Evening star., 1933-03-06
The Political Mill
By G.. Gould LincolR.

The new Congress r. coming to
Washington Thursday-most Of its
members are already here. The country
hopes it Is not coming here to play
politics. II the leaders Of both parties
are correct, politics for partisan ad-
vantage, personal or party, will be
avoided. What the country needs Is
action, Is President Roosevelt has de-
clared. It remains to be seen how these
pledges are carried out. II ever there
was need for cooperation between
Democrats and Republicans and Re-
publicans and Democrats, the time
seems to be here. The new President
already has gone into action. He has
invoked the provisions Of the trading
with the enemy act, put through during
the World War, to call q halt to the
depletion of gold reserves and the
boarding Of currency. His legislative
program is still to be advanced. 1t
will be ready, he insists. when the
Congress meets.
What the country needs is q restora-
ton of confidence in its banks. With
confidence will now back into the banks
and into normal trade the vast sums
which have been withdrawn in recent
weeks and months and placed in safe
deposit boxes and the old sock. 1t Is
obvious that the banks have been per-
mitted to engage In certain kinds Of
business which they should not have
engaged In. Furthermore, the banking
system Of the country, q dual system
side by side, has been nothing to brag
about. Demands for q unified system
have been made many times. Right
there politics, and local politics, have
entered into the picture.
The leadership question In the
House Of Representatives has been
settled. Henry T. Rainey Of Illinois
goes in as Speaker by virtue Of the
nomination given him by the Demo-
Gratis Of the House, and Representative
Joseph w. Byrns of Tennessee be-
comes Democratic floor leader. The
Craftsmanship Of the Rules Committee
has been held In the last Congress by
Representative Pou OF North Carolina,
and ranking next to him stands Repre-
sentative Bankhead Of Alabama. The
nomination Of Mr.. Rainey for Speaker
principal opponents, Representative
McDufie OF Alabama, was worsted In
the triangular race for the speaker
ship, and his other main opponent
Representative Byrns was made the
Democratic floor leader. Indeed, the
avoidance OF a deadlock In the Demo-
cratic caucus for the speakership
nomination was made possible by the
retirement Of Mr. Byrns from the race
He retired with the understanding that
he was to have Mr.. Raineys support
for floor leader and he was to give Mr.
Rainey his own support for Speaker.
The McDufie opposition was left ma
rooned. The charge that deal was
forces may be entirely made by the
McDuffie people. but it was the kind of
deal that frequently is made to bring
an end to q deadlock Certainly the
McDufiie people were playing practical
politics when they went into the speak
ership race. II they lost because the
others were quicker on the trigger.
there seems no good reason now for a
political row within the ranks OF the
Democrats in the House.
President Roosevelt, confronted with
the need Of filling the vacancy in his
cabinet caused by the death Of the late
Senator Thomas J. Walsh. turned to
an old friend and supporter. Homer
Cummings of Connecticut. Mr.. Cum
mings led the fight in Connecticut last
Spring for . Roosevelt delegation to the
Democratic National Convention. The
Smith Democrats, however, won out,
and Mr. Cummings. although he went
as a delegate to the convention. was
under the unit rule, voted for Smith
IN the balloting for a presidential
nominee. The appointment Of Cum
mings to be Attorney General gives
land, which had been ignored in the
Roosevelt cabinet. It does not, however
give recognition to the great mass Of
Smith Democrats in that section Of the
country. Mr. Roosevelt may get to this
later. At present he Is surrounded in
his cabinet by 100 per cent Roosevelt
supporters. three of whom are former
Republicans. However, Mr.. Roosevelt
was elected President by huge turn
over Of Republican votes to the Demo-
cratic ticket. II he has recognized this
revolt in the Republican party, it
should not be a matter Of surprise.
4
Some Of the regular Democrats we're
a trifle disgruntled over the picking of
so many former Republicans for cabinet
places, but as one of the Democratic
Senators remarked when he looked over
the cabinet list-"We still have . ma
jority In the cabinet"
Mr.. Cummings, the new Attorney
General, Is an able lawyer While the
announcement was made that his ap-
pointment to the cabinet might be Of
temporary character and that eventu-
ally he would be sent as Governor Gen.
eral to the Philippines, post to which
he had already been assigned by Mr.
Roosevelt, circumstances may arise to
keep him longer in the ONCE of At
torney General. II he goes out of the
cabinet, however, could President
Roosevelt pick q more colorful figure.
a more eminent lawyer and prosecutor
than former Senator James A. Reed
Of Missouri?