Evening star., 1938-02-06
Senate Primaries to Give Clue
ToNew Deal Party Possibilities
denomination or Defeat of Court Proposal Foes
Seen as Measure of Roosevelt's
Power Until 1941.

IS to continue as New Deal party, or
is to go back to traditional democracy.
For determining who are New Deal
Democrats and who are traditional Demo-
Gratis, there is one outstanding test. It
is their attitude on President Roosevet's
court measure. On the others of Mr..
ROoSeVelt's measures. it would be i'm.
possible to set up any categories. There
are Democratic Senators who voted last
year for the farm control bill. but against
the wage and hour bill and there was
the same kind of contradiction on the
other New Deal measures during the
earlier years Of Mr.. Roosevelt's presidency.
But the lineup on the Presidents court
proposal makes a clear distinction
In the primaries this year there will
come up for denomination nine Demo-
cratic Senators who opposed the court
measure. The nine are:
Adams, Colorado. McCaran. Nevada
Clark Missouri Smith. S. Carolina
George. Georgia Tydings, Maryland.
Gillette, Iowa. Van Nuvs. Indiana
Lonergan, Con-
necticut
been. on the Presidents court measure
the Democratic No Senators. If they,
or practically all Of them, win reelection
IN the coming primaries, that will be a
clear victory for the traditional Demo-
Gratis, an indication that control of the
party is going to pass away from MIR.
Roosevelt and the New Dealers,
Turn now TO the other l8 Democratic
Senators who come up for denomination
this year. These 1s Senators we're in
favor of the Presidents court measure. 1t
cannot be said that these le voted for the
court measure, for there was never any
roll call directly on it. But substantially
all the l8 either made public declarations
in favor of the measure, or otherwise
identified themselves with it, Certainly
no one OF these 18 took position against
the measure. These 18 were the Yes"
Senators:
Barkley, Kentucky. Hitchcock.
Berry, Tennessee. South Dakota.
Bone, Washington. Meade, California.
Brown, NcGill, Kansas
New Hampshire Pepper, Florida
Bulkley, Ohio Pope, Idaho
CaraWay, Arkansas Reynolds.
Dleterich. Illinois. North Carolina.
Duffy. Wisconsin. Thomas, Oklahoma.
Hayden, Arizona. Thomas, Utah
Wagner, New York.
II those l8, or practically all of them,
win denomination in the coming primaries,
and especially if they win easily-that
will mean that control of the Democratic
party is to remain with Mr.. Roosevelt and
the New Dealers.
Significant Development.
In the opening events of this struggle
for control of the Democratic party, there
is development which seems to have
some significance. When, last summer,
the fight on the Presidents court measure
was acute, it was said that the nine Sem
ators who opposed the measure would not
be renominated They were to be ex-
communicated, outlawed, "purged' One
New Deal leader, Senator Gufey of Penn
sylvania, issued publicly violent de-
nunciation of them.
National Chairman Farley said that the
court proposal was an official party
measure; he implied that those who did
not support it were guilty of party treason.
Every one assumed that when the primaries
came the offenders would be disciplined.
But recently Mr.. Farley says the Demo-
cratic National Committee will take no
hand in the primaries.
Today it seems as if most of the nine
court measure, the mo" Senators, are
to have comparatively little opposition.
II it was ever the intention of the ad-
mnistration and Mr.. Farley to drive
these Senators from public lfe-to set
up strong opponents to them in their
States and back the opponents with all
the force of Federal patronage and
prestige-if that was ever the intention,
it seems to have been abandoned. OF
the nine mo" Senators, five seem, so
far, likely to have no opposition. All but
one seem, at this time, likely to win re-
nomination.
"Yes" Senators Find Opposition.
As to the 18 Democratic Senators who
supported the Presidents court measure.
the Yes" Senators, it was assumed last
summer that they would be renominated
readily and surely. 1t was assumed that
the administration would back them, and
that this backing would over-awe con-
tenders-no one would dare run against
them. Now it turns out that the Eyes"
Senators are the ones against whom
formidable opponents are emerging
For example Senator Barkley of Ken
lucky was for the Presidents court pro-
posal and was therefore a favorite of
the administration. Largely by the ad-
ministrations help he was made Demo-
cratic leader of the Senate. At that time
few thought that any one would run
against Senator Barkley in the Kentucky
Democratic primary. But now apparently
Senator Barkley is to have an opponent,
formidable one. Already opposition, in
most cases formidable, is brewing, or has
been announced, against McAdoo in Cali
fornia, Bulkley in Ohio, Dieterich In
Illinois, Pepper In Florida.
eCopyright. 1881