Evening star., 1937-10-26
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

made light of reports that all is not beer
and skittles in the Democratic party.
The idea of split in the party, he said,
was all a figment Of the Imagination
of Republicans. During the course of
that same speech, however, Mr.. Farley
extolled to the skies Senator George
Norris Of Nebraska, who was elected as
an independent" over the regularly
chosen Democratic nominee. and failed
to make any mention of Senator Edward
r. Burke, the Democratic Senator from
the State. Senator Burke was leader
of the opposition to President Roosevelts
bill to increase the membership of the
Supreme Court
Then Mr.. Farley continued: "If public
men start out to defeat the obiectives
of the Roosevelt administration, Of
course they must answer for their actions
to the people. Every office holder has
to do that, whether he IS for or against
the New Deal. But / may add that 1t
is extremely comforting to be for the
Roosevelt administration when election
time rolls round" Possibly Mr.. Farley
did not have the junior Senator from
Nebraska in mind when he made this
statement. The probabilities are he
did. and that every Democrat who
listened TO him knew that he had refer
ence to Senator Burke.
While the chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Committee was taking
slap at Senator Burke, who had dared
to differ with the administration on the
court bill, the extremely capable director
of publicity for the committee. Charles
Nicholson, was circulating a statement
in which he sought to soft pedal the
idea that the party's national organiza-
tion took sides against candidates for
Democratic nomination to- the Senate.
Well. perhaps it does not openly and
officially, but there are more ways Of
killing a cat than choking it to death
with cream.
Mr. Nicholson denied the soft i'm
peachment that the speech delivered by
Senator Guffey of Pennsylvania just
before Congress adjourned declaring for
the defeat of all Democratic Senators
who opposed the Presidents court bill
represented the white House position"
1T is not improbable" said Michel
son. that Senator Guffey has company
in his views-but that is very different
from the thought industriously circu-
lated that the administration and the
Democratic national organization will
exert their influence in the Democratic
primaries and other State functions
dealing with next years congressional
election"
There are % Democratic Senators up
for denomination and reelection next
year and four Republicans. Nicholson
predicted that any opponent of the
will
"ascribe his failure to the administra-
ton" Probably that is a safe predic-
ton although Nicholson hastened to
add. "the central political body tmean-
ing the Democratic National Committee
of which Mr.. Farley is chairman and
which is dominated by the Roosevelt
administration could not openly op-
pose the candidate chosen by State,
and there is no such thing as secret op-
position, either by the administration
or by the National Committee" Mr.
Nicholson insisted upon the neutrality
of the National Committee in all primary
fights.
The true inwardnesS of the Nicholson
statement. however, is found in the fol-
lowing quotation: Undoubtedly the
President, normal human being, is
more concerned with the success of his
friends than of his opponents. Likewise,
having formulated policy that ne
deems serves the public interest he
would rather see in Congress legislators
who support that interest than those
who oppose it. Hence it is unlikely that
the President would shed many tears if
some of those Democratic Senators most
violent in their opposition should fail
of denomination"
1t is difficult to read Mr.. Nicholson S
statement without gathering that it is
warning to Democratic Senators to
play ball with the President in the
coming session of Congress or take the
consequences-despite his assertion that
the administration and the National
Committee do not interfere in Demo-
cratic primaries. 1t is difficult not to
understand that the hand of the admin
istration and the National Committee
will be against these Senators who have
opposed the President.
The Democratic national organization
and the administration are not so in
nocent of attempts to dominate party
primaries as Mr. Nicholson makes out.
1t was not so long ago that the admin
istration prevailed upon Charles West.
then a Representative from Ohio and
now the UnderSetretary of the Interior
and the White House liaiSon officer with
Congress, to make a race for the Demo-
cratic senatorial nomination in the
Buckeye State. At that time it was Mr..
Vests particular job to cut down Senator
"Vic" Donahey, who was running for the
Senate nomination in the Democratic
primary Donahey was known not to
be friendly to some of the administra-
tion's policies. 1t happened. however
that Donahey was the best vote getter
in the State, and the administrations
efforts were in vain. DOnahey was NOM
mated and later elected
4
Probably the Democratic Senator'S
and Representatives-who have been
opposed to the court bill or to other
measures advocated by the President
understand the situation quite we'll.
Whether it will scare them into future
good behavior or whether it will have an
opposite effect the coming session of
Congress likely will show. But some of
them seem slated for the AK in any event
no matter what their future course.
There are seven Democratic Senators
who openly stood out against the court
bill and who are up for denomination
next year. There are others, too, though
not so conspicuous in their opposition.
In 1910 there are ten more who opposed
the court bill-and the PreSident-who
10 Y,n11c if IN