The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-10-14
SEEN and HEAR
around the
NATIONAL CAPITAL
By Carter Field


this talk of a purge-that President
Roosevelt was going to read his
enemies on the court enlargement
plan out of the Democratic party and
into oblivion whether they were
Democrats or not-seems rather
stupid.
Of course not even the President
could have foreseen that Mrs.
Roosevelt would take the ball when
he went into Wyoming, and produce
a situation which made the voters
of that state think Sen. Joseph {.
O'Mahoney was the fair-haired boy
at the White House, by that specta-
Gle before a Wyoming audience OF
Joe O'Mahoney introducing his col
league, Sen. Harry H. Schwartz, to
the First Lady.
But he could easily have calcu-
lated the effect it would have on
the voters of Idaho to have con-
ference with the old lion, Sen. Will
liam E. Borah, alone for more than
an hour!
OF all people, the President should
have realized at once that even the
bitterest anti-Borah man or woman
in the state would get at least the
suspicion that Borah was rather I'M
portant in the Roosevelt picture.
They would know, for instance, that
! the international situation is caus-
ing gray hairs in Washington as well
as other world capitals, and that
Borah is one of the best informed
persons on the diplomatic situation,
and on Russia-which some regard
as the key to the situation-in par
ticular. So they might suspect that
Roosevelt was asking Borah's adj
vice, Borah happening to be the
ranking Republican on the senate
foreign relations committee, OF
/ which he was chairman until the
Democrats got control.
II such a picture should be dis
missed as too fantastic, something
else mighty weighty would have te
be substituted, to satisfy normal hui
man curiosity and desire for specu
lation. For nothing was announced
Even Borah, shrewdly as usual, re
fused to say.
Its Real Importance
Now the Importance of this is no
the effect ON the Republicans o
Idaho, nor even on the Democrat
as a whole, but on the ferven
Roosevelt admirers. Court fight O
no court fight, they could not he'll
getting the inference that Boral
had become one of the President
close advisers. What else woult
explain Mr.. Roosevelt's giving hin
more than an hour OF time SO pre-
cious while visiting their far-fun
but thinly populated statel
Tt was rather definitely settled be
fore the President started out the
he would not make direct attack
on those who had opposed him
those whom, in the popular pal
lance, were to be purged from tn
ranks of the faithful, and relegate
to political oblivion.
The idea, it was thought by Ne
Dealers, was that the Presidei
would build up the probable polit
cal opponents of his enemies. F.
example, he would make big fe
low of Schwartz in Wyoming, ar
encourage the young Democrat WI
is expected to run against ON
honey in the next Democratic pl
mary.
In Idaho it was thought that !
attention, save possibly cold court
sy, would be shown Borah. Ever
one has known for years that Jam
A. Farley was desperately anxio
to beat Borah in the next battl
Way of the Irish
The Irish have a way with ther
nationals of other countries are a
to comment from time to time,
one reason or another, but seldo
better illustrated than by the your
Boston Trishman who in part repI
sents the sovereign state Of Wy
ming in the United States senate.
Joseph c. O'Mahoney, it will
recalled, was one of the group
willful men who stopped Preside
Roosevelt's pet proposal to enlar
the Supreme court dead in
tracks. Only the opposition of ST
Burton X. Wheeler reused more !
sentiment in the inner White Hou
circle than that of Mahoney. A
for precisely an opposite reason.
The bitterness against Wheel
was very human. Folks are apt
dislike intensely someone they ha
treated badly, and Roosevelt a
James A. Farley had treat
Wheeler very badly indeed.
though For Roosevelt Before c
cago' booster, and therefore {
titled to eat at the first table
far as White House gratitude, |
tronage, pork and recognition {
concerned. he had been treated Ii
a stepchild.
When somebody who has be
badly treated turns on his form
friend and hits hard, it is not