Evening star., 1936-04-17
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A Singing Rebuke.

The House on wednesday admins
tered rebuke to the Black committee
of the Senate as stinging as it was ur-
expected. With huge Democratic ma
jority in the saddle, the House turned
down a joint resolution which would
have permitted the Black Lobby Com
mittee to pay its counsel $4,000. 1t was
explained, in support of the resolution,
that the committee would soon have to
20 into court to defend its right to sub
poena telegrams-as it has been doing IN
the past; that the case might be carried
up to the Supreme Court.
The enterprising Black committee,
which has gone fishing through the
telegraphic files of opponents OF the
Roosevelt New Deal, must now abide by
the decision of the House and be limited
to the amount allowed in the law for
committee assistants, $500, or make an
effort to get the money another way.
1t might, it has been suggested. delve
into the contingent fund" OF the Sen
ate in order to pay its counsel more ade-
ouately. But having once determined
that it was deferred by law from such
action. the committee may hesitate to
follow such a course. It has been sug-
eested also that an amendment may be
tackled to one of the appropriation bills.
The Black committee, sometimes char
acterized as the BLACK shirts OF the
Senate, Is not popular in the House. II
trod on the toes of a House committee
last year when it insisted upon having
witnesses and material which the House
committee was seeking. Furthermore, 1t
turned up stories about members OF the
House in a manner considered anything
but chubby" during its inquiries. The
House, resenting the attitude Of the Black
committee, took an opportunity to strike
back.
But there was more than mere resent
ment in the action of the House when 1t
turned down the Black request for the
$4,000 payment to committee counsel.
The high-handed methods of the Black
committee have brought distinct re-
action, unfavorable to degree, through
out the country. This feeling OF re-
sentiment against the Black committee
has communicated itself to the members
OF the House.
In vain did the Democratic leader OF
the House, Representative Bankhead, ap-
neal to his Democratic colleagues in
support of the resolution. Bankneao'
like Senator Black, is from Alabama.
The majority of the House turned MIN
down. The vote against the resolution
undoubtedly would have been greater
had it not been for the feeling OF loyalty
which some of the Democratic members
had toward Mr.. Bankhead. Several OF
the Democrats who voted for the resolu-
ton did so, they said, merely on the
ground that the question involved should
be taken to the Supreme Court Tor ad-
Indication, and not because Of any SYM
pathy for the methods employed by the
Black committee.
Chairman Black and his COMMITTEES
have proceeded, it appears, on the theory
that the end justif1es the means. The
constitutional rights Of individuals may
be one thing, but the determination to
track down the opponents OF the New
Deal is another, and the second out
weighs the first. The members OF the
committee have arrogated to themselves
the ancient doctrine of royalty-a Senate
committee can do no wrong. Senator
Black, in fact, puts Senate committee
and it's actions above the scrutiny OF the
courts. It remains to be seen how far a
majority of the Senate will go in sup
porting him and his committee in such
positions. There are limits even to SEN
atorial courtesy.