Evening star., 1937-06-13
COURT SOLUTION HOLDS
FATE OF PARTY PEACE
Roosevelt Forced to Weigh Cost of
Warning on Foes of Packing
PROPOSAL.

quo by mere hesitancy to destroy
or split the Democratic party-that,
to some OF the more ardent New
Dealers, would be fantastic failure to
grasp opportunity and make the kind
OF history they would like to see made.
Course Unpredictable.
How Mr.. Roosevelt reacts to the
wishes of the more radical New Deal
ers no one can say. His temperament
contains a considerable element of
the daring, even the reckless. He
likes the spectacular, the sensational.
No one can be sure about his course.
And it is to be remembered that it is
the White House intimates, the New
Dealers of varying degrees of liberal
ism and radicalism. who are closest
to Mr. RooSevelt's ear. He has little
personal contact with his party lead
ers in Congress. They only come
to him as callers on Official business
and good many times lately they
bring him a headache
1t is possible the President might
take the high line, might demand
peremptorily that the Democrats in
Congress pass his measure, and
might in the elections next year pro-
scribe those opposing him. He might
visualize the ultimate consequences
as total disruption of the old Ameri-
can party lineup and System-and
be rather pleased If it should, or at
Hr In iot, n
that the Democrats in Congress, if he
is firm. would yield, and that there
would be no cyclonic consequences.
Troubled Democratic Leaders.
AS to the Democratic leaders In
Congress, their attitude toward Mr.
Roosevelt is that of much disturbed
parent about a brilliant but reckless
and Willful child Most of them ad-
NIT to themselves that probably Mr.
Roosevelt still has the popularity he
thinks he has; admit that there is
hardly one Democratic Senator who
could vote against the Presidents
measures and then successfully stand
up in his stage against a direct at
tack by the President.
But the Democratic leaders hope.
by tact and patience, to prevent ex-
plosion. They think that. by COM
binauon of frmness and placation,
they may succeed in "stalling." Be-
tween the Democratic leaders in
Congress and the President the re-
latlon has some of the elements Of
a poker game, each estimating how
much of the others attitude is firm
ness, how much is bluff, conscious
or unconscious
We can surmise what has gone
on between the President and the
leaders recently about the court
measure. We can imagine the Demo-
cratic leaders telling Mr. Roosevelt
that his court measure, in the form
in which he sent it to Congress,
cannot be passed. Toward that in
formation. Mr. Roosevelt was ap-
parently sullen. Yet he must have
accepted the information as valid.
In his latest attack on the courts in
his press conference.-the third oc-
casion on which he has devoted a
long press conference to attack upon
the courts-Mr. Roosevelt was care
full not to foreclose himself against
compromise on his court measure. He
stormed at the courts, insisted on
the necessity of change, but eau
tiously refrained from saying that
he would not compromise.
Compromise Probably Suggested.
What went on between the Presi-
dent and the leaders in Congress we
cannot know fully 1t is fairly clear
that they told him his court measure
in the original form could not be
passed, but We can only imagine
what may have passed between them
with relation to possible compromise.
A good guess is that the leaders told
the President they might be able to
pass compromise measure for him,
or that they would try very hard.
To that Mr.. Roosevelt's attitude
seems to say. in effect, something like
this: All right. go ahead and see
what you can do in the way of
compromise: take a poll of the Dem
ocrats in the Senate and see if you
have a majority for a compromise.
and just what form of compromise.
But, mark you. I am not saying
will accept a compromise. I reserve
for myself the right to insist on
the original measure and to 70 on
the radio with it and to oppose for
denomination Democratic Senators
who fail to vote for my court meas
ure."
Might Have Said Nothing.
The reader will understand that
those words which I put in the Prest-
dents mouth are wholly imaginary. I
use the device merely to describe what
seems to be his attitude. Actually,
do not think Mr.. Roosevelt used those
words, or perhaps any words. It would
be more characteristic of him, in this
kind of situation, to express. himself
mainly by his manner, his expression,
his attitude.
AS to what will come of it, one can
only estimate. I doubt if there will
be a showdown" I think the Dem
ocrats in Congress will refuse to pass
the court measure in its original form
indeed, that is already an accepted
TACT. AS to compromise, it is pos
slble the Democratic leaders might be
able to get together majority for
some form of compromise. But If
majority refuses to pass even a COM
promise measure, I doubt whether
even then the President would 20 to
the country and excommunicate the
Democratic Senators who oppose him.
Copyright, 1879