The Omaha guide., 1937-10-30
Economic R}Ii3W

: en- a Congressional honeymoon
that is, for a certain period time
long or short as the case may be
his suggetion and requests Of Con.
gress are p~aeeived with almost I'm.
namious appeal and are enacted
into law. He is aced by no major
defections from his party ranks
and his floor leaders need give but
little effort to keeping "the boys
ia line"
In our recent history, the short
est honeymoon was that Of Presi
dent Hoover, who had to deal with
a hostile Congress within two years
after his e~lection-a circumstance
that had much to do with his crush
ing dafeat when he a for re
election.
The longest honeymoon has been
that of President Roosevelt. For
four years, every major policy
he advocated was approved with a
minimum of debate. He received no
set backs from Congress. In such
matters as disbursement of govern
ment money, he was given almost
a free hand. He had bills written
by his advisors, sent them to Cor
gress and saw them made into law
within a few days. Never was the
authority of the Executive so broad
ened.
To say that this honeymoon is
now over is simply to state an OBJ
vious fact, APPARENT to both friends
and opponents of the New Deal.
Cause of the split was the Court
Bill. Ultimate effects of the split
are today the subject for guessing,
forecasting and editorializing by
everyone in the coutry who takes
an interest in politics.
The death of Senator Robinson
who, through his great personal
popularity, ability and mastery of
the complicated parliamentary tech
nique, was able to keep the Senate
running like a well-oiled Admins
tration machine for four years
was a serious blow to the President.
But the seeds of discomfort have
been brewing for a long time. Even
had Mr.. Robinson secured passage
of the Court Bill, which is extreme
" doubtful, the breach between
Congress and the White House
Fundamentally have widened. Fac
ed with no effective Republican op-
position, the overwhelming Demo
cratic majority has been gradually
.. breaking into a number of opposed,
FESTIVE factions.
The upshot of this, as the Wash
ington columnists have been writ
ing, is clear. The Court Bill-per-
haps the most importat piece of
legislation proposed by the Admin
istration-is definitely dead. There
will be no increase in Supreme
Court membership, no proctor, and
no increase in the membership of
the lower Federal courts unless a
definite need for judges is shown.
1t is probable that bill will be OF
fered whereby the progress of cases
ivolving Constitutional questions
from District court to the Supreme
Court, will be expedited, and the
Attorney General will be empower
ed to appear in lower court cases
when the constitutionality of a Fed
eral law is questioned. These minor
reforms have long been advocated
by conservatives and liberals alike.
and will not stir opposition.
Furthermore, the other must
bills on the Administrators five
point Legislative program for this
session are definitely in danger
r the chances, say the experts, are
against them passing. These bills
would fix minimum wages and max.
imum hours for industry in inter
, state commerce; reorganize the
government department and bur
eaus; provide for low cost housing.
, plug up loopholes in the tax laws
and set up a new farm plan, based
on the ever normal grannary.'
. Potent remarks came recently from
Representative Woodrum, a strong
S White House adherent, who sale
that if the Administration insisted
on passing an ambitious Legislative
program such as this, Congress
will still be here when the frost il
a on the pumpkin" The revolt, il
brief, has reached a highly advan
: ced stage.
: The effects of this on the coun
try is gradually becoming clear
. First, the chances are strongl!
against n additional sexperimen