Evening star., 1934-12-27
|ThePOIiticaI Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

|
ganizes. There has been q lot Of talk
about the advisability and the fairness
of picking a Democratic floor leader
from the North or the West, since the
speakership is to 60 to Representative
Joseph w. Byrns of Tennessee. But
what has happened to date? The
New York delegation, largest In the
House, has split over O'Connor of New
York City and Tammany on the one
hand and Representative Mead from
upstate Buffalo on the other. Rep
resentative John Mccormack of
Massachusetts, a comparative new
conner but nevertheless highly regarded
in the House as one of the outstanding
younger members, has not been able
so far to bring about any real measure
Of unity in his favor. Representative
SABBATH Of Illinois has put in his claim
to the Democratic leadership. He is
ranking Democratic member of the
House in length of service, and is con-
cluding his twenty-e eighth year in that
body. The late Speaker Rainey was
hailed also from Illinois and had had
two years longer service in the House
than Mr. SABBATH. The SABBATH can
didacy, however, has not brought an
enthusiastic response.
Il 4 ~
The two principal contenders from
the South for the Democratic floor
leadership of the House are Represent
ative William B. Bankhead of Ala
bama, at present chairman Of the
powerful Rules Committee, and Rep
resentative John E. Rankin Of Missis-
sippi. The former has had 18 years
in the House and the latter IA. Mr..
Bankhead is veteran Of many skir-
miSheS in the House He has been re-
garded as one of the most able mem
bers Of the body. AS chairman Of the
Rules Committee he has been one Of
the triumvirate which really controls
the House in large part-the Speaker,
the floor leader and the rules chair
man. Mr.. Rankin IS an aggressive
and progressive Southern Democrat.
1t was not long ago he was issuing
statement declaring that the Demo-
cratic leadership in Congress was far
behind the President in progressiveism.
| + Il
Bankhead has many friends in the
House and If the floor leadership goes
South" he is expected to be the man.
There has been a concerted drive by
his friends to put him across for this
position. II he Is chosen leader by the
Democratic caucus, then O'Connor of
New York will become chairman of
the Rules Committee, since he is the
ranking Democrat on that committee.
Mr.. O'Connor stands to win some
thing, it Is clear. whether he or Mr..
Bankhead is chosen floor leader
Whereas, If Mr.. Mead, his New York
opponent for the floor leadership,
should be picked for that Office, Mr.
O'Connor would get nothing, Mr.
Bankhead remaining as chairman Of
the Rules Committee.
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Due to the very large Democratic
ma jority in the House, the Democrats
from the North and the West out
number the Democratic members from
the South. The inability Of these
Northern and Western delegations to
get together has made it diffcult to
oppose any formidable opposition to
the Southerners in the floor leadership
contest. O'Connor. If he went in as
leader, would bear the Tammany label.
The Roosevelt administration has been
charged in some quarters with trying
to "Tammanyize" the Nation-in some
Democratic quarters at that. A Tam
many man as Democratic leader of the
House might not sit so well, it is said.
1t is possible that the Northerners and
the Westerners may be able to unite
finally on candidate. But they have
not much time left, and it is clear that
if they do not Mr. Bankhead proba bly,
will be the next leader. The astute
Pennsylvania delegation, when there
was plethora of candidates for the
speakership, recently settled matters
by announcing that it intended to
4 cast all its votes in the caucus for
Representative Joe Byrns. the present
Democratic floor leader, for Speaker.
Perhaps the Keystone State delegation
will be able to pull another fast one
in connection with the leadership of
the House.
The Democrats in the House have
been faithful for many years to the
plan of advancing their floor leader
to the office of Speaker. 1t happened
in the case of the late Champ Clark of
Missouri and Vice President John N.
Garner of Texas. For that reason the
Office of floor leader is particularly
desirable. 1t is regarded not only as
an Office of great importance. but as
stepping stone to still higher honors.
To the Roosevelt administration it is
highly important that leader of the
Democratic party in the House of
strength and ability be chosen. In a
measure, it is a more important key
position for the administration than
is the speakership.
The White House is not going to
interfere with the carrying on of the
investigation of the munitions makers
by the Senate Special Committee
headed by Senator Gerald P. Nye OF
North Dakota, it now appears. Sen
ator Nye, after a conference with
President Roosevelt, came away with
the distinct understanding that the
Chief Executive would urge the Senate
to grant the funds necessary to con-
| lIlC ~ tAAoO Soo1SS
should become necessary. The ap-
pointment by the President Of COM
mittee of his own to look into the
, question of taking the profit out OF
war recently caused quite a hubbuh
on Capitol Hill. Senators charged
, that the President was trying to steal
their thunder. Apparently the mat
, ter has been successfully Strengthened
out by the President with the chair
man of the Senate committee. What
{ the President suggested was, it seems
, that when the committee had con-
, cluded its investigation, it should CO.
, operate with the Presidential Com
, mittee, headed by Bernard M. Baruch
: in formulating legislative proposals fol
: removing the profits from war. 1t is
. going to be difficult to deal with the
: munitions question successfully, it ap-
pears, and at the same time not upset
. the national defense apple cart. Yet
! it seems perfectly clear that no one
) should make money profit out OF