Evening star., 1937-07-25
POPULAR GOVERNMENT
is HELD DISAPPEARING
Observer Cites Battle Over Court Change
to Illustrate Method by Which Die
tatOrs Cain Control.

There will be, however, in all likeli-
hood, a considerable coalition between
the Republicans and portion of the
Democratic party.
What has been happening in Con-
greSs, especially in the Senate, for
several weeks past is a struggle for
control of the Democratic party.
About the struggle, if we are to think
accurately, We must think carefully.
1t is not a struggle between the
traditional Jeffersonian Democrats on
one side and the New Deal on the
other. The traditional Democrats are
not set against the whole of the New
Deal; to picture them as If they were
is not fair to them. Much of the New
Deal they were willing to accept, and
did accept
Much of the New Deal was con-
slstent with Democratic principles.
To bring about many of the reforms
that the New Deal brought has been
the traditional function of the Demo-
cratic party. Many abuses had grown
up in the country; the country was
due seven or eight years ago. as it
was due just hundred years before,
IN the early l830s, for a period of
Jacksonlan reform. Had Mr.. Poose-
Velt and his advisers confined them
selves to this, to reform which were
drastic and JackSonian but still within
the framework of the American Con-
Stltution and the American theory of
government and society-had Mr..
Roosevelt confined himself to that
his party would have supported him
Loyalty, and the country, after the
reforms We're made, would have gone
forward comfortably.
Court Biz Brought Split.
1t was the Presidents court measure
that brought the split. After he sent
1t to Congress on February 5, and after
many of the Democrats in Congress
mad become concerned about it, they
observed that some of the other New
Deal measures now pending seemed to
doVetall with the court measure. in a
NN''Stt Va "lIlSil Vic NllOe WOulO
make, If enacted. a new form of gov
ernment, form which would be. as
Gen. Hugh johnson put it, The most
dangerous on earth"
Thereupon arose the struggle for
control Of the Democratic party. This
struggle, recently going on in the
Senate, will come to an advanced
stage in the elections to Senate and
House next year. Quite certainly Mr..
Roosevelt and his faction will under
take to discriminate against those
democratic Senators who oppose the
court measure. The President and
MIR. Farley, now controlling the party
organization practically everywhere
Will try to deny denomination, in the
democratic party primaries, to the
democratic Senators who oppose the
court mea sure.
Last week, at the very moment of
crisis in the fight, the day follow.
ing the death of Senator Robinson.
the Democratic Governor of Indiana
called at the White House and on
emerging declared quite frankly that
the Democratic organization in Indi-
ana would not, in his judgment. re-.
nominate Senator Van NuyS, who
opposes the court measure, This
of prescription no doubt will
be followed in every State where
Democratic Senators opposed to the
court measure come up next year for
renomlnatlon: and in every district
Where there are Democratic members
OF the House opposed to the court
assuming that the House
goes on record in roll call on the
meaSure).
II Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Farley
and the Democratic organiza ton sue
ceed generally in preventing renomi-
nation OF Democratic Senators opposed
10 the court measure, they will have
taken long step toward preserving
control of the party and making
new party under the old Democratic
label If Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Farley
40 not succeed, if all or a large number
OF the Democratic Senators and
members opposed to the court measure
are renomlnated in Democratic pri-
then they will have lost con.
troll OF the party; the faction opposed
10 the court measure will have posses-
sion OF the party.
Copyright, 1872