Evening star., 1934-06-09
SENATORS TO QUIZ.
TUGWE[L ON VIEWS.
Agriculture Committee In
structed to Bring Up Nom-
ination by Tuesday.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Bringing to a head the intra-party
fight among the Democrats over the
naming of Rexford G. Tugwell to be
Undersecretary of Agriculture. the
Senate Agriculture Committe is under
instructions to report out the nomi-
nation by Tuesday noon, and will
preface this with an open hearing
Monday at which Tugwell will be
questioned.
These two developments came late
Yesterday after extensive debate in
which the Democrats alone particl-
pated. In the course of the sharp
exchange. Chairman Smith, who has
been accused of trying to smother
the nomination, denied he had pre-
vented the committe from acting
on it. and said he had no objection
to Tugwell personally, but felt that
a dirt farmer should get the job
one familiar with the problems of
the man in the field" He directed
the hearing.
Robinson Opens Debat.
The row yesterday started when
Senator Robinson. the Democratic
leader, called up motion to dis
charge the Agriculture Committee
from further consideration of the
nomination.
Senator Byrd of Virginia was OPP
posed to taking the nomination ol.
of the committees hands because he
wanted Tugwell called before it so
he could ask him why he hadn't
answered a letter the Virginian wrote
him a week ago.
Other Democrats quickly Joined in
the verbal fray. At times half dozen
or more we're clamoring for recognl-
ton. The usual senatorial forms Of
address were forgotten as tempers
rose and Senator Ashurst. Democrat.
of Arizona. presiding. invoked the
seldom mentioned rule that by yield
ing more than twice a Senator lost
the floor.
After a quorum call. Smith swung
into a staunch defense of his course
of action in speech that made it
plain that his opposition to Tugwell
was no whit diminished.
Charges Parliamentary Trick.
In the first place. he said, the Job
of Undersecretary of Agriculture was
created without action by his COM
mittee and through a parliamentary
trick At the same time, he said,
his committee had before it reso-
luton to create such Q position to
which he was opposed.
The most important function dele
gated to the committee was taken
from it and railroadeo through" he
said Il suspected that DR.. Tugwell
would be appointed And later de-
velopnents have borne me out. l was
opposed to him then. and am op-
posed to him now"
Any member of the committee, he
contended, could have moved at any
time to take up the nomination sub
sequently submitted, he said, but such
a motion was not made
The truth of the matter" was that
other members of the committee were
mo more enthusiastic than I was"
he added.
Senator Wheeler. Democrat, of
Montana reminded Smith that he at
one time asked that the nomination
be considered and Smith replied that
he thought the request of the Mon
tanan had not been seriously intended.
Other Considerations Involved.
Byrd prefaced his remarks with a
statement that he felt the President
should have the widest latitude in
choosing his executive assistants, but
that the Tugwell case involved other
considerations.
Il believe he has no proper concep-
tion of the principles of this Govern
ment." he asserted.
Referring to amendments to the ag-
ricultural adjustment act now pend
ing. Byrd said Tugwell and others in
the department have deliberately
usurped the powers of Congress and
now ask that we validate illegal acts
that they have already committed" !"
Senator Gore of Oklahoma, another
Democrat. referred to a speech made
by Tugwell in 1881 in which he quot
ed Tugwell as saying that the SOW
ereignty of the States must be abol-
ished before national planning can be
brought about.
He wanted to know whether Tug
we'll would take his oath to support
the Constitution without "any mental
reservations"
Senator Black of Alabama inter-
posed that he had read Tugwells
books, but had never seen assertions
such as that attributed to him by
Gore.
Robinson finally ended the argu-
ment by asking unanimous consent
that his motion be referred to the
committee with instructions that it
report the nomination by Tuesday at
noon. But the row was not to be so
easily smoothed over.
"I1l object to anything about DR..
Tugwell," shouted Senator Dill Of
Washington, also a Democrat.
VERY we'll, then," replied Robinson.
II will put it in the form of a mo-
ton"
The motion was carried by an over
whelming voice vote.