Evening star., 1937-07-23
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Vice President Garner came back to
Washington In time to avert a deadly
civil war among the Democrats Of the
Senate. 1t remains to be seen whether
the new majority leader, Senator Bark
ley Of Kentucky, and the Vice President
can heal the wounds already made dur
ing the contest over the Presidents plan
to increase the membership of the Su-
preme Court. The battle \had already
been exceedingly brisk, not to say
bitter.
The end Of the battle came yesterday,
few days earlier than had been ex-
pected. But there seemed no good rea-
son for delay in the final settlement, once
the administration forces decided to
capitulate. So the opposition took charge
and wrote the agreement, which was ac-
cepted by the administration leaders.
The victory Of the opposition was COM
plete. It was complete because the
agreement now entered into eliminates
entirely from any judicial reform bill
which the committee on judiciary may
bring forth any mention of the Supreme
Court. The heart Of the Presidents pro-
gram and the bill which he hoped to put
through was that provision enabling him
to appoint additional justices to the Su-
preme Court. This was the heart Of the
Presidents bill, just as Article 10 of the
League Of Nations Covenant was the
heart Of that document. 1t was that
article in the League Covenant-which
in effect would have required the United
States to 60 to war to preserve peace
with nations with which 1t had no quar-
rel-to which Woodrow Wilson clung so
tenaciously.
The presumption now is that the SEN
ate Judiciary Committee, to which the
Presidents court bill and all amend
ments were recommitted yesterday by a
vote Of 10 to 20, will bring out a bill max
ing some reforms In judicial procedure
designed to speed up justice. However,
not only will the new bill make no pro-
vision for increasing the membership
OF the highest court, but it will omit
another provision of the original, that
which called for the appointment of a
proctor" for the Federal courts 1t will
eliminate, too, that provision under which
Federal judges could have been shifted
from one district and one circuit to an
other. This is Sc provision which Sen
ator George of Georgia denounced so
heatedly, calling it carpet bagging"
scheme, which would send Vermont
judges to try cases in Georgia, and
Georgia judges to try cases in Vermont.
The new bill will be but a she'll few
OF the trimmings of the original meas
ure. The opponents of the Presidents s
program have an iron-clad agreement
with the administration forces that there
is to be no attempt to amend the new
bill on the Senate floor or in the House
SO as to revive the Supreme Court and
other features to which they objected
One thing may be said. All the Sem
ators-both the opponents and the pro-
ponents of the court bill-heaved a sigh
of relief when the bill was recommitted.
They have become heartily sick of the
measure and of the struggle which
seemed destined to 90 on for many more
weeks.
Binding up the wounds in the Demo-
cratic party growing out of this six
months contest over the court bill is
going to be real job. 1t will be all
the more difficult if Gov. Earle of
Pennsylvania and other fire e-eaters con-
tinue to demand punishment Of those
Democratic Senators who opposed the
court bill. Already the schism In the
Democratic ranks is marked.
The contest over the Democratic lead
ership Of the Senate, won by Senator
Barley OF Kentucky-by one vote-over
Senator Pat Harrison Of Mississippi,
ended apparently in harmony. But some
Of the supporters of Harrison continue
to resent the attitude of the administra-
ton. Notwithstanding the protests by
the President that he was entirely neutral
In the leadership fight. some of them
maintain that the administration and
particularly Chairman James A. Farley
of the Democratic National Committee,
brought good deal of pressure here
and there to assure the election of Sem
ator Barkley.
It looks as though from this point on
there would be a struggle between the
more radical group in the New Deal party
with the more conservative Democrats.
The prize will be control of the Demo-
cratic party-and the nomination of a
presidential candidate in 1910. It looks,
too, as though the Congress. strongly
dominated in both houses by the Demo-
Gratis. would from now on show a greater
spirit Of independence. The White
House may find it increasingly difficult
to get Congress to sign on the dotted line.
Some Of the Democrats are openly pre-
dieting that hereafter Congress will write
It's own laws, and not accept bills handed
to it by the White House.
The program for the rest Of the present
session Of Congress has still to be agreed
upon. For six months the legislators
have done little more than the routine
and the annual appropriation bills. No
effort has been made by the administra-
ton to get through its recommendations
for labor and farm legislation. It would
have been possible to obtain action on a
labor bill and farm bill-and a housing
bill-long ago, If the administration had
been willing to let up in it's demand for
the court bill. Now, in the middle of
Summer, members rather resent the idea
they should be held here to consider these
controversial measures.
With the dropping by the administra-
ton Of its court bill, Immediately there
cropped up in Washington today r,lmors
that some OF the justices Of the Supreme
Court now IS years of age or more would
retire-as Justice Van Devanter did last