Evening star., 1935-08-05
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.

TLOOOCNClb 1NCW ACdl, AAASAAAiAlS Vic IA
A. A. processing tax and the death
sentence" clause in the utility holding
company bill, is to be tested Tuesday
in Rhode Island The voters go to the
polls to elect Republican or Demo-
crat to fill the vacancy caused by the
resignation of Representative Condor, a
Democrat, to become a judge of the
State Supreme Court. The district went
Democratic in the congressional election
in 1884 by some 81 900 votes.
II the Republicans can upset such a
majority and elect Representative even
by the smallest kind of a majority, it
will be a clear indication of the falling
off in the popularity of the Democratic
administration and the New Deal, at
least in the Eastern part of the country.
1t would mean a real revival of Re-
publican hopes for Rhode Island has
been rather strongly Democratic all along
the line for more than half a dozen
years. 1t was one of the States carried
by AL Smith, for example, in 1923. 1t
went for Roosevelt in 1882 and this par
ticular district gave Roosevelt lead
of about 10000 over former President
Hoover.
The Republicans are not claiming
anything. But they are fighting. If
they can cut the Democratic margin
down to narrow limits it will still be
a moral victory for the G. o. P The
Democrats as we'll as the Republicans
realize that the eyes of the whole coun-
try are turned toward Little Rhody."
They are not taking any more chances
than they have to. Indeed, the claim
has been made that they are even
dickering with relief fundS-that they
have decided to hold up Federal relief
temporarily in an effort to show the
voters of this State what they may
expect if they do not vote right"
Antonio Prince is the Democratic nOm-
inee. He is general treasurer" as they
call the State treasurer Against him
the Republicans have nominated a pop
ular candidate, Charles F.. Risk, 81 years
old, lawyer and former district judge.
Risk has great deal of support among
the veterans of the World War.
The Roosevelt administration has been
made the issue in the campaign, side
tracking State issues very largely. The
Republicans have accepted the issue
and Risk has panned the Roosevelt New
Deal from one end Of the State to the
other. The Democrats may have been
handicapped by a bitter factional row
over the nomination. There is a third
independent Democratic candidate in
the field. That is the set-up, generally
speaking. Nevertheless. it would be a
surprising and very significant thing
If the Republican. Risk, were elected.
Both Senator Metcalf. Republican, and
Senator Gerry, Democrat have gone
from Washington to their State to help
in the campaign. The district contains
a number of industrial centerS. which
have been strongly Democratic in the
past.
Senator Carter Glass Of Virginia IS
to seek reelection as a Democrat next
year. Any one who knows Senator Glass
has never had the slightest doubt about
his democracy, or that if he ran for
Office it would be on the Democratic
ticket. despite his criticism of many of
the policies of President Roosevelt There
has been talk in some quarters of a
coalition national ticket-with Senator
Byrd of Virginia or some other prom
inent member of the Democratic party
nominated by the Republicans and the
anti-NeW Deal Democrats Senator
Byrd, however, is as strongly Demo-
cratic as Senator Glass. When the bell
rings for the campaign next year both
these Virginia Senators may be expected
to line up for the Democratic national
ticket However, it is likely that the
Democratic high command will be able
to get Senator Glass to make any such
hot I,n <In
telling effect in the campaign of 1882
At that time he outlined a real Demo-
cratic program. He made promises
against tampering with the currency,
etc. What the President has done to
Mr. Glass program has been a plenty,
When the President was making up his
cabinet slate before he took Office in
1888, Glass was offered the Office of
Secretary of the Treasury. He had been
distinguished head of the Treasury
Department in the Wilson administra-
ton and was recognized as the father
of the Federal Reserve act. Fortunately
for the peace of mind of Senator Glass,
he said No" to this offer.
**
The President did not get anywhere
last week in its effort to make that body
change its attitude on the death SEN
tence" clause of the utility holding COM
pany bill The result of the vote in the
House, inStructing the House conferees
against that clause. was 210 to 155.
July l the House turned the clause
down by vote of 2l5 to 146. Only
handful of Democrats apparently shift
ed their position.
The House also by vote of 1873 to 172
voted to sustain its confereeS in their de-
mand that Ben Cohen, administration
representative on the holding company
bill, be excluded from the meeting of the
Conference Committee. This may be
a bitter pill for Senator Wheeler of
Montana, head of the Senate Conference
Committee, to swallow. He has insisted
that there must be no objection by the
House confereeS to the presence of
Cohen. 1t looks as though he must
agree to go on with the Conference
Committee meetings without Cohen or
finally scrap" the holding company
bill for the rest of the present session
of Congress.
X X X x
The present expectation seems to be
that Wheeler will yield on this subject
and then in conference seek COM
promise on the language of the death
sentence clause which will satisfy the
President. If a compromise is reached,
then the bill may become a law. Other
wise it looks as though it would have
to go over, perhaps into the campaign
next year. Some of the ardent New
Dealers seem to think that it would