Evening star., 1934-01-21
ROOSEVELTS POWER LIES
TNKNOWING WHENTOFICHT
Can't Get "Anything He Wants" From
Congress, but Knows What
He Can Get. =.

garding the pay cut for Government
employees in the next fiscal year. not
one Republican voted on the Presidents
to criticize the President personally,
but they no longer fear to vote against
him politically.
On that same roll call SO Democrats
joined the Republicans in saying may"
Here, however, the surprise is not that
there were as many as 83. The sur
prise actually is that there were only 80.
Tempted to Start Revolt.
Democrats in the House were under
two strong temptations to revolt. In
the first place, many of them may lose
their seats in the election next Novem-
ber because of their inability to persuade
the administration to consult them in
the distribution of patronage under the
N. R. A, the P. w. A. the c. w. A, the
C. C. C. and other new deal bureaus.
Their consequent failure to be able to
reward their friends and punish their
enemies has brought them into con-
tempt in their districts. They antici-
pate personal political disaster for them
selves and are full of resentment and
wrath.
Ir the second place, the President, in
forbidding the complete restoration OF
the ordinary pay OF Government en-
ployeS was or the weakest ground
politically that he has ever taken in
Congress Representative Clyde Kelly
of Pennsylvania. one of the basic origi-
Eators of the whole fundamental N. r.
A program. expressed the truly doml-
nant view of the House when he ex-
claimed:
Mr.. Speaker, if the N R. A. program
to revive American business through in
creased wages and increased purchas-
ing power is right, then this Govern
mental wage-cutting program is wrong"
Shows Strong Influence.
Nevertheless, while 80 Democrats de-
serted the President on the ensuing
roll call, there were 1877 who adhered
to him and gave -. victory over
the combined Republican and Demo-
cratic rebels by margin Ct five votes.
The narrowness of that margin was
interpreted in some quarters as a set
hack for the President Its true inter-
probation. I think. is that it evidenced
an astonishing influence by the Presi-
dent over his own party in the midst
of exceedingly slippery and perilous cir
CumstanceS.
Let us accordingly avoid all exagger-
ationS whatsoever. The President on
Capitol Hill is not a dictator; but. on
the other hand, his command of an
effective majority of his own party, for
purposes of domestic legislation, is not
yet one bit seriously endangered The
reason, I think, is often enormously, or,
at any rate. inadequately, stated
The reason. think, is not simply his
popularity or simply his amiability. He
has been publiciZed so much as a
charmer that some Of his more solid
and sterner qualities have been over
looked
The President indubitably is a great
political artist, but thereupon, like all
great artists. he intensely, laboriously
works. He will write and rewrite and
re-rewrite a speech to make it COM
pletely dramatically effective He will
then deliver it with the most toilingly
accumulated efforts and with the most
carefully calculated effects. BY that
come so ardent that he vibratingly
raolates conviction and confidence.
Confidence Draws Crowd.
1t is his confidence, think. his for
ever unclouded confidence, that most ex-
plains his grip upon most of his party's
leaders. They never find him depressed.
They never find him doubtful, When
they go to the White House to hear him
dlscourse-for instance, upon his latest
monetary proposal, they may not under
stand the proposal at all but they
clearly understand his certainty that
IL is the sure way up; and they are
glad then to attach themselves to that
certainty in happy escape from all the
dizziness Of rocking world.
They are like amateur mountain
climbers tied by a rope to an unfalter-
ing and undisceura geable guide. With
Mr. Roosevelt, they traversed Of-Gold
Gulch. With him they penetrated Gold
Clause-Repudiation Canyon. With him
they crossed Credit Expansion Plateau
with him they picked their wav along
Gold-Purchase Glacier. With him they
ascended Silver-Purchase Crag. With
him they skirted Devaluation Abyss.
with him they are scaling Quasi -Stabi.
ll2atlon Peak. With him they contem-
plate conquering Commodity Dollar
summit, And never have they heard
from his lips a word. or seen in his
eyes look. that even f1eetingly con-
traolcced his aSSeyerated assurance that
the course through the blizzard is the
course to the sunshine.
Can't See Dangers.
Mr.. Roosevelt has magic; but. quite
more Importantly. he has manhood. He
even-his critics say-has a sort of
needless hardihood. He seems con-
genitally incapable of anxiety. He can
apprehend any idea. He cannot appre-
hend any danger. His critics call it a
defect. 1t is at the same time his in
slant supreme political asset.
He and his rope and his followers on
it are now several thousand feet above
tame sea-level. II he betrayed a mo-
ments tremor by single twitch of the
lips his followers might cut the rope
and disappear into their several favorite
monetary crevices and crevasses. They
are held to united monetary movement
partly by his warm smile yes, but
mainly really, by his cold nerve Let's
give him at least due credit. It's not
the velvet in him that's making his
leadership last. It's the iron
ar -