The Washington times., 1936-01-03
LEGISLATION
MAY RULE
ELECTION
Action Upon Vital Bills
To Garry Big Weight
In November
CONTINUED from Page ~

deliver it to the House.
"A moment earlier, the Senate
was informed officially Of the
deaths Of the colorful Senator
Huey Pierce Long and Of Schall.
Senator Overton CD Of Louisiana
reported Longs death, while Sena-
tor ShipStead (F.-L0 of Mime
sofa told Of Schall's demise. Both
offered resolutions Of coincidence
to the families Of the dead Sena-
tors.
.Overton announced he would de-
liver appropriate remarks" on
Longs assassination at q later
date.
Gore in Longs Seat
Senator Gore CD Of Oklahoma,
who is blind, meanwhile occupied
Longs former seat in the front
row Of the Democratic side. He
drew it by accident, although he
was a close friend Of the late
Louisiana "Kingfish."
A touch Of color was given the
Senate sessions when Senators
Robinson and Borah (RO Of
Idaho affectionately called atten-
tion to the seventy eighth birthday
Of Senator Carter Glass Cd Of
Virginia. Both praised Glass long
public service.
The Senate session was brief.
It lasted but twenty minutes, with
the Senate receSSing until $50 to-
night to meet before marching on
the House in q body to hear the
President.
The House session lasted longer,
because its roll-call Of ABS mem
berS required nearly an hour.
While the roll was being called
members milled in the aiSleS and
conversed In tones audible in the
galleries. Utter confusion marked
the proceedings with the sing
song voice of a clerk rising above
the din. It was only the usual
situation in the House but 1t
amazed firsttime visitors.
Representative Bankhead CD.
Alabama, majority leader Of the
House, drew big hand from his
colleagues. He was absent all
last session, due to illness, and
bis appearance today was his first
IS Democratic leader Of the House.
The roll call ended, Bankhead
called I'D the Senate resolution
inviting the President to address
the Joint session tonight. 1t was
considered by unanimous consent
and approved on viva Voce vote.
Representative Smell Of New
York, Republican leader Of the
House, entered a technical OBJ
lection at first in order to secure
recognition from Speaker ByrnS
Tor a brief speech assailing the
Presidents plan. He called it q
cheap political move to give the
President more publicity. He
charged the Democratic majority
we're abandoning the dignity and
prerogatives" of the House.
Then he withdrew his technical
objection and the House roared its
approval of the resolution.
President Roosevelt landed the
first political blow when he ar
ranged to deliver his annual mes
sage on 1.-THE State Of the Union"
tonight. While this provoked Re
publicans to charge that the Presi.
dent was turning his constitutional
duty into q political maneuver,
Administration leaders declared
they would have no trouble in ar
ranging the session.
Both Democrats and RepubL-
fans will approach each. legisla-
tive problem this year with an
eye on the Presidential election
next fall. For the moment, the
legislative program included a
World War bonus bill, new per
manent neutrality act. $500, 00O.-
boo public works appropriation.
national defense measures, a new
ship subsidy act and the regular
appropriation bills.
Economy To Fore
National economy will be inter.
Iected into discussion Of every
measure appropriating Federal
funds. Republican leaders have
announced they will raise this Is
sue in the 1896 election, and they
will seek every oppo rtunity
throughout the session to impress
1t upon the taxpaying public.
Much Of the eventual legislative
program may be dictated by the
Supreme Court. Many Of the Ad-
miniStration's most important re-
covery laws, heretofore enacted,
have been aSsailed as unconstitu-
tional in cases now before the
court.
If it should invalidate the Agri-
culture Adjustment Act, with its
processing taxes and crop-reduc-
tion benefits, the Administration
would be forced to initiate substi-
tute legislation. The same situa-
ton would result if the high tri-
bunal outlawed the Guffey Coal
Act, the Bankhead Cotton Control
Act, the Social Security law or
other recovery measures that
launched the Government into
new fields Of Federal activity.