Evening star., 1935-07-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Opinion varies widely as to the exact
why and wherefore Of the House rebuff
of President Roosevelt on the utilities
death sentence" Revolt against ad-
ministration wishes is not attributed
solely to the insurgents attitude toward
the economic issue at stake, or to utility
high pressure in Washington and back
home The House has become increas-
ingly resentful of executive dictator
ship The recent attempt to override
its prerogative to originate revenue
legislation by having the Senate initiate
the wealth tax was fresh in mind when
the utilities zero hour arrived. The re-
buke administered to F. D. r. is the
more significant because of strenuous
White House efforts to avert it. All con-
cerned are conscious that, having taken
their courage in both hands on one major
occasion, House Democrats are likely
dividualiSm, though reelection neceSsi-
ties in SO are bound to temper their
conduct in many cases.
y
Another anticipated aftermath of the
utilities conflict is that big business will
be encouraged to buckle on its armor,
as the power people did, and combat
on organized, mass formation lines all
other pending legislation deemed in
imical to commerce, finance and industry.
This foreShadowS q continuation OF
Superlobby tactics at the Capitol and
systematic mobilization of public senti-
ment in congressional districts and
States all over the country. Administra-
tion zeal on behalf of New Deal meas
&c fol fn
position activities, so that the outlook
Is for prolongation Of the Washington
lobby war on an intensified scale. Mem
bers of Congress, bounded and harassed
by propaganda and propagandists dur
ing recent times as never before. do not
relish the prospect, but are helpless
pleading about,to descend upon them.
Republicans have not enjoyed in many
moon such field day as the House
. utilities votes provided them. They made
no attempt to conceal their glee over the
discontinue and ignominy into which
the Democrats thrust their own leader
ship. The @. o. P. is pleased to regard
Mr.. RooSevelt'S current congressional
woes as prima facie proof that his cause
Id ol4PPAAS oAlQ w blldI
chances in 1886 are correspondingly
improved. The Presidents utility trou-
bles, coming on the heels of his Supreme
Court reverses and the wealth-tax rush
order muddle, are viewed as contributing
signally toward destroying the popular
conception of Mr.. Roosevelt as man Of
political magic. His foes are persuaded
that, altogether, New Deal prestige is
now heavily in slump.
X
Representative George Huddleston,
Democrat, of Alabama, hero Of the utili-
ties revolt, has just completed 20 full
years in Congress, having entered the
House in March, 1915, and being in the
midst of his eleventh consecutive term.
He now takes his place among that
group of distinguished and unterrihed
Southern Democrats, led by Senator
Carter Glass Of Virginia, who exercise
the right to ignore administration COM
mands. Representative Huddleston Is
Tennesseean by birth and lawyer by
profession. He interrupted his career
at the Birmingham bar in 1893 to serve
as a private with an Alabama regiment
In Cuba and later became the first COM
mander Of the States Spanish American