Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1937-03-25

Politics Is always in the air In
Washington. where political consid-
erations determine most OF the act
ivities Of Government, year In and
year out. But after a Presidential
election there is usually a breath
ing spell of a couple of years in par
ty politics. before the forces Of the
opposing parties begin to form their
lines for the next Presidential con-
test.
The partisan breathing spell has
been very brief this time. however.
Mr.. R~oosevelt's second term is
hardly two months old. but already
the lines are forming for the cleo
ton of 1910. with the possibility
that the lineup in that year may be
totally different from anything in
the past.
Twodevelopments since the first
of the year have started shifts of
political opinion and point toward
a realisnment of political learders.
These are the Presidents proposal
TO bring the Judicial department of
the Federal Government under the
control of the Legislative and Exec
utive departments. and the specacu-
lar rise to power and prominence
of John L. Lewis and his C. /. O..
or industrial union program for
Labor organization.
The Presidents proposal has had
the immediate effect of splitting the
Democratic party wide open. "Old
line" Democratic leaders, who have
been willing to go along with Mr..
Roosevelt in the name of party
regularity. even though many of his
New Deal policies ran contrary to
their judgments and to the
party's traditions, are coming out in
the open and declaring that they
cannot follow him on any proposal
designed to impair the position of
the Supreme Court as an equal and
coordinate branch of the Federal
Government. The Senate split is
not along established party lines.
Although the 10 Republican sena-
tors are naturally opposed to the
Presidents plan. they are keeping
quiet and letting the Democrats do
the public protesting. The most
active public leader of the opposi-
ton is Senator Wheeler of Montana,
a Democratic wheelhorse whose par
" regularity has never been ques-
toned. Following Senator Wheel
er's leadership are at least rs sena-
tors of his W party, mostly from
the traditional Democratic strong
hold of the "Solid South"
They are earnestly. even bitterly
determined to fight the Supreme
Court proposal to the last ditch. At
present more than forty Senators
are ~ayowedly in opposition TO the
Court plan. That is not a majority
of the Senate, but ii is a large
enough group to block the Court
proposal, or at least to force a com
promise, w if ten or a dozen yield
under Administration pressure. And
since this bloc contains many OF
the most powerful party leaders
with enormous influence in their
home states. who are risking theil
political futures as a matter of prin,
ciple. observers here regard the
situation as pointing directly toward
split in the whole Democratic
party between "Old Line" Demo,
Gratis and New Dealers"
That might result in some sort oil
a coalition of conservative and anti
New Deal forces for the 1910 cam
paign. The proposal has been made
and is seriously being considered il
Republican circles that it would bs
good strategy for the Republicans tt
let it be known that their party will
put no candidates in the field in tn,
Congressional elections Of 1885
against Democratic Senators ant
Representatives who vote agains
the Administration on the Supreme
Court issue.