Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-07-15
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
Nv PAUL JOHN KvALE, M. C.

The court bill fight has taken the
news spotlight to degree that has
surprised even the veterans among
the corps of Washington newspaper
men. Stories that would ordinarily
rank as of first rate Importance nave
been relegated to the comparatively
remote pages inside the newspapers
during the week because OF 1t.
The discussion of the bill In the
Senate has attracted the largest gal
leries since the days when the late
Senator Huey Long held forth in
his dramatic and inimitable manner.
The visiting boy scouts, most OF them
on their first visit to the Nations
CAPITAL. were treated to the sort of
debate between Senate leaders OF
the old parties which thousands OF
visiting tourists have hoped for dur
ing the session only to be disap-
pointed.
The verbal battle has been bitter
during the week and at this writing
all indications point to increasing bit
terness when the members return to
their seats Monday. Led by Senator
Robinson, majority leader, proponents
of the compromise bill charged re-
peatedly that the opponents have
adopted a og-in-the-manger atti-
tude, and, knowing that they cannot
defeat the measure are out to en-
barrass the President and delay the
inevitable.
The opposing forces, led by Senator
Wheeler replying, charge the admin
istration forces with attempting to
railroad a highly important piece of
federal legislation through by road
roller methods and political intimida-
ton. They argue that their opposi-
ton to the bill in no way reflects
their attitude toward the President,
and insist that legislation of such
an important nature should be con-
sidered carefully and at length on the
floor for the enlightenment of the
citizens. They have openly limited
that they are prepared to launch a
filibuster if necessary to gain their
point.
The most effective strategy adopted
thus far by the administration was
the announcement of various chair
men of important committees that
they are prepared to call up pro-
posed legislation of the greatest i'm
portance to the country generally
agriculture, commerce, labor and the
privileged, when the court bill
is disposed of. Their leader, Senator
Robinson, has pointed out on the floor
that the great potential benefits of
the measures in question are being
denied the people of the country be-
cause of the tactics of the opponents
Of the court bill.
The opponents, on the other hand,
insist that the proposed bills in ques-
ton were deliberately held up by adj
ministration leaders until this time
for the purpose of using them as a
club with which to bludgeon the OPP
position members into line and force
them to accept the substitute bill
Night sessions are almost certain to
be demanded by Senator Robinson
if the opponents of the bill actually
begin a filibuster and the prospect
of day and night sessions, with the
temperature above ninety and the
humidity Sitting, is anything but
pleasing to members of Congress.
The House at this time is seriously
considering series of three day re-
cesses that would mean being pres
ent, and that is about all, until the
members at the other end of the cap
itol have cleared the way for further
legislative procedure by disposing of
the pending bill. Congressman Ray
burn and Smell, majority and mi
nority leaders respectively, have dis
cussed the matter and Chairman
O'Connor of the House Rules Com
mittee believes that such a course
is the logical one to follow if, as seems
certain now, the debate in the Senate
is to continue indefinitely