Evening star., 1937-06-13
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Washington and what will come
out Of 1t, much weight is upon one
Il factor-a factor which, if it exists
or will later exist, would bear great
weight indeed If the factor exists
or arises, political drama of a high
order would follow
The common way of putting it is
TO say there is split between the
President and his party in Congress
or to say split is developing in the
Democratic party. Neither is ac-
eurate, at least not yet What is
really going on is an attempt to hold
the party together.
True. as respects ideas, the differ
ence between the President and the
Democrats in Congress is just about
all the difference in the world. Tc
the Democrats in Congress, the
Presidents proposals are novel and
disturbing. The degree of their dis
quiet is by no means measured by
the roll calls on Mr.. Roosevelts past
measures. For many Democrats who
did not believe in them have voted
Tor them as a matter of following
party leadership and preserving
party solidarity.
The real distance between the
President and his party in Congress
Is illustrated by the Presidents new
and pending measures, upon which
no roll calls have been had-and as
to which the tendency of the Demo.
Gratis IN Congress is to hope the roll
calls will be long deferred, or never
take place
No Exact Tally Possible.
The attitude of the Democrats in
Congress about these pending meas
ures can only be estimated Even j!
and when they come to roll calls the
tally sheet will not be a true index
Probably it is safe to express the sit
uation thus:
Out of IS Democratic Senators there
are not 10 to whom it would ever have
occurred to propose MI Roosevelt s
court measure That can be made
stronely-1 think there is not one
Senator, of any party, to whom it
would have occurred to initiate the
court measure which Mr.. Roosevelt
sent to Congress- carefully written out
in the form in which he called on Con-
gresS to enact it. Literally every
senator was as surprised as the
country WaS-and nine-tenths of them
were as shocked as Carter Glass was
Some Democratic Senator's might have
proposed, and some did propose. other
measures to reduce the power of the
supreme Courc-but hardly one would
have proposed to give the President
power to pack the court with SIX new
justices.
Few Would Shift Power.
AS to another of the President S
measures, the one to reorganize the
Government generally in a way to give
many new powers to the President
end take many away from Congress
as to that, probably not five out OF
the IS Democratic Senators would
have introduced it.
AS to the measure for the regula-
tlon Of wages, hours, child labor and
other aspects of industry, possibly
any one of 20 or 80 Democratic Sena
tors, ont of total of rs, might have
introduced that of his own initiative
though hardly one would have brought
forward all the intricate and far
reaching implications that we're put in
by the President or his intimate New
Deal advisers, what Gen. Hugh john
son calls the "adroit obscurities.
AS the President and the Demo-
Gratis in Congress face each other.
over the wide chasm which the
Presidents measures compose. the
attitude of the President is that the
people are with him. He thinks. as
to any or all of his measures. that
II ne should 60 to the public with
ringing radio speeches, he could
force his measures through. AS to
any or all of the Democratic Sena-
tors who resist him. he undoubtedly
thinks that he could go into each of
those Senator's States and defeat
them for denomination.
Must Figure Cost.
But at this point he is obliged to
consider the cost. Or, if the arresting
thought does not occur to him. he is
reminded of it in his conferences with
party leaders. He and National Chair
man farley might go into Indiana
and prevent the denomination of
Senator Van Nuys because he opposes
the Presidents court proposal. He
might go into Missouri and prevent.
denomination Of Senator Clark for
the same reason; and into MARYLAND
against Senator TydingS. And so on
as 10 all the other Democratic Sena-
tors who oppose one or another of
the Presidents measures.
but What would be the consequence
70 the Democratic party, in these
States and in the Nation? Several of
the States IN which Democratic Sena-
tors oppose the Presidents court pro-
posal, such as Indiana, Maryland,
Connecticut and Massachusetts, are
rather evenly divided as between the
Republican and Democratic parties.
A series OF punitive forays by Presi-
cent Roosevelt and Mr.. Farley
against Democratic Senators opposed
to the Presidents measures might
result IN several States going Repub-
llcan in the congressional elections
next year, or in the presidential cleo
tlon OF 1910. 1t might be Just the
thing that would reanimate the now
almost moribund Republican party.
Looking forward, there is a wide diff
ference between a Democratic partv
gong into future elections as solid
as the party was in last years presi-
Dental election-and going in with
tho deep wound that would be caused
by Mr.. Roosevelt's prescription of all
democrats IN Congress who oppose
his measures.
Ruthlessness Advised.
Without doubt, the New Dealers in
Mr.. Roosevelt's intimate White House
circle urge him to be bold, to turn on
the heat" to command the Demo-