Evening star., 1932-11-17
The Political Mill
By C. Gould lincoln.

The Democrats took nearly 100 seats
away from the Republicans in the re-
cent elections: seats which have been
held by the q. o. P. in the present
| Congress. In a space of two years,
therefore, there has been a turnover
of nearly $50 seats in the House from
| the Republicans to the Democrats, for
back in 1880 the Democrats picked up
| 50 seats and then gathered in some
more in special elections to fill va
cancies. As matters stand today, ac-'
/ cording to the records Of the clerk of
! the House, there will be 3l4 Democrats.
| ia Republicans, and Farmer Labor
members in the Seventy Congress
/ This leaves two congressional districts
/ still in doubt, the twentieth California
| and one at large in Minnesota. where
/ they elected the entire State delegation
/ at large because of failure to redistrict
/ the State to meet the new apportion-
ment law.
In the first two years Of the Hoover
| administration the House was domi-
mating power on Capitol Hill. 1t was
strongly Republican and strongly or
| ganized, with the late Speaker Long
worth, Col. John @. Tilson of Connecti-
cut, floor leader and Bertrand Smell of
| New York, chairman of the all inipor-
| tant Rules Committee. The Senate,
almost from the start of the Hoover
administration. was. stumbling block
for the President and his policies.
because, although the Republicans had
paper majority, the progressives from
the West declined to follow Mr.. Hoover's
lead. In the opening session of the next
| Congress the Overwhelming lead the
Democrats will have in the House would
/ indicate efrannhaIA fa~ ~
policies. Much will depend upon the
organization of the House Garner, the
present Speaker and former Democratic
leader. Is passing from the House to
the vice presidency and his duties in
the Senate as presiding ofYiccr Rainey
of Illinois has been floor leader in the
present Congress and is q candidate for
Speaker. For efficient management In
the House. it seems essential that the
new Speaker. floor leader and chairman
OF tho Rules Comrnittee be not only
strong men but willing to cooperate.
The choices for these places will mean
lot to the Roosevelt administration.
William Gibbs McAdoo has every in
tention OF serving his term In the
Senate, to which he was elected In
California, according to his close friends.
He has no desire to become a member
OF the Roosevelt cabinet, they say, even
II he could. His appointment to high
ONCE by Gov. Roosevelt would be fol-
lowed by charges of a "deaT' in the
Chicago convention to throw the Cali
fornia delegation to Roosevelt and so
bring about the latters nomination for
President. His success at the polls has
made appointment of Mr.. McAdoo
unnecessary even II 1t had been con-
templated. Mr.. McAdoo has served In
the cabinet in the past as Secretary of
the Treasury in the Wilson admins
tration. He prefers the more inde-
pendent position of a Senator of the
United States, 1t is believed Whether
Mr.. McAdoo will become recognized as
spokesman for the Roosevelt admin
istration in the Senate is another
matter. He will be a newcomer 10
the Senate, but not to governmental
affairs. His is strong and definite
personality.
Probably there will be plenty of am
bilious gentlemen on Capitol Hill next
year who will wish to be the spokes
men OF President-elect Roosevelt. Sen
ator Huey Long of Louisiana is not
likely 10 suffer himself to be eclipsed if
he can help 1t. There is no more ambi-
tious man In the Senate. As a matter
OF fact, If the administration Is wise,
1t will speak to the Senate through the
mouth OF the elected Democratic leader
OF that body. Present indications are
that Senator Joseph T. Robinson of
Arkansas will continue rs the party
leader in the Senate It Is true there
have been rumbltngs of opposition on
the part OF younger and more progress
slVe" Democrats. The progressives have
charged that Senator Robinson has
played too close to the Republican ad-
ministrationt in the past However
they have been careful not to make
such charges in the Senate, where the
Arkansas Senator could answer them.
Huey Long Is the only Democrat who
has bearded him there. But it is not
OF record that Long got very far in his
clash with Robinson Senator Thomas
j. Walsh Of Montana Is the assistant
Democratic leader Of the Senate today
He says that he knows Of no disposition
to diSlodge Senator Robinson from his
present position. 1t does not seem that
the Senate Democracy is quite ready to
accept the dictation Of Senator Long in
this matter, IL Long should undertake
to make fight on the continuance Of
Robinson as leader As a matter of
fact, the Democrats have operated
rather closely under the leadership of
the Arkansas Senator for a number of
years. Many of them feel that he is
entitled to retain the leadership Of the
party. now that it is about to control the
Senate.
At least one member of the present
Senate has an eye on the Roosevelt
cabinet, If reports be true Senator
Jack" Cohen Of Georgia has q desire
for cabinet post. and that desire may
be fulfilled. No one has been closer to
the Roosevelt campaign. for the norni-
nation and for the election, than Sem
ator Cohen, who halls from Rooseyeltss
second home State" He goes out of
the Senate the first Of the year, when
his successor, Gov. Russell will come to
Washington. Senator Cohen was ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy created BY
the death Of the late Senator William
j. Harris. He did not seek the nomina.,
ton this year to succeed himself. : Fer
years he has been a member of the,
Democratic National Committee. fire.
ports are correct, Senator Cohen would
like to have the naval portfolio. or. bar
ring that, he would be glad to be Secre-
tary of War. He was a midshipman at
the Naval Academy for a time in his
younger days. Also he served in the
Army during and after the Spanish
American War
There Is one Democrat to whom the
conversation turns quite naturally when
the selection of Secretary of State is
under diScussion-John w. Davis. His
name is mentioned also in connection
with the Office of Attorney General. and
undoubtedly he would be considered, it
is said. if the time came to fill vacancy
on the Supreme Court. A high regard
for the qualifications Of Mr.. Davis is
responsible for these rumors. His ex-
perience as a public man has been wide
member of the House from West Vir-
ginia, Solicitor General of the United
States, Ambassador to Great Britain and
the Democratic nominee for President
in 1920. Mr.. Davis was active in the