The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-19


 and sore"
 There will be no compromise on the court issue now or later," the President told the demOcra- tic chieftains. "And that goes for relief too. I am standing pat on both issues"
 Roosevelt expressed the firm conviction that the adniniStra- tion can win on both measures, and he made it clear that he ex- pected the leaders to back him 100 per cent. In return, he as- sured them of militant support.
 Of the four leaders who con- suited with the President only one, Vice President Jack Garner, urged conciliatory attitude. ''NOthing DOing", Jack
 The Texan, who has become increasingly restless over the spending the summer in Washing ton, away from his spacious farm veranda and lazy fishing expedi- tions, advised compromising on the court bill with a two-judge real and accepting 8 cut in the relief budget. He told the Presi- dent such program could be put through the senate with dis patch and by large vote. Roose- velt's answer was nothing dO- ing"
 The other three confereeS, Sen- ate Leader Joe Robinson, Speaker Bankhead and House Leader Sam Rayburn, advocated a finish fight.
 Robinson said the votes to carry the court bill in the senate were to be had if a sufficiently vig- orous effort was made to get them. Bankhead and Rayburn declared flatly the releif appro- priation would go through the House without cut. They also promised that if the senate passed the court measure 1t would be ap- proved by their chamber. Farley'S Advice
 Postmaster General Jim Farley had a hand in the Presidents decision to stand pat and fight. Big Jim accompanied him part of the way home and told Roosevelt that the administration could not afford either to back down or be licked.
 There is more to this fight than just the fate of the court bill," Farley said. What the leaders of the 0ppositoin really are aiming at is 194O. They are out to wrest control of the party from the administration so they can put over reaction ary as the next presidential candidate.
 "If we are licked on the court bill we are pretty nearly washed up. We can't cOmpr0- mise and we can't afford to lose. The votes can be got if we 20 after them hard enough" Wizardry
 It will take all the Presidents vaunted political wizardry to win on the Supreme Court issue.
 Right now his six justice pro- posal is as dead as 8 d0dO. The administration is certain of only 46 senate votes, three short of the majority necessary to put it thorugh. Two months ago the White House could have mustered not less than 52 If there had been 8 showdown.
 This loss in strength is due en- tirely to poor leadership and over- confidence on the part of the ad- ministration.
 The opposition has outsmarted and outfought New Deal forces on every trick so far. By skillful maneuvering it dragged the seil- ate judiciary committee hearings out for, month longer than the White House generalissimos had planned. This delay enabled the Supreme Court to hand down its three smashing liberal decisions on the minimum wage and Wagner labor laws an dthe Herndon civil liberties case.
 The administration made much of the fact that the de- cisions were to 4 rulings, but unquestionably they did dull the edge of the Presidents criticism of the court.
 Also, the administrators negligence in counter blasting against waverefs such as Sena- tor Joe O'Mahoney of Wyoming, encouraged them to kick over the traces completely. Had the whip been cracked upon first overt move, they probably would have run for cover.
 Whether enough of the lost strength can be regained to put the measure over remains to be seen. Senator Robinson and Far ley believe it can be done. The President told the leaders 1t had to be done. One thing is certain it is going to get awfully hot on Capitol Hill and it won't be the weather.
 Fascist Probe
 Senate administration leaders have agreed to authorize an in-
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