Evening star., 1933-02-07
Control of the Senate.


The polite fiction that the Republi-
cans control the present session, set up
by Senator Joseph T Robinson of Ar
kansas, Democratic leader of that body,
in an effort to excuse the Senate for its
failure to accomplish constructive leg
islation or even to pass appropriation
bills, was completely smashed by vote
of the Senate itself yesterday. The
test came on motion of the Republi-
can leader, Senator James E. Watson of
Indiana, to hold an executive session
for the purpose of confirming appoint
ments to Office submitted by President
Hoover. BY vote of Al to 81 the
Democrats and their allies on the Re
publican side of the chamber rejected
this proposal. 1t was Senator Vanden-
berg of Michigan, Republican, who sug-
gested such test, after Senator Robin
son of Arkansas had vigorously assailed
the Republicans, charging them with
neglecting the work of the Senate and
with efforts to ''hamstring" the Demo-
cratic administration of Franklin D.
Roosevelt even before it got started. The
Michigan Senator admitted that the
fate of the country did not hang upon
the confirmation of number of post
masters and other Government officials
named by the Republican President.
His contention, and it seemed entirely
justified, was that the vote showed con-
clusively that the Republicans did not
have control of the Senate, but that the
actual control lay with the Democrats
and the Republican insurgents
The fact that Republicans had no
control over the Senate for Republican
administration measures has been en-
tirely clear for months-indeed, for the
past two years. Senator Robinson by
his criticism Of the Republicans in the
Senate yesterday invited the test which
proved that control really lies with the
Democrats in the Upper House of Con-
gress. And the Democratic control of
the Senate unfortunately has shown
no cohesive strength. Weeks of the
time of the Senate during the present
session were exhausted because of
row among the Democrats over the
Glass bank reform bill, with Senator
Long of Louisiana and Senator Thomas
Of Oklahoma defying Senator Carter
Glass of Virginia =
1t must be the hope of any Ameri-
can who desires to see accomplishment
on Capitol Hill and something done
for the country and not merely for
political parties or for individual poll
ticians that in the coming Congress
the Democrats will demonstrate a very
different brand of control. If they are
to be subjected to such strife in their
own ranks as has wrecked the Repub-
licanS in the Senate during the last
decade and more, the country will be-
gin to lose faith in the existing system
OF government. Nearly a dozen Re
publican Senators, so-called, have been
in coalition with the Democrats to pre-
vent favorable action on Republican ad-
ministration measures that were sup
ported by the majority of the Repub-
licans in the Senate. The Democrats
are to have flfty-nine Senators in the
new Congress. Should a dozen of them
undertake to perform as have the in
surgent Republicans during the Hoover
administration it will be just too bad
for President-elect Roosevelt, and much
worse for the country.
1t is well understood that the
Republican inSurgents-even the four
Senators who supported Roosevelt
actively in the campaign last year
are to retain their status in the Re-
publican organization Of the Senate,
for the Republican leadership of the
Senate will prefer to temporize with
them than to cut them off. But what
happens to the Republican insurgents
in the new Congress is not particularly
important to the American people right
now. What is important is that the
Democrats shall not be split wide open
by factions. but shall be able to func-
ton and to put through legislation
sponsored by the Roosevelt administra-
ton. If the performances of the Demo-
Gratis in the present session are to be
taken as a criterion there is not a
great deal of hone.