Evening star., 1936-06-21
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
S THE Democrats gather in

5 The Democrats eather IN
" Philadelphia for their national
~ convention, have found text
Awhich illustrates their principal
problem. The text consists of letter
written to Vice President Garner by
an old Texas friend. and Mr.. Gamers
reply The two letters became public
last April, as an incident of the Black
Senate committee which was probing
into private letters and kilograms. II
pause to reflect that to the Black in
quisitors, not even private letter ad-
dressed to the Vice President Of the
United States. private letter care
fully marked Personal" and not even
the Vice Presidents reply, were
Sacred).
The letter to Mr. Garner was writ
ten by Mr. John H. Kirby, who, as
head of the Southern Committee to
Uphold the Constitution" is appalled,
at what the Democratic party, under
President Roosevelt, has been doing.
Mr.. Kirby, on July last, wrote to Mr.
| Garner:
My dear John:
How long are you going to tolerate
| the apostacy of the Roosevelt admin
istration to the cardinal principles of
the Democratic party and the noto-
rious contempt for the plain terms of
the Constitution?
Your friend,
John Henry Kirby"
To this the Vice President replied,
July 9:
Dear John Henry:
Your favor is just called to my at
tention.
You cannot do everything you want
to and I can't do half what I would
like to do. You don't control every
body you would like to and am in
similar fix. I think that answers
your question.
With regards. and wishing you
health and happiness,
Sincerely,
John N Garner"
| Answer Held Apologize.
The meaning and implication of Mr.
Gamers letter is plain. The Vict
President, a close official associate o.
the President, receives from a friend {
letter which. strongly criticizes TIN
President, whereupon the Vice Presi
dent does not protest, does not .rebukt
his friend, but instead answers apollo
getically, with tacit admission of wha
his friend charges.
That exchange of letters. made pub
lie would ordinarily cost the Vic
President his denomination, might leat
to a demand for his immediate resig
nation. There were surmises, indeed
that in the present case it would caus
the Vice President to lose his renomi
nation.
What Mr.. Garner wrote to his frien
, comports with what well.informe
Washington understands to be his re
J lation to President Roosevelt and tn
: New Deal Washington has long un
!. derstood that Mr.. Garner deplores, a
many other Democrats do, much c
the New Deal-the attempt to tax
, America away from the principles c
the Democratic party, away from tn
Constitution and in the direction c
the new conception of society and gov
. ernment in Europe. Mr.. Garner de
. plores it and-so Washington under
stands - protests privately to tn
, President against some of it. His pre-
tests, according to Washington under
: standing, are only rarely needed, an
!. Washington understands also that M
, Garner confines his protests to tn
: most fragrant cases. The degree OF n
:. success In protesting, one gathers frol
: his letter, is less than half. The usut
? course is that when President Roost
: welt says q measure Is must" legisla
ton, Vice President Garner seals h
lips, puts on his poker face and benc
himself to driving and maneuverin
through Congress the measure that /
: disapprovess That is his notion {
. teamwork, of correct administratio
! and of official loyalty. These consider
ations weigh with Mr.. Garner aboI
party principle or personal conScienc
e Cautious by Temperament.
While Washington understands thi
: the Vice President Is appalled, by muc
of the New Deal, Washington know
:. that he is cautious by temperance
q and much Influenced by considers
C tions of party solidarity and diSciplin
|, Mr.. Garner is a canny man; he do
;, not talk about his distaste for Il
J. New Deal as much as some 9th
Democrats do. His one letter to