The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-06-10
SEEN and HEAR
around Me
NATIONAL CAPITAL
By Carter Field
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

deed it is not too much to say that
some of them, most active in push
ing the idea that the President
would certainly appoint Robinson,
and getting If in print, were OPP
posed to the court plan more be-
cause they were against Roosevelt
than for any intrinsic merit in this
particular battle.
Now the point is OF course that
Robinson has cherished the ambi-
ton to sit on the Supreme court
bench for nearly twenty years.
There is not a member OF the sem
ate who does not know about it, not
because he talks about it all the
time, but because in such a long
period of time such an ambition
would naturally reach the ear OF
every member of the upper house.
Robinson Popular
Now Robinson is a very popular
man among his colleagues, all mag
azine articles and general reports
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
Not that he has been particularly
misrepresented in either magazine
articles or gossip. He is hot tenn
pered. He would do almost anything
for the sake Of the Democratic
party. He would sacrifice almost
any conviction il it seemed to inter-
fere with the chances of success of
his party, and he goes to what some
think are extremes in loyalty to
whoever is the party leader at the
time, whether it be Woodrow Will
son insisting on ratification OF the
League of Nations treaty without
the dotting of an 81 or the cross
ing Of TT" or whether 1t be Frank
lin D. Roosevelt insisting on six
young" justices for the Supreme
court
But his colleagues understand
that. They are politicians too. They
know what the Democratic party
means to a man of Robinson's
age, who was raised in the South,
and who has seen local federal
officeholders appointed by an OPP
position President during all his
adult life. So they do not let the
things that seem to offend some out
siders trouble them at all in APP
| praising Joe. Outside of these points,
which do not bother or even mysti-
fy them, they think Joe a grand
person. He is an old friend of most
of them, a co-Worker, pal, hunt
ing companion, a golfing opponent
| yes, even drinking companion.
So if the President throws him
down, after all this buiId-up which
has been fed to the newspapers by
| the Presidents enemies, the least
that can be said is that it will not
do the President any good.
Much Like Revolt
President Roosevelt is confronted
with the most difficult situation he
has yet encountered. 1t has all the
earmarks of a revolt. 1t may peter
out utterly, in fact, the reasonable
probability would seem to be that
it will. And it may turn into the sort
of mess that will continue to plague
the President as long as he re-
mains in the White House.
| Senators and representatives ore
insurging in every possible degree,
and on every possible issue.
| 1t began with the government re-
organization proposal. This was
something to give every member OF
the senate and house pause.
There was not q vote in either
house which was not slightly Oh
Importantly influenced by persona
friends and lieutenants scattered
through the government depart
ments and bureaus-any or all o.
whom might be put at the mercy O
the White House in the course of ths
reorganization.
The insurgence became positivel,
eruptive after the President asked
congress to surrender its contro
over appropriations by permitting
him to cut any one OF them fifteel
per cent in his discretion. This fol
lowed the proposal to enlarge thu
Supreme court, which has received
plenty OF public attention, and doe
not need any diagraming.
So there is bad feeling, among
members of his own party. towars
the President all over Capitol Hill
Pass Up Big Guns
1t Is notorious how such senator
as David l. Walsh Of Massachusetts,
Royal S. Copeland of New York
Burton X. Wheeler of Montana, an
Vic Donahey Of Ohio have been by
passed on many appointments o
: which senators would normally b
consulted.
Two preliminary moves figured a
weather vanes to indicate h !
/ things were shaping. A house CON
mittee voted five to four to CT
] relief expenditures from billio
I and a half to a billion fiat. Thi
: challenged not only the President
: views as to what should be al
I propriated for relief but his ow
economy plan--to cut fifteen pc
. cent from such appropriations as b
| ..l.4