Evening star., 1934-09-16
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
EFT us try to estimate what will
49,, MAxynvsa he

- trends will be established. Inc
possible outcomes must be
stated merely in terms Of degree of
Democratic victory. One degree OF
Democratic victory would have one
effect; another degree, different
effect.
That the Republicans should win a
ma jority in either House or Senate Is
literally impossible. In the Senate
the Republicans will be fortunate If
they do not lose a seat or two, be-
cause the vacancies arising this year
Zone third of the whole Senate) are
so distributed geographically and
otherwise as to put strong handi-
cap on the Republicans. Most of the
Senate seats now held by Democrats
and becoming vacant are in territory
strongly Democratic-hence the Dem
ocratS will hold these seats. But
many of the Senate seats now held by
Republicans and becoming vacant are
in doubtful territory, such States as
West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Mary
land and Missouri-hence the Repub-
hcans may lose some of these seats.
In the House, while the Republi-
cans are fairly certain to make some
gains, the result of the Maine elec-
ton makes it doubtful whether the
Republican gains will be large.
G. o. p. Weak in House.
The present numbers in the House
are: Democrats, $40; Republicans,
IT. (Some eight seats are vacant or
held by Farmer-Labor members.) }
Hence, in a total of 435 seats the Re-
publicanS now have not only less
than half, but actually less than a
third. Lack of a majority in the
present House makes the Republi-
cans weak enough, but lack Of even a
third makes them still weaker, for
possession of more than two-thirds
by the Democrats enables their
leaders to impose rules which deny to
the Republicans even the opportunity
for debate.
What is needed, for the good of
everybody, including the Democrats
and New Dealers, is enough Republi-
can gains to assure vigorous oppo-
sition party, able to prevent what
happened often in the recent Con-
gress-passage of legislation which
had not been read by hardly any
members, which was not even under
stood by the Democratic leaders
legislation which had been written
by the young intellectuals in the ad-
ministration and was accepted by the
immense Democratic majority in the
House without change.
The most important result of ma.
! terial Republican gains would be its
effect on President Roosevelt. Mr.
Roosevelt is engaged In a course
| which he calls "readjustment ol
many of our social and economic ar
rangements." The word Mr.. Donald
Richberg and others have used for
it is revolution" The more precise
word, used by many Democratic lead
ers in private conversation, is state
Socialism"
Effect on President.
Whatever the word for it, If the
Democrats should win overwhelm-
ingly in the congressional elections
Mr.. Roosevelt would be inclined to 90
farther with it. (This would be es-
peclally true if at the same time the
Socialist, Mr.. Sinclair, running for
Governor on the Democratic ticket in
California, should get a majority. }
If, on the other hand, the Republi-
cans should make material gains, Mr..
Roosevelt would consider modifying
his course. Also, the Democrats in
Congress who in their hearts do not
like the course would bring pressure
on Mr.. Roosevelt to change it.
The best education of the public
for the coming election, the best serv-
ice that can be done by Republican
speakers, by the American Liberty
League and by other opposition lead
ers is to make clear just where Amer
lea is being led, just what the New
Deal is. And the best way to make
the New Deal clear is to explain and
explain and again explain. This is
no time for old-fashioned political or
atory, nor the familiar epithets of
past campaigns. What is needed is
clariflcation, and the best way to
make the issue clear is to recite con-
crete cases of the New Deal in opera
ton.
Here is one characteristic case:
This Actually Happened.
The Spencer Chick Hatchery is a
small business in the Iowa county
seat town OF Spencer. Its employees
vary from IL to 20, according to the
season; it has never had any wage or
other form of labor controversy; its
pay roll Is one of the largest in the
little town.
Last Spring, when the hatchery in
dustry was being forced under an A.
A. A. code, the Spencer firm did not
sign. This made no difference, since
all the firms in any industry are
bound by the code whether they sign
or not. The Spencer hatchery, disre-
gardlng the code, sold their chicks at
such prices as seemed to them proper.
Thereupon the Spencer hatchery be-
gan to be harassed by long distance
telephone calls and other threatening
communications from the code au-
thority. The code authority has the
status of a Government official; he is
an agent of the President; his power
flows from the code and the code,
when signed by the President, as it
must be, Is, as this code authority
put it, Federal law"
One of the threats received by the
Spencer hatchery from the code au-
thority was a telegram reading as
follows:
Italy Wins Great B: