Evening star., 1933-01-02
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

| A peTnAES-pOW-WOW u
to be held In New York next Thursday
when President-elect Franklin d. Roose-
welt and the Democratic leaders Of the
Senate and House sit down together to
| talk over plans and programs. 1t must
have become apparent to Gov. Roosevelt
| in the last few weeks that the Demo-
Gratis in Congress are simply not going
| ahead with any kind of a legislative
| program, either at the present lame
duck" session Of Congress, or at a spe-
cial session of the new Congress with
out first learning what his plans are
and what he approves. Here is, there
fore, a chance to set forth the "Roose-
welt policies" There was another
policies" they were generally dubbed.
The Democratic conference may deal
with two phases-flrst, what the pro-
gram shall be during the present ses,
sion of the Congress, and what shall
be the general policies Of the coming
administration. The general impress
sion of the Democratic leaders who
have been invited to meet with Gov.
Roosevelt at his New York home, Is
that special session of the new Con-
gresS after March 4 is unavoidable.
From Albany have come conflicting re-
anxious to avoid a special session Of the
Congress, and the other that he would
welcome such a session Perhaps this
matter will be cleared up at the con-
ference.
What's to be the policy Of the Demo-
cratic administration toward taxation,
retrenchment and farm relief, not to
mention the tariff, may develop during
the conference. Certainly some definite
kind Of statement regarding these i'm
portant matters would be welcomed.
The time has about come when general
tiles won't fill the bill any longer.
X 4 y
Apparently the need for definite in
formation regarding the legislative pro-
gram to be sponsored by the Democrats
became imperative after last week
manufacturers sales tax fiaSco. Speaker
Garner and Representative Colher OF
Mississippi, chairman OF the House
WAYS and Means Committee, in a kind
Of joint agreement decided that 1t was
necessary to put through legislation
to balance the Governments budget,
and at the same time said that II the
worst came to the worst they would
stand for a sales tax. Some one sug-
gested that these gentlemen could not
possibly have made SO important an
announcement if they had not known
what was in Gov. Rooseyelt's mind.
That set of the powder mine. Resur-
recting the White House spokesman,
the Pfesident-eIect let it be known that
he was Mortified" at the suggestion OF
q sales tax, or any tax increase al this
time. Yet word had been passed about
by at least one Democratic Senator that
Roosevelt was rather in hope that the
Congress at the present session and
before he went into the White House
would balance the budget by adopting
a sales tax. Once his name became
attached to the proposal from the
Democratic House leaders, the Presi-
dent-elect was forced to make his posi-
ton known.
Among those who have been in
vited to attend the Roosevelt confer
ence are the Vice President-elect and
Speaker Garner, Senator Robinson OF
Arkansas, Democratic leader; Majority
Leader Rainey of the House, Senator
Pat Harrison of Mississippi, Senator
Byrnes of South Carolina, Representa-
tive Collier OF Mississippi, chairman
Of the Ways and Means Committee;
Representative Byrns of Tennessee,
chairman of the Appropriations Com
mittee, and Representative McDuftie OF
Alabama, Democratic whip. Perhaps
some of the so-called progressive wing
of the Democratic party will be invited
also to go to New York. The members
of Congress included so far are by no
means radicals, although they would
resent being listed as standpatterS.
They are the men, however, who lead
the Democratic hosts in Congress ans.
1t is scarcely likely that the President
elect would ignore them when it came
to discussing with Democrats the pro-
gram of legislation which he proposes
to back It will be observed, too, that
Gov. Roosevelt has invited all three
of the principal contenders for the
speakership CT the next House to visit
him, thereby avoiding charge that he
is playing a favorite.
4
If the progreSsives in the Democratic
party were cast down by the call of the
more conservative members of Congress
to talk over with the President-elect the
subject Of balancing the budget and
ether matters of legislation, their spirits
may have been revived by Roosevelt s
announced intention of visiting Muscle
Shoals, the great Government-ow
power plant on the Tennessee River, in
company with Senator George w. Nor
ris of Nebraska leader Of the Progress
sive forces which jumped out Of the
Republican fold in the campaign to fol-
low Roosevelt. The announcement Of
RooseVelt's proposed visit to Muscle
Shoals on January 81 followed immedi-
ately on the heels Of the statement that
he had invited the congressional leaders
to meet with him Thursday in New
York.
On this power question it would ap-
pear beyond doubt that the President
elect intends to go forward with the
Progressives. The representatives of the
power interests were strongly opposed
to the nomination of Roosevelt for
President. They did their utmost to
prevent it, allied with other business
interests. Undoubtedly the lines are
forming anew for great struggle over
the power question when the new Con-
gress meets. 1t is not likely that the
great power interests of the country will
take licking lying down. However, the
odds appear to favor entirely the
Progressives 10 this fight today How
lar the more conservative Democrats
will be able to influence Mr. Roosevelt
in this power fight remains to be seen.
During the campaign the President-elect
insisted that Government-owned plants,
like that at Muscle Shoals should be
used as measuring rods" to assure the
public of square deal in the matter
Of costs and services from the privately
owned utility companies.
|
The total popular vote for President
in the election OF 1882, according to the
compilation from official records m. e
by the Associated Press, shows that
39,734,351 voters cast ballots This is
as near the predicted forty million
votes as the prophets had right to ex-
pect. The Democratic candidate for
President, now the President t-elect, re-
ceived total of % ,8I3, ,786 to IS, ,759 .266
for President Hoover. Roosevelt's plu-
rality was greater than that of Hoover