker Garner, the domi-
mating force on the Democratic side
OF the chamber, has given his assent
to the bill. or that his followers on
the Ways and Means Committee would
have opposed it. What effect the bill
may have, if any. on the candidacy
of the Speaker for the presidential
nomination remains to be seen.
When the bill gets to- the Senate.
however. there will be a battle roval.
Many of the strongest opponents of
the plan to wipe out the Treasury
deficit by taxation are among the Demo-
Gratis OF the Senate, who have asserted
that the Government could we'll afford
TO oorroW money and spare the tax
payers. Also the progressive group in
the Senate is opposed to many features
tnv
tlons OF the personal exemptions from
the income tax, the sales tax on manu-
facturerS and some of the excise taxes.
They have insisted that the increases
should come from the higher brackets
of the income tax, letting the burden
fall upon the wealthy. The House
Ways and Means Committee may not
recognize its bill when it gets back
from the Senate. However, the House
Committee, has recognized the fact that
nothing can do more to restore conf
dence in this country than the balanc-
ing OF the Governments budget. It has
taken the bull by the horns courageously
and brought out bill calculated to do
just that thing. In the end. the House
Committee and the Democrats who con-
troll 1t may reap a considerable benefit
from having taken this stand.
X X X
The Democratic National Committee
is broadcasting letter from Henry w.
Dooley, its Porto Rico member, calling
attention to the fact that the first
Democratic National Convention ever
held in this country took place just a
hundred years ago. This doesn't mean
that the party is only a hundred years
al fe L.
in the early days, had been
nominating and electing Presidents for
many years before the first national
of Democrats. held in May,
1882, In Baltimore. Even at that con-
vention no presidential candidate was
selected. Andrew Jackson, who was
serving his first term, had already been
the pick of his party for second term
But the convention did select as his
running mate Martin Van Buren,. the
New Yorker who was charged in those
days with being identified with Tam
many.
Growing out of that first Democratic
National Convention have come down
two rules which have worried the
Democrats on many occasions, the two
and vice presidential candidates and
the so-called unit rule. under which
whole State delegation may be bound
TO cast q solid vote for a candidate
until the delegates are released, if ever,
from the binding effect of that rule.
1t is that two-thirds rule which is
making it possible for the Democrats
who oppose the nomination of Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt for President to
feel comparatively firm ground under
their feet today. One vote in excess
of two thirds of the 1854 votes in the
national convention could prevent the
of the New York Governor
and tie up the convention indefinitely.
It was the two-thirds rule which
turned back the late Speaker Champ
Clark of Missouri in 1912, who in the
national convention held in Baltimore
Of that year, had at one time a ma
jority of the votes of the convention.
Every four years there is talk of doing
away with the two-thirdS rule for
But always there seems
TO be a group of candidates and their
friends who believe that after all they
might profit from the operation of the
rule, and so they cling to it. The au-
;piciouS time for doing away with the
'ule might be a national convention
At which a Democratic President was
seeking and was sure of denomination
without opposition. But on
such occasions, which have been rare
n the last seventy years, with the con-
Vention ready to give its stamp of ap-
oroval to the President seeking re-
nomination, there is no real occasion
'or repeal of the two-thirds rule, and
10 1t is forgotten in the enthusiasm
If renominating President.
\ X X
Gov. Roosevelt faces his first big test
If voting strength in the primary in
New Hampshire tomorrow. A complete
Roosevelt slate of delegates to the Dem
)cratic national convention has been
out in the field by his friends. On
he other side stands a slate of Smith
delegates. If Roosevelt can win a ma
ority of the delegation, the Roosevelt
boom for President will receive a boost
# he loses to Smith a majority of the
delegation, the Roosevelt candidacy
will take corresponding tumble. New
England has been regarded as strong
Smith territory among the Democrats.