Evening star., 1934-11-19
ThePOlitical Mill
BY G.. Could Lincoln.

The Democratic national organiza-
tion, through Chairman James A.
Farley, sets up the figure of President
Roosevelt as the main buffer of the
country against radical measures. At
the same title, the Democratic Ma
tional Committee issues a statement.
bearing the name of Senator Joseph
T. Robinson of Arkansas, Senate
leader, attacking the suggestion of
Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Mich
igan, Republican, that there should
be virtually coalition government"
The Democrats apparently still be-
| lieve that they are capable of carrying
| forward the government Of the coun-
try satisfactorily. Senator Robinson
was particularly bitter in his denun-
citation of the plan of Senator VAN
denberg to give Republican aid in
working for recovery-under Demo-
cratic leadership provided Post
master General Farley gave up his
| job as chairman Of the Democratic
National Committee and chief dis
penser Of Federal Offices. Apparently
| the Democratic Senate leader does
| not think that the Republicans have
much to offer in the way of trade for
jobs under the Federal Government.
Senator Robinson taunted his Mich
, igan colleague, saying that he had been
| lucky to win reelection in Michigan
| and that he had only accomplished
| that result by announcing that he
stood by the New Deal and the Presi-
dent And the Arkansas Senator's
comment on the suggestion often car
ried in the newspapers that Vanden-
berg may be the Republican nominee
| for President in 1886 was rather brutal.
"As Democrat" he said, Il am en-
Enthusiastically for that, and may I Sug-
| gest as fitting campaign slogan,
'Vacuity. Vacillation and Vanden-
berg"
| *&+
The elections apparently have not
| brought any particular degree OF hu-
mility to the Democrats, although Mr..
Farley in his radio address last night
called upon the newly elected mem
bers of Congress and the country not
to commit themselves to particular
measures Of legislation, backed by va
| rious groups. He asked that the
| newly elected members-and the hold
overs in the Senate-rely upon the
common sense of the President. This
seems to mean that they should fol-
low implicitly the lead of the Chief
| Executive in legislative matters. The
fear has been expressed in various
quarters that the Congress may give
ear to more radical demands. If the
Democrats find it impossible to hold in
| check their own party members in
House and Senate when such measures
are under consideration, they may yet
look with appreciation to the Repub-
| licanS for aid. In fact, in the old
| Congress the Republicans saved the
bacon for the President on one or two
! occasions.
II the statement made by Senator
Robinson means anything, it means
that the Democratic national organi
zation has no intention whatever of
relieving Mr.. Farley of his chairman
| ship or of his job in the Presidents
cabinet as Postmaster General. Rob-
inSon calls attention to the fact that
| under Republican Presidents, Cortel-
you, Hays and Work all functioned
as cabinet officers and as chairman
of the Republican National Commit
tee. The Democrats high in party
councils believe that the elections
have killed effectually Mr.. Farleys
dual office holding as an issue. And
yet the elimination of M. Farley as
national chairman or as Postmaster
General continues to be a topic of
discussion and predictions are made
here and there that he will not figure
in the 1885 campaign. Getting rid
of Mr.. Farley has been a favorite
pastime Of a number of people for
long time now. Mr.. Farley, how
ever, seems to be sitting on the top
of the heap at present.
One significant paragraph in the
Farley radio address reminded Ameri-
can industry that sooner or later it
must absorb the men and women now
out of employment and who are tenn
porarily employed in Government jobs.
The Government, he said, cannot car
ry on Indefinitely. How to get the
people back to work is the problem
of the industrialists. even more than
the problem Of the legislators. That
may be good news to the industrialists.
Some of them believe that if the Gov
ernment-and the egislators-wou)d
let them deal with the problem the
country would get along a lot better
than under some of the New Deal
laws which have been passed during
the last year or two. However, there
is going to be a great drive by the
new leaders to make permanent some
OF these laws which industry figures
as handicaps to industrial progress.
- **
Mr.. Farley asks the people and the
Congress not to pay attention to
either radical or conservative groups,
whose aims he contends, are to break
down the influence of the President
and to hamper the carrying out of his
program. There is no slightest doubt
that these groups are girding up their
loins for grand battle when Con-
gress meets January 8. Washington
is likely to be more full of lobbyists
than ever before The newly organ
lied National Union for Social Justice,
with Rev. Father Charles E. Coughlin
as its chief spokesman, is aiming for
5000, 900 members, and will be on hand
with its demands for special legisla-
tion. The American Liberty League
the American Legion, the National
Economy League, the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States, the
National Manufacturers Association
and scores of other organizations are
planning to take the field.
The effort to distinguish American
industry from the American people, to
consider it as an entity, mush as refer
ence Is made to the Federal Govern
ment, has not worked out so well.
There are thousands upon thousands
of industries in this country. some big
and many little. Unless there is to be
| a complete upset, with the Govern
ment owning and controlling all in
duStry, there must be renewed reliance