The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-08-19
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By Carter Field ~
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

Washington.-Two distinct rever-
sails in public sentiment. utterly un-
related. though both very human,
have contributed to President
Roosevelt's recent troubles with
congress, and promise to make him
a lot more trouble in the session to
come.
One of these is nationwide
other southern. The former is much
easier TO understand. 1t is another
evidence of that age-old trait of hui
man nature Illustrated by the old
rhyme.
1.-The devil was sick, the devil a
monk would be.
The devil got well, the devil monk
was he"
When President Roosevelt went
into office the country was sick,
economically. The chief criticism
of the administration he supplanted
was that it had foundered along, in
stead of doing something to cor
rect a bad situation. So the voters
were willing to try anything. When
Roosevelt came into power, and be-
gan doing things in spectacular
way, he aroused enthusiasm. He
continued to arouse it for at least
two years before there was really
whisper of protest from the folks
who had been pleased in the begin
ming. .eesa
Unquestionably there were some
defections from his supporters dur
ing the second two years, but these
were much more than replaced by
the people who had come to be
dependent on the federal spending
policies, both as to farm and work
relief, SO that his popular victory
in 1886 not only exceeded that of
1892, but the congressional election
of 1884 as well.
But the dissenters have been
growing in number. The emergency
having passed, they began to chafe
at the continuance of what they had
hailed earlier as remedies. Dur
ing the 1886 campaign the Republi-
cans tried their best to make the
people tax conscious. They harped
ON the payroll deduction taxes, and
the hidden taxes, and so on until
the voters got sick of hearing about
it. Certainly the Republicans got
nowhere with the issue.
Revolt Likely to Grow
In the first place, the voters did
not believe them. In the second,
the idea of an emergency was still
present. There was not any gen
eral conviction that the hard times
were definitely over.
| But since January all the little
employers, especially the lads in
the small towns, have been paying
those security taxes. So have the
workers. And nobody likes to pay
| taxes.
More important, with the passage
Of the months since last November
has come a general feeling that the
emergency has passed. Along with
this conviction is a growing feeling
that the country would have recov-
cred anyhow, without the drastic
Roosevelt cure. Those who feel this
way-those who have changed their
views since last November-are
probably a very small minority oi
the entire people. Even added tc
the people who voted against Roose-
Welt last November, they almost be-
yond question are in the minority
Most political observers still think
that Roosevelt has a majority fol
lowing in the country.
But the folks who have changed
are in evidence everywhere. They
are known to their senator's anc
representatives. The mail reach
ing Capitol hill speaks no uncertain
language about the change.
To all this in the South is addee
the fact that party loyalty, and ever
stronger dislike Of the very wore
Republican, has made any
thought of insurgency unlikely
Then, due to farm benefits, etc.
there was a general feeling for ths
first time since the Civil war The
South was getting something from
Washington.
The revolt seems more likely Il
grow than to fade.
Turn Conservative
Significance of the fact that TWEEN
ty-two Democratic senators votes
to recommit the wages and hour,
regulation bill is more obvious thar
the deductions to be made abou
opposition to President Roosevelt Oh
the Supreme court enlargement bill
but the two things are down TIL
same alley.
There are exceptions. of course
such as the fact that Senator Burtoi
X. Wheeler OF Montana was agains
| the President on the court and TO
him on wages and hours regulation
1 Most of the Democratic senator
who opposed the President on eithe