Evening star., 1937-07-16
THE POLITICAL.
MILL
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.

his colleagues than the late Senator
Joe" Robinson. His death at any time
would have brought real grief and a
sense OF loss. Coming as it did, with
dramatic suddenness in the midst of an
historic battle over President Roosevelt's s
| Supreme Court program, 1t has left cha
otic conditions in Its wake.
| Senator Barkley Of Kentucky Is the
acting leader. He was not elected by
the Democratic caucus of the Senate.
The caucus left to Senator Robinson the
| selection of an assistant and he named
Barkley. His position, therefore, rs
| leader Is rather tenuous. However, the
Kentucky Senator comes as near being
leader of the Senate as any one, . little
nearer, until the Democratic caucus
meets and elects.
Although Senator Robinson is still to
be buried, there has been marked activ-
ity among some of the Democrats who
are considering the selection of his sue
| cessor as leader. A group of new
Democratic Senators, who came into
| Office last year in the Roosevelt land-
slide, met yesterday afternoon 1t is
understood that they were meeting in
| favor of Senator Barkley-although Sen
| ator Herring of Iowa, who acted as
| spokesman, said that they would wait
until they heard from President Roose-
| velt regarding his choice for Democratic
leader before making an announcement.
Those old leaders of the Democracy in
the Senate-Martin of Virginia, Under
wood of Alabama, Culberson OF Texas
and Robinson himself-if they heard
that Democratic Senators were waiting
| for the President to pick leader of the
| Senate would rub their eyes and strain
their ears wondering II they had heard
| Alright It remains to be seen whether
the President actually will get into this
| fight over the Senate leadership. It has
been rumored that he would prefer, him.
self, Senator Barkley of Kentucky, who
has taken q prominent part in the fight
| for the passage of the court bill. He has
supported New Deal legislation and the
White House at every turn.
On the other hand is Senator Pat
Harrison of Mississippi. Harrison and
his friends are really getting into this
leadership race. Is President Roosevelt
to turn his back on Pat? Harrison, by
right of seniority, has the call on the
leadership. But seniority has not always
governed in the selection of q Demo-
cratic leader. But Harrison, in addi-
ton, has always been active in the Demo-
cratic affairs OF the Senate. He is
chairman of the powerful Finance Com
mittee. Many of the Senators believe
that he has the call.
Harrison has been pictured to some of
the newly elected Democratic Senators,
and by some of them. as a conservative
These younger and more radical Demo-
Gratis are inclined, it is said, to favor
Barkley over Harrison for the simple
reason that they consider the Ken
tuckian more New Dealish. It is not
that Harrison has opposed the court
bill. He has declared he would go along
with the President on that issue. But
he has not leaped into the fight and
shouted himself hoarse for the enlarge
ment OF the Supreme Court.
~
Opponents of the court bill are
inclined, generally speaking, to support
Harrison, although they know that he
is with the President in that contest.
They are inclined also to be against
Barkley. Not all of the court bill oppo-
nents, however, are that way Some OF
them are committed to Barkley. On the
other hand, not all Of the court bill sup
porters are for the Kentucky Senator.
An appreciable number will vote for
Harrison
If the President becomes active in this
fight over the Senate leadership: if he
sends his emissaries down to the Capitol,
among them Postmaster General Farley,
chairman OF the Democratic National
Committee. and Charles West, Under
secretary of the Interior. to campaign
for Barkley against Harrison, he will
stick his head into a hornets nest
Harrison and his friends have become
active all OF sudden. The Mississippi
Senator would not exactly relish having
the White House line up against him.
He has handled lot of administration
bills in the past for the President He
has taken the rap" for the President on
occasion In the Senate chamber.
As late as yesterday afternoon, the
race between Harrison and Barkley for
the leadership was said to depend upon
about fifteen as yet uncommitted Sena-
tors. 1t may be that by this time many
of these Senators have aligned them
selves with one or the other candidate.
The race was said, moreover, to be ex-
tremely close. Administration leaders
among them Pittman of Nevada, presi-
dent pro tempore of the Senate, and
James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois, the
Democratic whip-have spoken in favor
OF postponing the election of q Demo-
cratic leader until next Winter. They
would leave Barkley to carry on as act
ing leader" under the authority confer
red on him by the late Senator Robinson.
In effect, Barkley would be leader, and
the way to his election next Winter would
be creased for him by such plan. Also,
these leaders figure that it would be well
to avoid, If possible, another intra party
row at this time.
The Harrison people are saying frankly
that they cannot afford to put of the
election until next Winter-if they are
to elect their candidate. Nor do they
intend to wait until next Winter, If they
can get enough votes pledged to make
them confident Of winning If there
seems no hope, Harrison is not expected
to permit his name to go before the
caucus, and in all probability Barkley
will be chosen.
In the event of deadlock in the party
caucus between Harrison and Barkley,
with scattering vote going to other
Senators, Senator Jimmy" Byrnes of
South Carolina has been mentioned as
a compromise possibility. Byrnes, who
used to be regarded as spokesman for
the White House not so long ago, broke
with fho White EJol1ea oyAr 3te fo &l,,ro -