The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-29

democratic party.
 But don't be deceived by those kisses, There may be a temporary lull in the battle, but 1t will be very temporary.
 The real issue today Is: Will the Roosevelt program go onp
 In four years he has put through a program more radical than any other President since Lincoln, and 1t Is no secret that to many of his party leaders that program has been just as bitter medicine as the program of Lincoln was to their forc- bears.
 The Roosevelt program, so far, has been whipped through by the scourge of the depression and by overwhelming popular demand. But now the depression Is over, public opinion is more compla- cent, and Roosevelt has suddenly suffered smashing, terrific de- feat.
 White House advisers arc put. ting out the story that the de- feat was neither significant nor important. But they are whistling in their boards. Real fact Is that Roosevelt was given a crushing blow, and given 1t not by repuh- leans, but by members of his own party,
 Growing Split
 Those same members now face Issues to which they secretly ob- ject just as vigorously as they did to the court plan--perhaps more So
 Look over the important bills earmarked for action before ad. journment. They get dowi. to the roots of tradition opposition with in Roo3evelt's own party.
 There k the wages and hours bill. which puts the Negro of the South on the same economic plane-as far as wages go-with white labor. In the opinion of somc people it completcs-from the economic viewpolnt-thc emancipation which Lincoln started. There Is potent. deep. rooted opposition to this bill on the part of many democratic congressman, but it Is . must" measure on the program of the.r leader.
 There Is also the housing bill by which, for the first time, the government reaches down into the slums with It's own money and builds tcnementS to compete with private real estate, Not only are the real estate operators opposed, but also the agricultural areas, which get no benefit.
 Dodge Roosevelt
 All the talk about adjournment because Of fatigue and hot weath- CT Is bunk. Real reason is the desire to dodge tho Roosevelt pro- gram.
 Hostile democrats have tasted blood and may get away with it thls time. They may even continue to get away with it. But if they do. it means the real continuation of the long talked. of split within the democratic party.
 Roosevelt is an adroit leader. He will soft-soap and wisecrack. He can dodge and sometimes retreat. But in this case the old Dutch is up, and you can write it down in the book that he is In for 6 knock. down. .and -drag -out fight to the finish with the Democratic Old Guard.
 Post Mortem
 Post mortcmS are dreary, but in the case of tho Supreme Court fight there are some significant lessons to be gained from review ing the strategy sby which tho President lost it,
 There were. of course. the al- ready known facts that he muffed the first play by not taking sentaors Into his conf. denec. also by letting Attorney General Cummings get him off on such wrong steers as old age and crowded court dockcts as the excuse for reorganization. Important also Is the fact that Roosevelt was 0vcrcOnfident, went fishing instead of fight ing. He let his opponents drag out the battle until Chief Jus tice Hughes could spring some favorable decisions.
 It was after the Wagner Act decision, upholding the New Deal. that unwritten history took place which had an all-important bear- ing on the fight,
 At that time Roosevelt indicated privately his willingness to accept a compromise. He wanted to scra1 the six-judge increase for . two- judge increase. This would cre- ate e Supreme Court of eleven justices, one each for the eleven Judicial circuits of the United States.
 Robinson Opposed
 But Joe Robinson opposed. Rca- son was that by some quirk of