Evening star., 1937-07-25
BY II. X. BAUKHAGE.

BY II. X. BAUKHAGE.
"HE man widely advertised as
leading the revolt against
the New Deal is now busy
liquidating the alleged split
in the party ranks.
John Nance Garner is violating all
additions of idle vacuity ascribed to
Vice President He is swinging into
plosivenesS that drove him from the
Texas Legislature to Congress, to the
| craftsmanship of the powerful Ways
and Means Committee in the House
| and then to the SpeakerShip.
Mr.. Garner is going back to the
beloved wood and void of his cherished
Uvalde soon. Going because he loves
the OUT doors, the out of doors that
made physically handicapped young
ster a husky man and will, he believes,
make him live longer"
But first he is going to do a chore
Handles Unwieldy Ma jOrity
His job is handling that most I'M
wieldy of political entities--a big ma
jority
When he was elected Speaker of the
House his party had slim majority
over the Republicans. He had been
Representative during big ma jority-
when the House was filled with "acCi-
dents" people who had never expected
to see Washington but came in when
the 1T. R."-Taft contest gave Wood
row Wilson the break.
But, as Mr.. Garner points out, while
history repeats itself there is always
little difference.
The "dlfferences" now (and in a
different sense of the word) are lot
bigger-differences Of opinion. And
when Jack Garner came back from
Uvalde this week, rolled up his sleeves
and set to work he did what he con-
sidered the common sense thing. He
refused to attempt the impossible.
Chapter From Experiences.
chapter from his past experience
might we'll be quoted here
1t was during the session when. as
Speaker, he shepherded narrow
Democratic majority under Republic
can Senate and a Republican Presi-
dent, he was criticized by some of his
party for conservatism. This was his
answer: 1t was foolish for the Demo-
Gratis to trot out their program when
the President could veto it.
So history has repeated itself with
a difference
Instead Of trying to force a program
through against a presidential veto
as in the case referred to, this time
he faced the proposition Of trying
to force through an administra ton
measure against a recalcitrant ma
joritv in Congress.
There are certain fundamental rea-
sons why John Garner can do the
repair job he was called back from
Texas to do.
The robes of the vice presidency
have so weighted down other Wearers
that they became mere automatons
good only for laying cornerstones and
not any with any very sharp corners
at that. But his habiliments of Of
fee haven't managed to tangle the
feet or, stop the faying arms of Gao
tus Jack"
Ready for Action.
He isn't built that way. He was
perfectly willing to drop out Of the
picture for a while, but when action
was demanded he was ready. 1t is
true, he finally bowed to fashions
demands and let himself dine out, as
Vice Presidents must, rigged up from
soup to nuts. But that was only sur
face. The truth is he is what poll
ticians usually claim to be but aren't,
real homespun.
He has all the tags and labels that
the charlatan borroWs for display, but
in his case they just happen to be
authentic. He was born in a log
cabin. He did grow up on a farm
His plain-living and plain-speaking
are plainly honest inheritances. They
are real, and, whether or not you
like his brand Of unrectifled spirit, his
is it.
Both the Nances and the Garners
were pre-Revolutionary Virginians.
There is in the family, but not, be
assured, on the stationery, genuine
coat-of arms. Whether or not they
sprang from adventures
adventurers these early Americans
must have been, for both struck out
into the West when there were river
fiat boats, but no air-conditioned Pull
mans to carry them.
The Garners went first to Tennes-
see and then to Texas, close to the
bordering wilderness of what one day
was to be Oklahoma Andrew Jack
son was still tht hero of the times
and the future Vice Preident grew
| up in an inherited atmosphere that