Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-11-14
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thought Is inevitable. Mr.. Roosevelt
and his brain trusters have cOntended
and will continue to contend that fed
eral spending in the volume that has
taken place was the only means by
which the nation could be carried over
this period of depression. On the other
hand there will be the vicious attacks
Of Republican campaigners, the shots
by such men as Lewis Douglas, former
director Of the bureau of the budget,
who broke with Mr.. Roosevelt over
reckless spending" and all Of those
groups of which the Liberty League is
typical. These have plenty Of cam
paign material, and you can make sure
that they will use it.
Ny experience as an observer OF pol
itics and government prompts me to
say that there Is nothing that strikes
the heart Of the average taxpayer
quite so fundamentally as displays Of
waste with the accompaniment Of fore
casts of greater taxation. Thus, If the
New Deal opposition goes ahead on the
course that appears to be charted for
Theoretically it Is made to order for
them-they can cause the administra-
ton many anxious moments. I say this,
knowing full well, that the administra-
ton has much argument on its side and
that it is equipped with the finest lay
out Of machinery for influencing pub
lie opinion that any administration ever
hod of to-
the machinery used in crop production
control, the thousands Of persons on
the federal pay roll and the millions
who believe Mr.. Roosevelt Is earnestly
seeking to make this better country
in which to live. 1t is, therefore, no
small task for the New Deal opposi-
ton If it is to succeed even in turning
the New Deal strength in the house Of
representatives to anything near an
even distribution Of the seats.
Apparently, New Deal opposition
will be concentrated as much in the
congressional dis
NeW Deal tricts as against the
OpDosition President himself.
The reasons are sim
pie. First, the senate is going to re-
main Democratic whether Mr.. Roose-
welt Is reelected or defeated. Only
one-thrd of the 96 senators come up
for reelection next year and the bulk
Of these are from normally Democratic
states. Unless a cataclysm follows the
Democratic party, the senate majority
for the Democrats will continue to be
ample.
Such is not the case in the house Of
representatives where the entire men,
bership must seek election every two
years. There are in the house member
ship probably as many as rs Demo-
Gratis who can be called pure political
accidents. That is, they were elected
from districts which are normally Re-
publican during the landslide that
swept Mr.. Roosevelt into office. A con-
siderable number Of these naturally
will be retired by the voters just as
a considerable number of Republicans
were retired after they had held house
seats in the early 1920's by virtue Of
election in the Harding landslide. Con-
sequently, changes may be expected In
the house New Deal strength. In con-
centrating the fight in congressional
districts, the New Deal opposition is
battling for position, If the New Deal
majority In the house can be whitfield
down, it will then become impossible
for the President to drive through his
program of legislation as he has done
in the last three sessions. From the
Republican standpoint, this would be
important since it would place Mr..
Roosevelt in much the same position
that President Hoover found himself in
the last half Of his administration when
he had an adverse congress on his
hands. No political leader likes that
situation.
When the New Deal opposition
jumps onto the questions of spending
and taxation. therefore, and when 1t
goes back to the grass roots Of con-
gressional districts, 1t takes no stretch
of the Imagination to see that a real
political fight lies ahead. Develop
ments between now and the nominal
ing conventions next June may change
the general perspective.
While several Of the federal courts,
including the Supreme court of the
United States, are
Washington considering questions
on Rights revolving around
President Roosevelt's
program for development of Muscle
Shoals in the Tennessee river as an
electrical power project, government
owned, newly discovered letter writ
ten by President George Washington
takes on unusual interest. It seems
that even in 1871, there was argument
about the development Of Muscle
Shoals. The letter, which was addressed
to the attorney general Of the United
States at that time, called attention
to the efforts being made by individuals
to effect trades with Indians and sug-
gested the necessity for federal laws
that would afford some protection for
the Indians In their dealings with the