Evening star., 1936-10-11
NEW DEAL SHIFT POSSIBLE
If ROOSEVELT IS CHOICE
Orthodox Democrats Support Admins
tration for Election-Even President
May Change or Lose Control.

2CCCut III ulcIIlUTy. dHQ IL Is uLLIe
wonder If many Democrats wish to so
cast their votes this year as to avert
reproduction Of the division between
President and one branch Of Con-
gress which existed during the two
years preceding March 4. 1882.
Divided Government.
That Is one part of the argument:
That If Mr.. Landon were elected, he,
as Republican President, would have
on his hands Democratic Senate
and therefore the country would see O
divided Government.
The other part of the argument Is
really the same argument that is used
in Justification of the position taken
in this campaign by Senator Carter
Glass Of Virginia. That Mr.. Glass de-
tests the New Deal. everybody knows.
Yet in this campaign Mr.. Glass re-
mains a Democrat, and he says he is
going to vote for Mr. Roosevelt. Ap-
parently he preserves his intellectual
integrity by declining to make any
speech in support Of Mr.. Roosevelt
clearly it would be difficult for Mr..
Glass to make such speech without
stultifying himself and repudiating
the strong sentiments of disapproval
which he has publicly uttered about
the New Deal.
But Mr. Glass will vote for Mr..
Roosevelt. The theory upon which Mr..
Glass Is supported in this attitude is
the same theory held by many Demo-
Gratis who regard the New Deal with
loaShing, but who nevertheless feel
that in this election their better
course Is to remain Democratic.
The theory Is that once this election
is over the Democrats In the Senate
will Immediately become Democrats
as distinguished from New Dealers.
They will take the conservative course.
They will follow the leadership Of Sen
ator Glass, and of his equally able and
conservative colleague, Senator Byrd.
1t is even limited that the present
Roosevelt leader in the Senate, Mr..
Robinson of Arkansas, will follow what
most persons believe to be his per-
sonal inclination, and act much as
Senator Glass acts. If Mr.. Roosevelt
continues to be New Dealer they will
resist him. If he sends any more New
Deal legislation to Congress they will
vote it down. If Mr.. Roosevelt tries
to appoint any one too radical to fill
any vacancy on the Supreme Court
the Democrats will decline to confirm
the appointment. They will, so the
argument runs, go further. They will
repeal some of the New Deal legisla.
ton and modify other parts of it.
They will insist that Mr.. Roosevelt
accept the advice Of orthodox Demo.
Gratis. In short. so this expectation
runs. the country will be given a truly
Democratic Government, not a New
Deal one. It is on this theory, or
expectation, or dream, that many
Democrats who abhor the New Deal
say they will, nevertheless, vote for
Mr.. Roosevelt.
Followers May Change.
There Is some ground for the argu-
ment that If and after Mr.. Roosevelt
is reelected the Democrats in Con-
gress may depart from his leadership.
1t is always possible. indeed it is even
habitual for Congress to be less sub
missive to a President during his Sec
ond term. During the first term of
any President members of his party
in Congress are under much compul-
sion to accept his leadership. They
know that presumably he will be re-
nominated. They know they will be
nnIinod m r.
for reelection. And they hesitate to
utter any criticism which they might
have to swallow later. This motive
disappears during the second term.
Also, President during his first term
ordinarily exhausts the patronage he
has to give and loses this leverage to
force obedience from his party in
Congress. In sum, it is quite possible
for the Democrats in the next Con-
gress to act consciously as orthodox
Democrats. to reject the New Deal
and reject Mr.. Roosevelt's leadership.
assuming he is reelected.
Along with this expectation goes
another having to do with Mr.. Roose-
velt personally. This expectation says
that Mr.. Roosevelt himself will be
conservative after the election, that
he will be glad to fall in with the
determination of the Democrats in
the Senate to be Democrats and not
New Dealers. The argument says that
with the depression well over, radi-
calism will be less strident in the
country. and Mr.. Roosevelt will be
Under lace tav,r a finvn tN ka~ 81
May Quit New Deal
The happy expectation Of some
Democrats that they can vote for re-
election Of Mr.. Roosevelt in confident
expectation that after he is reelected
he will change, and that in the future
Congress the Democrats will be DEM
ocrats and not New Dealers-this
expectation might turn out to be true.
But it fails to take account of several
factors. One is Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t is a
hardy hope to assume either that Mr..
Roosevelt will change, or that the
Democrats in Congress can control him.
Men do not often change their natures
at the age of 54. Mr.. Roosevelt by
temperament leans strongly toward
the radical side. 1t is not so much that
he has radical philosophy about gov
ernment: it is rather that tempera.
mentally he likes to do striking things
and likes to have around him men who
have novel ideas. The radicals are
what the Spanish call "sympatica" to
him. He likes them as company. r
suspect close observers in Washington
will agree with the Judgment expressed
some time ago by Mr.. w. M. Kip ,
nnger, himself one of the closest and
most intelligent observers. Speaking
of President Roosevelt Mr.. Kiplinger
said: Personally, temperamentally
deep down, he Is more attracted to
reform ideas of Tugwell than to busi.
ness ideas of Roper; he actively warns
toward the imaginative Tugwell -
He is strongly under influence of the
economic planning group, the crusad.
ers for social control, consumer in.
tereSt, and abundant life. - They
are the 'unorthodox element -