Evening star., 1936-01-16
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Of the country. He has never been
friendly to the A. A. A. and, in the light
of the decision of the Supreme Court
invalidating that agency of the New
Deal, it is expected he will have some
thing to say about substitute plan.
A substitute for the A. A. A. is upper
most in many minds today, both Demo-
cratic and Republican. The administra-
tion, after consulting with heads of farm
organizations, seems to be going ahead
with a plan which is as alike as two
peas with the A. A. A., except that its
name will be different, and Government
payments will be made on another basis
and for care of the soil rather than for
reduction of crops. The nub of the new
plan, however. is to provide for curtail-
ment of production. Whether such a
new plan will be able to stand the test
of constitutionality in the Supreme Court,
in view of the sweeping decision out
lawing the A A. A., is a question. Sem
ator George w. Norris of Nebraska, who
has supported the New Deal valiantly,
does not believe that any such law can
be written and made to stand up.
Yet both the Democratic and Repub-
lican parties must find some kind of
substitute for the A. A. A, with ma
tional campaign coming on. The Re-
publicans had this task on their hands
while the court was still considering the
A. A. A. And now the Democrats have
it put up to them. Undoubtedly the
strongly Democratic Congress will make
an effort to pass a substitute law before
it adjourns the present session.
X
The soldiers bonus bill is coming up
in the Senate with the definite under
standing that it will pass by huge
majority. The vote in the Senate Finance
Committee by which it was ordered fa-
vorably reported is clear enough indica-
ton of that fact. Bets are still being
laid, however, as to whether President
Roosevelt will sign it when 1t reaches
him. There is one significant thing,
however. Practically every Democratic
administration leader in both houses of
Congress is for the passage of the bonus
bill at this time. Although they have
not been able to ascertain from the
President what his attitude will be to-
ward the bill, they are going right ahead
in support of the measure. Robinson,
Harrison and ByrneS in the Senate,
Speaker Byrns in the House and other
Democratic House leaders have COM
mitted themselves. Senator Pat Harrison
has predicted that the Senate COM
promise bill'-which gives to the vet
Grams everything that the House bill does
will become a law.
X
This presumably means that the bill
will either ha stoned fIyf or
that it will be passed over his veto. Last
year the Senate stood firmly by the
President and declined to override his
veto of the Patman "greenback" bonus
bill. If the President adheres to his old
opposition to the immediate cash pay
ment of the bonus, it looks as though his
Democratic supporters in the Senate
now are prepared to go right ahead and
save him" in spite of himself. Once the
bonus bill has become law, they may
figure, the veterans will hold no resent
ment against the President because of
his opposition. Didn't the late Calvin
Coolidge, when President in 1924, veto the
original soldiers bonus bill, and did not
the Republicans in Congress 60 right
ahead and put the measure through
again. making it law? And did not Mr..
Coolidge reap the benefit of their action
when election day rolled around in No
vember of that year? The answer. of
course, is yes to all of these questions.
The Democratic National Committee
held its first meeting for long time last
week to select the city and fix the date
Of the coming Democratic National Con-
vention. 1t was the first meeting since
tho odiot !, I,;t
and elsewhere that the National Com
mittee members who were practicing
law in Washington and cashing in on
their influence" and the committee
members who held public Office under
this administration must give up their
membership in the committee. There
was to be clean sweep. Among those
who were slated to go were Robert
Jackson of New Hampshire, Arthur
Mullen of Nebraska and Bruce Kramer
OF Montana. They all had law Offices
or legal connections in Washington. It
seemed particularly hard that they
should suffer, in view of the fact that
they had all played important parts in
bringing about the nomination of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. But they all resigned
and the matter seemed closed.
X X X X
But when the committee assembled to
do business last week. all three of these
gentlemen were in evidence. It developed
that Mr.. jackson, despite his reSigna-
ton, was and still is member in good
standing. 1t is reported that his reSig-
nation was not accepted by the State
Committee. Anyway, his name appeared
on the official list of the members of
the National Committee. Mrs. w. Forbes
Morgan, his daughter, held a proxy for
him and voted in the committee, and
MIR. jackson was himself in evidence
during the gatherings of the committee
and at the Jackson day dinner which
Immediately preceded the committee
meeting. Mr. Mullen held the proxy for
John H. Wilson, member of the commit
tee for Hawaii, and Mr.. Kramer was on
deck. He had proxy from Alaska. Mr..
Kramer was chairman of the Jackson
Day Dinner Committee.
Two members of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee from Ohio, w. A.
Julian, and Mrs. Bernice S. Pyke, are
Federal Office holders. Julian is United
States Treasurer and Mrs. Pyke is COL
lector of customs at Cleveland. Secre-
tary Morgenthau of the Treasury De-
partment in the days of the cleanup"
had been insistent that no one in his
department should hold political Office.
Well, both Julian and Mrs. Pyke were
listed officially as members of the Ma
tional Committee for Ohio at the meet
ing. Senator Bulkley of Ohio appeared