Evening star., 1937-03-29

How the political times have changed!
1t is exactly four years ago this month
that the New Deal was swinging ir-
resistibly into action, with the huge
Democratic majority in Congress work.
ing overtime to rubber-stamp any and
everything batted its way by President
Roosevelt. March, 1887, presents
vastly different picture. 1t finds the
legislative machinery virtually stalled.
as the result of revolt within Democratic
ranks against the most far-reachlng
project yet submitted by the present
administration and with no sign that
the jam caused by the judiciary
crisis will be broken for weeks to come.
Even when the court bill is out Of
the way, F. D. R. faces another contest
with Congress destined to be hardly
less bitterly fought-his plan to re-
organize the executive branch Of the
Government. Indications already are
mounting up that reorganization will
be combatted on the same grounds as
the judiciary program-namely, that
through it the President seeks enlarge
ment of powers that make for one-man
government. Republicans will not be
alone in fighting the plan to abolish
the independence Of various quasi
legislative and quasi-judicial agencies
and subject them to executive authority.
But Democratic insurgency is not ex-
pected to be as voluminous or violent
as party protest against the court
packing scheme.
Capitol Hills S-men-the Silent Six
teen of the Republican Senate minority
are outsphinxing the sphinx in their
studied reticence on the Supreme Court
issue. Their strategy to the last is to
permit the Democrats to conduct the
controversy as a purely family row.
Sir Willmott Lewis, Washington cor
respondent of the London Times, re-
Gently cabled his paper the following
comment on the VOW of taciturnity taken
by the elephant. "As for the Republican
party, or what is left Of it as an organi-
zation, it prefers to let the conservative
Democrats do what normally should be
it's duty. 1t smells something burning,
and while it doesn't care to be second
Nero, it is willing to be second fiddle"
Republican eyes, peering wishfully
into the future, cast longing glances in
the direction of brand-neW white
hope, Thomas Edward Dewey, the New
York City special prosecutor who has
just capped his brilliant record as
racket-killer by convicting the gangster
group which bled Manhattan restau-
rant-keepers to the tune Of $4,000, 900
a year. Following his triumphs In sup
pressing loan sharks and vice racketeers,
Dewey, who has just celebrated his 35th
birthday anniversary, now looms as a
star to which the G.. o. P, both in New
York State and nationally, might well
hitch its wagon. His admirers fore
shadow for him the same sort of climb
up the political ladder that marked
Charles Evans Hughes career. which
also began with prosecution Of public
rong-doing, when he conducted the
celebrated New York gas and insurance
investigations. Dewey is now talked
about either as Republican candidate
for Mayor OF New York next Fall, or
as a 1888 gubernatorial nominee, and,
if he makes either or both Of those
grades, as later presidential posi-
bility. Forthcoming prosecutions OF
rackets in the bakery, electrical and
brick industries will keep Dewey in the
limelight and pave the way to further
honors.
Senator Joseph c. OMahoney, Demo-
crat, of Wyoming is taking time out
from the judiciary fight to educate
people in the pronunciation OF his
name He says the correct Irish OF
It is O,Mah-ony. not OMay-honey.
"H-o-n-e-y on any tongue" he says.
spells honey not honey, ana every