Evening star., 1933-02-12

buL LIE ulJtllblUll VI al eASAC IA
not to fall into the familiar type Of
complaint about a ''do-nothing" Con-
!. eress, nor about the essential vice OF
lame duck" Congress. 1t happens
that, from the "do-nothingness" oil
this particular Congress, some rather
important surmises about the future
can be made. 1t happens also that
lack of accomplishment on the part
Of this Congress has not been due to
the lame ducks" 1t has been due
rather, to those leaders who are not
'1ame ducks" Particularly 1t has
been due to the leaders of the Demo-
cratic party At first their course was
one of drifting; more lately 1t has
been a deliberate program of throwing
matters over to the new Congress after
have control of everything
House, Senate and House.
The query is: Why did the Demo-
cratic leaders adopt, or fall into
whichever it was-this course about
the present Congress? And what does
this policy of the Democratic leaders
in this Congress portend about their
course in the next Congress? To Mr..
Frank Kent, writing in the Democratic
Baltimore Sun, the course of the Demo-
cratic leaders about the present Congress
Is 'incomprehensible. To attempt to
reconcile them (the actions of the
reason. is completely futile. It simply
cannot be done"
Resisted Special Session.
In the beginning the Democratic
leaders expected to get several matters
concluded in this session. There can
be no doubt of that whatever. They
went on record with that purpose re-
peatedly and conspicuously The best
evidence of it is that Mr Roosevelt
and leaders close to him wanted very
much to avoid special session Of the
new CongreSs-precisely that special
session which is now forced upon him
by lack Of accomplishment on the part
of the present Congress.
The Democratic state Of mind, and
the program of the highest rank in
the Democratic hierarchy, after the
election last Fall, was determined by
the campaign pledges of their plat
form and their candidates. One or the
other Of these had promised specific
ally, among other things:
Initiation of repeal of the prohibi-
ton amendment;
Immediate legalization of beer:
Farm relief legislation in a specific
FORM
And balancing of the budget-the
latter to be made up, of course, Of two
parts; more taxes and reduction of
Government expenses.
j. To this program the Democrats were
committed. They accepted the COM
mitment and had no intention Of evad-
ing it.
That was half the state of mind of
the Democratic leaders last December
when the present session of Congress
met. The other half of their state of
mind was preference to avoid special
session of the new Congress.
tThe reader should bear in mind that
the present. old Congress expires March
4, that thereafter the new Congress
comes into potential existence; but that
the new Congress would not normally
sit until next December; and that only
by President Roosevelt calling a special
session does the new Congress come
into being earlier than next December. }
Had Two Reasons.
Democratic leaders, including par
ticularly Mr.. Roosevelt, had two sound
reasons for wanting to avoid a special
session: They wished that the new
President might have nine months in
which to organize his own branch of
the Government and get momentum
without having Congress on his
hands; and they felt that business re-
covery from depression might be IA
cilitated by long period of absence
OF Congress from Washington.
Here, then, was the program, the
intention, the state of mind of Demo-
cratic leaders last December: To enact
in the present Congress, in order tC
escape necessity of calling a special
session Of the new Congress after
March f.
Since they had that intention, what
Is to be inferred from their present
course of not pushing their campaign
pledges in this Congress, of throwing
formidable quantity of important
matters over into the new Congress?
Let us admit at once that there is 6
convincing partial reason for the pres.
ent Democratic course. Their hope ol
evading a special session of the new
Congress evaporated pretty early. They
started out, with determined intention
and with extraordinary energy, to gel
their campaign pledges fulfilled by the
present Congress.
On the opening day, indeed in the
opening hour in the opening minute
they made strong drive to fulfill the
most conspicuous of their pledges, to
initiate repeal of the eighteenth amend.
ment. Tie very instant of the con-
vening of the House, before goine
through the formalities which have
attended every opening session for IA
years, before sending to the President
the usual notice that Congress had
convened. the Democratic management
of the House brought on the fiool
under a special rule a resolution fol
repeal of the eighteenth amendment
1t required a two-thirds majority.
failed by six votes to get the necessar.
two-thirds For that failure the Demo
cratic leadership cannot be held re-
sponsible. They control only bar,
majority of the present Congress.
Made Extra Session Necessary.
That episode on the opening da!
of the present session made it certain
that the Democrats could not enac
their most important campaign pleog
in this session. That failure, in short
made it imperative that Mr.. Roosevelt
must call special session of the neN
Congress soon after March 4.
We might stop here and conclud
that this explains everything W
might assume that the Democrats oe
cided, since they could not get IN
most important detail OF their pro
SIan endCLeQ, anu SlIlcc tiiCy hi"'
call special session of the new Con
gress anyhow, therefore they might q
well let the whole of their program 9
over to the new session.
But this explanation leaves some
thing still to be explained. One par
of the Democratic program was and
TO balance the budget. Balancing tn
budget consists of two parts, laying ne'
taxes and reducing Government ex
penses These two things the Demo
Gratis must do, II they are to live VI
to their pledge. Since they are not do
ing it in the present session they mus
do 1t In the special session.
Now why do the Democrats leav
these two things to the special session
Why do they not attempt these tw
things, partially at least, in the pres
ent session? That is what Mr. Fran
Kent. experienced In politics regard