Evening star., 1933-04-12
Reaction in the Senate.

gram LIEU lIS LISt OppOSltlOu 1IOIn
Democrats Of the Senate yesterday.
Senator Ellison D. Smith Of South
Carolina, for twenty-four years a mem
Der Of the Upper House, and Senator
Huey Long of Louisiana, one of the
youngest members, joined in the as
sault. Particularly did they focus their
criticism upon the economy act, the
reforestation act and the pending farm
bill. But Mr.. Long, with that buoy
ancy and self-assurance for which he
IS famous, ridiculed the whole Roosevelt
program, asserting that while the ad-
ministration had cut governmental ex-
penditures to the bone through the
economy act, at the same time 1t had
provided for spending $500, 900, 900 for
relief in the States, another 5000, ,000,-
600 for reforestation and was planning
still further outlays calculated to leave
the Governments budget-''booget," he
called it-as unbalanced as ever.
It is no news that Senator Smith has
been unfriendly to President Roosevelt,s
farm bill. He tried to start revolt
against the measure In the Committee
on Agriculture, Of which he Is a mem
Der, but the President called the commit
tee members to the White House and Mr..
Smith found that he could get nowhere
with the revolt idea. The bill, 1t has
been said. win pass no matter what Mr..
Smith thinks about it. Just what burr
has been fastened to the seat of Senator
Longs pants has not yet been disclosed.
He made reference to the fact that Presi-
dent Roosevelt has been reported in the
press as withholding patronage" from
the Senators to use 1t as club to force
through his legislation. He added that
he has hitherto voted for the Roosevelt
bills saying, II have not voted for these
bills because I feared I was not going
to get any patronage. So far as am
concerned in voting, they can take my
patronage and CO." So it cannot be
that Mr. Long has been disappointed or
has not been able to get from the White
House what he may have asked for.
Whatever the motivating causes behind
the attacks made upon the Presidents
program BY Messrs Smith and Long.
they were severe. And nothing bites
more deeply than ridicule. When the
Louisiana Senator presented to view q
box which he claimed held the teeth"
OF . veteran who had sent them to
"some Senator who could use them"
since they were no longer Of value to
him after the passage of the economy
act. the Senate galleries were rocked
with laughter. Mr.. Longs description
Of the Roosevelt pet reforestation bill
as an act for planting saplings" and
his assertion that he would "eat every
one Of them that comes up In my
State" scarcely bears out his state
ment that he remains the friend of the
President.
Senator Robinson Of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader of the upper house,
rose to the defense Of the Presidents
program. Particularly did he resent the
criticism Of the President made by Mr..
Long, who asserted that 100000 more
men are out Of work today than when
Roosevelt entered the White House and
that many Of the banks which were closed
by the Roosevelt order will never open.
Mr.. Robinson insisted that the Presi-
dent had shown great courage in hating
the huge expenditures Of the Govern
ment through the economy act. He
declared that the President Is doing a
wonderful work" and added, "For Gods
sake, let US uphold his hands and give
him a full measure Of encouragement
and assistance