Evening star., 1937-08-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Another strongly impelling reason
why members OF Congress yearn for
adjournment is their desire to look after
their fences without further delay This
applies in particular to 400-odd Repre-
sentatives who aspire to reelection in
1898 and to the 80 Senators whose terms
expire in January. Anxiety to re-estab-
lish contact with their constituents is
liveliest among the Democrats who
incurred administration displeasure
through opposition to the Supreme Court
bill. In the name of party harmony
Jim Farley is now busily proclaiming
that no reprisals are planned, but many
members Of both branches feel far from
reassured on this score. With other New
Deal spokesmen publicly clamoring for
decapitation of "betrayers of Roosevelt"
Democrats who led or joined the fight
against the Presidents judiciary pro-
gram fear that Farleys soothing sirup
may turn out to be as indispensable as
his "in the bag" prophecy about votes
for the court scheme. In some cases.
congressional primaries are barely six
months away. Men who must face the
guns think, under all the circumstances,
that there's not moment to be lost in
laying their plans for political self
perpetuation. Hence their yen for the
folks back home.
At the very outset Of his career as a
Democratic majority leader, Senator
Barkley faced a stern test of his man.
agerial qualities, in connection with the
wages and hours bill. Differences pro-
voked by the labor standards measure,
especially among Southern Senators,
prove that New Deal unity is as sorely
disrupted over that White House propo-
sition as was the case with Supreme
Court legislation. Senator Pat Harrisons
vehement disapproval, while based pri-
marily on the bills disadvantages for
Dixie industries, gave the Mississippian
early and apparently not unwelcome
opportunity to captain opposition to his
antagonist in the leadership contest. The
Senate fight against the Black -Connery
proposition, due to be duplicated in the
House. emphasizes the extent and bitter
ness Of the Democratic schism. It fore
shadows plenty of additional discord
when other administration backed pro-
posals come up for action, now or later.
There's been q notable letdown in the
spirit OF both branches Of Congress since
the court battle. Vigorous as subsequent
debate has been in spots, the Capitol
atmosphere is highly charged with leth-
argy-that tired feeling which always
follows super-energetic effort in any
field. Historians Of the crusade to save
an Independent judiciary may record
that it left Congress so frazzled that later
legislation was enacted by 4 Senate and
House In humor to approve undigested
proposals, in order to hasten the wind
up of session that had outlived its
usefulness.
Senate confirmation possibilities will
bulk heavily in President Roosevelt's
appointment Of Supreme Court justice.
Because Of that fact, the name of Fed
eral Judge Sam G. Bratton of New
Mexico rates high among candidates for
the Van Devanter vacancy. AS former
member of the Senate, Bratton's NOM
ination would be assured automatic
approval by his one-time colleagues. He
resigned from the New Mexico Supreme
Court bench in 1924 to run for the
Senate, and, after reelection to second
term, resigned his seat in 1888 to accept
one Of the earliest Roosevelt appoint
ments to the United States Circuit Court
Of Appeals, on which he is now serving.
Another circuit justice, Joseph c.
Hutcheson, jr., Of Houston, also remains
prominently in the Supreme Court run
ming. His greatest handicap is prob
ably geographical, as Texans already
occupy 30 many seats OF the mighty at
Washington. Judge Bratton, while now
Z New Mexican. happens to be . Lone
Star nA&tvo,