The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-07-22
The Bill Died First


program, Mr.. Roosevelt publicly pro-
claimed that if found to be in error he
would be the first to admit it. That re-
mark was generally applauded at the
time. However, in the light of what
has happened since, the belief seems
justified that he is not the first but
the last to acknowledge his mistake.
#-%-~
At any rate, though four years have
passed during which he has done
vast number of amazing things, there
is no record of a single such admis-
sion. Certainly his angry letter to Sem
ator Barley berating those who OPP
pose his court-packing bill and insist
ing that the fight to jam it through a
clearly reluctant Congress must con-
tinue, seems pretty strong evidence
that it is impossible to convince him
that he can make a mistake. 1t does
seem that the President lost his head
when he wrote that letter; that he
dsregarded the wiser course of utiliz-
ing the death of his Senate leader to
save his face, withdraw an obnox-
ious bill and let Congress go home.
Provoked by the comment of an OPP
posing Senator that Providence was
against him, the President let his tenn
per sway his judgment, meanly charg-
ed his opponents with lack of decent
respect for the dead, monopolistically
imputed to himself great nobility of
purpose, belligerently called upon Con-
gress to give him his way. Conceding
natural irritation at the wide public
ity given the fact that Senator Rob-
inson resented the way his Supreme
Court appointment was withheld,
which despite fervent denial by Admin
istration journalists, happens to be so
and conceding the necessity Of doing
something to keep his forces intact,
still Mr.. Roosevslt's decision is mis-
take.
For that matter, the whole ignoble
business Of trying to seize the Court
has been a colossal mistake from the
start and his calmer friends have told
him so without any effect whatever.
He has been told, too, that the people
are not with him on this issue but he
insists in his letter that this is not so.
He cannot bring himself to admit that
sort of thing and he does not like those
who tell him that sort of thing. The
mistake of his latest move is not see
ing clearly the basic fact that he can
not get this bill through Congress.
This was made plain the day before the
death of Senator Robinson by two de-
velopments of great significance and
far-reaching effect, but almost COM
pletely obscured by the tragic event.
One of these was the utterly unex-
pected speech of the veteran Chair
man of the House Judiciary Commit
tee, Mr. Summers. Here was Demo-
cratic leader defying Democratic
President, ringingly asserting his de-
termination not to report his most
cherished proposal, branding it as I'M
patriotic the plan the President re-
CARDS as vital to his whole program.
And an overwhelmingly Democracit
House wildly cheered." In some ways
it was the most sensational thing that
has happened in Congress for many
years and it has been followed since
by similar declaration from another
Democratic member-Mr. Lucas, of
Illinois. Undoubtedly the effect of the
Summers speech has been great. What
it means is that the supposedly SUBJ
servient House has revolted; that if
the bill should pass the Senate the
President would have an even sitter
fight to get it through the other body;
that the only way left to him would be
to wrench it out of the hands Of the
committee by petition.
**#
On the same day in the Senate an
other blow was dealt the bill, which
while not nearly as sensational, was
still of great practical effect. This came
in the announcement by Senator Pitt
man, presiding officer in the absence OF
the Vice-President, that he would per-
nit each Senator to speak twice on
each amendment as well as on the
bill. AS there is no limit to the number
of amendments this obviously means
an unlimited debate. 1t is a retreat
from the rigid ruling Of last week. 1t
was forced because the Administration
did not have the votes to sustain the
rigid limitation it had planned and it
was sanctioned by Senator Robinson
the day before he died. It gives the
opponents of the bill the upper hand
and unless they weaken makes it i'm
possible to force the bill through.
Couple this with Mr.. Summers decla-
ration and it is clear the Presidents
proposal sustained a shattering blow
on Monday. The death of Senator Rob-