Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-11-12

With n reelection OF President
Roosevelt the major question which
now interests Washington is whether
the New Deal policies will be contin-
ued or whether the Administration and
the new Congress will take a more
conservative attitude in public affairs.
The general belief here is thai the next
four years constituting Mr.. Roosevelt's
second term, will not be so filled with
spectacular experiments in govern
ment as the period just passed.
Despite the sweeping victory of the
Democrats, it is the belief here that
Republican opposition in Congress
will be much better organized and led
than in the past two Congresses, and
that there will be a swing toward the
conservative side in the Democratic
Congressional leadership.
An interesting phase of the Con-
gressional situation is the rise to
prominence in the Democratic Party
councils of the Texas group. Vice
President Garner is the leader of this
bloc. which is more powerful than
most people realize. Seven other Tex
ans in the Lower House, including
Representatives Rayburn, Connolly.
Summers, Marvin Jones. Buchanan,
Lanham and Patman, WELD among
them q powerful influence. They have
a close tie with the Administration
through another Texan, Jesse Jones,
Chairman of the Reconstruction Fin
ance Corporation, who in many re-
spects is the most powerful figure in
the executive department. Texas has
six committee chairmen in the House.
On the Republican side the stage is
set for an active and aggressive oppo-
sition. looking forward to the Con-
g~ressional elections of 1888 and the
Presidential election Of 1910. The fore
most Republican leaders are Represent
| atives Smell, Wadsworth, HOLSTER,
| Bolton. Martin and Treadway. In the
Senate, Senator McNary will continue
to be the nominal leader by virtue of
seniority. but as he is regarded by his
associates as being distinctly pro-
Roosevelt. the actual leadership will
fall to Senator Vandenberg of Michi-
gan, who seized the reins last Winter
and led the only effective opposition
which has developed in the past 3l2
years.
All the indications, therefore, point
to sarious and intense political activity
on Capitol Hill for the next two years.
There is some doubt whether Rep
resantative Bankhead Of Alabama. the
present Speaker OF the House, will b.
physically able to continue in that Of
fee. The principal candidates for the
spaakership, in the event Of Mr.. Bcnk-
heads retirement. are Representative
O'Connor Of Tammany, Rayburn Of
Texas and Mccormack of Massachus-
etts. The Tammany influence is ex-
9ected to be stronger in the new
House, and the Tammany bloc will
hold the balance Of power on many
issues.
Another thing which seems certain
is that there will be more Hobbies and
more powerful mes trying to influence
Congress on behalf of special groups
and minorities than at n previous
time. The labor lobby will probably
be the most powerful of these, having
as its objective the Guffev Coal Bill
the Six-hour Day for railroad work
ers and the 30-hour week for all en-
p~loyees. Part of the Labor program is
to try to build up a strong labor party
to play a part in the campaign OF 1910
The effort of the farm lobby will be
to keep what ii has got rather than tc
urge further benefits for farmers. The
Veterans lobby, however, having sue
ceeded in getting the prepayment O
the bonus over President Roosevelt.
veto. has been encouraged to believe
that it can get anything it wants. What
4 wants row is a general life pension
FOR veterans md the widows and or
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