Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-10-04
National Topics Interpreted


the two-thirds majority they have in
the house of representatives and an
equally determined drive by the Repub-
hcan high command to break the
"strangle hold" there Of the New Deal
party.
The holding Of this majority is of
vital Importance to the Democrats be-
cause, with a two-thirds vote they will
be able in the next congress to con-
tinue "gag" rule which was invoked in
the last congress and under which 1t
was possible to pass administration
measures with q minimum Of debate
and effort.
In the light of the outcome In the
Maine elections and in the face of the
size of Democratic votes In the pri-
maries In number Of states regarded
as rather safely Republican before
1882, the G. o. P. leadership apparently
has hard task ahead. In the last
congress the Democrats had 312 mem
bers, or % more than two-thirds ma.
5ority and generally were able to com.
mand most Of the five votes Of the
farmer-labor membership as well as
the votes Of several Republicans from
Wisconsin and from one or two other
OF the northwestern states. Assuming
a farmer-labor membership in the next
house as great as that in the last, the
Republicans would have to register a
net gain of not less than thirty seats
N To Sc, Gg1%
hold" Even with such a gain the Re
publicans would have to muster their
full strength on every vote in order to
prevent gag" rule.
The Democrats are certain to make
substantial gains in the senate, and
they are by no means overlooking a
single senatorial contest. Democratic
leaders in headquarters here have been
mentally kicking themselves ever since
the Maine election that they did not
put on a vigorous drive against Sen
ator Frederick Hale in that state. They
explain privately that they did not do
80 because they never had an idea
there was possibility Of defeating Mr..
Hale because a Hale in the senate has
been Maine tradition for generations.
They detected the flaw in their reason
Ing when Mr.. Hale came through with
only very scant majority, and this
fact has caused them to redouble their
efforts in other states, and particularly
In Ohio where Simeon D. Tess, former
chairman Of the Republican national
f0 nj In,
Maryland. West Virginia, Rhode Island,
New Jersey, Missouri, Indiana, Della
ware, Connecticut and Michigan. Nor
are they even overlooking that citadel
of Republicanism, Pennsylvania, where
David A. Reed is up for reelection.
The Democrats now have sixty mem
bers in the senate-four short of
two-thirds majority-and they are con-
fident that November will see this
membership increased by minimum
of five, or one more than a two-thirds
majority. And when they get down to
cases, Republican leaders somewhat
mournfully admit privately that Demo
cratic expectations are likely to be full
filled.
A two-thirds majority in the senate
during the next two years is highly i'm
portant from the Democratic point of
view because of the number of impor.
tant treaties now pending or to be sub
mitted to that body for ratification. A
two-thirds majority Is necessary to rat
ify these treaties which include the St
Lawrence waterway-of vital impor-
lance to the agricultural Northwest;
the naval limitation treaty which Is
expected to be negotiated next year
and which would replace the Washing
ton treaty which expires on December
81, 1885. Other pacts pending include
that on American adherence to the
World court. And another important
one to be submitted by the President
provides that nations having bi-lateral
treaties containing most favored ma
tions clauses will not press their rights
in those sections of the world where
multi-lateral treaties control.
1t Is no secret in political circles here
in Washington that the campaign STRAIT
Talk of emf IN command Of
Third Party the G. o. p. does not
meet with the full
approval Of some Republicans who are
offering for reelection. have had
several of them tell me that their pros
poets for victory would be materially
enhanced II the Republican high com.
mand stayed out of their states or dis,
tricts. These are men who heretofore
have been regarded as of the regular"
wing Of the party but who have the
feeling which apparently is becoming
more and more widespread among the
younger leaders that there must be a
reorganization of the Republican party
and younger and more liberal leader
ship II the party Is to regain its place
In the American political sun.
Meantime reports trickle into Wash
ington about a movement having its
inception on the western prairies for
the formation of third party. Sew.
eral conferences of progressive leaders
already have been held and some Of
those who have participated tell me
that the movement is gaining steadily.
although 1t has had no publicity as yet.