Evening star., 1933-01-19
The Political Mill
By G. Could LincoIn.

e~es0ee>D
Roosevelt. President-elect, for real
leadership after March 4. Some Of the
Democrats frankly admit that the only
hope lies in Mr.. Roosevelt. A. one
veteran Democratic Senator puts It:
This = 2 presidential country: The
people look to the President for leader
ship and for action, not to Congress. This
theless. Members Of Congress are not
nationally minded; they cannot afford
to be. Any member Of the Senate or
the House who gives his attention to
national Affairs and gives them pre-
cedence over the particular interests Of
his State or congressional district will
soon be retired to private life. Under
these circumstances the Congress today
Is ruled by groups and blocs, represent
ing various interests but not the whole
people. Unless the President OF the
United States is real leader and Is
able to take Congress by the throat and
make It do what he considers wise for
the whole country there will be chaos
here In Washington"
This Is pretty strong language, but
the Senator spoke feelingly and as one
who had been through the mill for
many years. He sees his party coming
ipto full control Of the Government.
He sees no hope for 1t except in Presi-
dent-elect Roosevelt. If Mr.. Roosevelt
fails to dominate Congress, he looks for
four years Of ineffective government
The most effective Presidents, when
it comes to getting legislation through
Congress to carry out their programs in
the last quarter century, have been
Roosevelt and Wilson. President Hoo
yer did . good job at 1t as long as the
House Of Representatives remained
strongly Republican, which was during
the first two years Of his administra-
ton. He never had q real Senate ma
tority to back him up, ewing to the
large group Of progressives In that
body-some Of whom opposed Mr. Hoo
ver'S election In 1928 and were ready to
make things as difficult for him as
possible from the drop Of the hat. Will
soD for six years Of the eight he served
in the White House mad working and
workable Democratic majorities in both
houses Of Congress. During. those years
he dominated the Congress, and what
he wanted went through. In the last
two years Of his administration the Re-
publicans blocked his program, lust as
the Democrats have blocked in con-
siderable part the Hoover program now.
Roosevelt had Republican majorities in
Congress right up to the time he quit.
Both Roosevelt and Wilson did not
hesitate to call in their marty leaders in
Congress and tell them just where to
get of, If they showed signs of revolt.
They did not hesitate to put individual
members of the Senate and House "on
the spot" if they would not fall in with
their plans and go out and stir up
their States and districts against these
recalcitrant members.
y
Franklin D. Roosevelt may be "an-
other Roosevelt" or he may not in this
particular respect. Up to the present
time he has been known, ss he has
shown himself to be, shrewd politi-
clan, capable Of bringing warning fac
tons of his own party together. He
may be able to continue along this
line when he comes to deal with Con-
gress. But one thing seems certain-he
will have to adopt his own program and
make the Democrats adhere to it. There
are too many factions among the con-
gressional Democrats: too many vari-
ances Of views Of public questions and
h'SACc. AA tAlC Olu Qdyo tllC Gull
servative Presidents said that the duty
of legtslating was Congress and that it
was proper for the Chief Executive to
advise Congress. but to keep his hands
on the actual work of legislation. Well,
that procedure doesn't work any longer.
Unless 1t IS steered by a strong hand
from the White House, Congress Is
particularly mpotent, divided into
groups and cliques. representing all
kinds OF interests, and none of them
thinking solely OF the good of the whole
people.
The President-elect is in Washington
today. conferring with his party leaders
In Senate and House Tomorrow he
Is to talk again with President Hoover
regarding the foreign relations of the
United States, including the debts owe:.
this country. He is in an unfortunate
position just now. He is not President
The newly elected Congress has not
come into office, with its huge Demo-
cratic majorities. He is not in q DO
sition to dominate his party in Con-
gress as he will be after March T. So
there seems to be little reason why he
should 60 out Of the way to side with
the Glass and Robinson clique or the
example. When he moves into the
White House Mr.. Roosevelt will be in
position to talk turkey to these Dem
ocrats. He has huge club in his
hands, Federal patronage. He also will
be In position to start backfires at
home against Democrats In Congress
who undertake to hamstring his pro-
gram.
What Mr.. Roosevelt needs more thar
anything else in the world right now
or he will need it March 4-is q pro-
gram of definite legislation calculated
to carry out the platform pledges OF
the Democrats. He may have such q
program in the process of formation
It has been reported that he has had
agents in Washington making study
of many questions. who are reporting
to him. 1t does not necessarily have
to be a program with many major
points. But it must have a farm-relief
feature and a tax feature, plus Gov
ernment economy. 1t must also be def
mite with regard to prohibition. the
kind of a beer bill to be enacted and
the kind of a repeal resolution to be
submitted to the States for ratification
X u X
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee Democrats have finally an
nounced there is to be no effort at
budget balancing; that the balancing OF
the budget must 60 over until the spe-
cial session OF the new Congress, which
they expect Roosevelt to call not later
than the middle of April. Whether this
be wise or not, it Is practical. There
seems absolutely no way Of get
ting through the old Congress at the
session which ends March revenue
legislation calculated to balance the
budget. While the Democrats control
the House, it is by a narrow margin
and they have no control Of the Senate
unless the Republican insurgents vote
with them. The Republican insurgents
are not inclined to favor lot of Dem
Ocratic measures to raise revenue any
more than they approve President Hoo
ver's demand for q sales tax. So there
Is definitely to be a special session of
the new Congress. as has been expected
ever since the present session Of Con-
OroSc nnonod 1acf