The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-06
By RODNEY BUTCHER
Democrat Washington
Correspondent

Washington, Aug 6-F a h e r
,Coughlin's Washington lobby is
closing shop.
"A From the very beginning 1t was
one of the most ovrconfident and
ineffective Of the thousands of lob
,bies which have operated in this
(, city Of milk and honey, and its
zeal, which was tremendous, failed
TO overcome its lacks.
II one is to believe some of the
radio priests old friends, Father
Coughlin began to build up an eX-
.4nggerated indea of his power in
n Washington last February just
after the senate, partly driven by
tho food of adverse kilograms he
N had inspired, rejected the world
scourt.
The idea that Father Coughlin
was moro influential than the pres
iident, who had urged American
membership in the court, began TO
percolate among his followers and
was reflected in the attitude of the
two earnest young men who subse-
,duently opened headquarters In the
sEWillard hotel and undertook to
lobby the Coughlin progra m
Through congress.
yg Those two were Louis B. Ward,
Detroit attorney of approximately
equal length and breadth, but with
mo previous legislative experience,
and youthful, chubby bospec-
tacled MIR. Collins whose physical
Resemblance to Father Coughlin
was obviously source OF great
Joy to Mr.. Collins.
Fail on Three detectives
ss The Coughlin program they
pushed was: /. Central Bank.
y. Bonus. g. The Wheeler Ray
burn public utility bill.
n No two boys were ever more on
1he Job. They haunted the offices
of senator's and representatives
unfortunately, no one could dis
Tturb their conviction that congress
would leap to do Father Cough
.lin's bidding as soon as the message
mad been made clear.
u But congress paid very little at
s4Sntion. The bonus was pronounced
Head by well-informed persons
months ago. What the house did
40 the utility bill was just too bad.
: Tho big test came on Father
Isoughlin's central bank proposal.
advanced as an amendment to the
banking bill.
y "Father," as his friends call him
wrote It himself and It was what
As known technically as a honey.
ss2roviding that each state should
-blect by popular vote q member to
IL federal reserve bank board,
would then select an execu-
. hive board to exercise supreme con-
ktrol over all money and banking,
ID would have thrown the whole
works 100 per cent into politics.
=
Too Much for Thomas
z Father Coughlin offered the bill
20 Senator Elmer Thomas of Ok
<iahoma, his old pal and a foremost
dnfiationist. Thomas threw up his
hands in despair. Relations have
been cool between the two ever
since.
But Senator Nye OF North Da-
-lxota didn't mind introducing It.
and Il got 10 votes out of 50 cast.
Some of the 10 senators admitted
later that they were voting for
something pretty awful just be-
cause they favored the general
principle Of q central bank.
That broke the heart OF the
-COughlin lobby. The boys at the
willard, after communicating with
Detroit, began to pack.
The result had indicated the fact,
IL may be said, that although there
ARE men in congress who admire
Rather Cougihin and believe he has
made some valuable contributions
lin molding popular thought, there
us hardly anyone in either house
Iwho is willing to follow him
Through any old swamp or over
any old barricade.
Also, Father Coughlin's self-as-
ssurance when he has appeared be.
fore congressional committees has
caused certain amount Of an
noyance.
Expected to Back F. r.
Reports are around that Father
tCoughlin is going to soft-pedal his
National Union for Social Justice
and prepare to support Roosevelt
In 1895. This conflicts with reports
u ret from excellent sources that
Father Coughlin Is miffed at the
tate OF his legislative program. is
resentful at Roosevelt's failure to
be having any of 1t, and is telling
his closest friends that he would
like to 60 along next year with
some candidate who would accept
his monetary program.
It Is suggested that some rip
roaring inflationist candidate Nigh.
emerge out OF the west who would
ret Father Coughlin's support in a