The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-03-24
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL,
CAPITAL
By Carter Field ~
By Carter Field ~

Washington.-The Farley MAXIM
that the Democrats should fight to
the last ditch for every possible
elective office, no mater how hope
less the fight might seem, and al
WAYS with a view TO building up the
organization for the next election
is being shamlessly abandoned, &C
cording to some very caustlc crit
les inside. the Democratic party.
Out in the country some Demo-
cratic leaders, sharing this view,
are very much disturbed. They are
telling their senators and represen-
tatives that all is not well, that the
Republicans are likely to make big
inroads this fall, and that there will
be terrific number casualties
among Democratic house members,
if not among Democratic senators.
This impression that the Demo
cratic machine is not functionlng
at top speed, that it is depending
more. on general propaganda and
more on the strength of Roosevelt
with the voters, is enhanced when
such pessimists come to Washing
ton and try to get something done
about it.
81 told our problems to Charley
Nicholson Democratic worker
from Missouri told some friends aft
erward, land I was afraid he
would 60 to sleep while | was talk
ing"
What that worker did not know,
of course, was that Charley might
be excused for being bored at hear
ing the same tale for the thousandth
time. On the other hand there is
the old story of the boy who kept
crying, wolff Wolff" when there
was no wolf, and who regretted
his false alarms very much when,
after the real wolf came, no one
paid any attention to his cries.
Call 1t Good Strategy
There are some influential mem
bers of the party, however, who be,
1ieve that il is good strategy to LEI
down for a while.
They don't think it would hurt
very much If the Republicans shoulc
gain sixty or seventy seats in the
house of representatives this fall
They do not expect THAI the Re
publicans will do anything like this
well, but point out that there would
be some advantages to such a
change. For one thing the Demo
cratic majority in the house woule
not be SO unwieldy and top-heavy
For another it would put, as they
express it, the fear of Cod in the
hearts of the surviving Democrats
So these survivors might be brough
to heel much more easily on White
House commands
"But suppose the Republican:
should actually get control Of tn,
house?" one of them was asked.
'That is almost impossible" re
torted the Democrat" But sup
pose they did? Wouldn't that pu
the Republicans on the spot befor
the country? What could they d
except snipe at the President an
the New Deal? I think actually
would be far from an unmixed evil
I think house for the next tw
years controlled by the Republican
would do more to insure a sweepin
Democratic victory in 1910 than any
thing ! can imagine"
Interest in the senate battles thi
fall is mostly personal. Nothing
could shake the grip of the Demo
Gratis on the senate except a crol
of upper house funerals far in ex
cess of any reasonable probability.
Stumbling Block
Nothing would surprise anyone
who has been watching the stale
mate on the wage-hours regulation
bill, but it is quite apparent tina
the magic formula which woult
open the door to--its enactment ha
not been found.
Secretary Perkins remains tn
chief stumbling block Not becaus
VI .dtiy tllAilB 5ilG oOilG dboAA A.
because of where TO put the ad
T. nistration of the act, and the dis
erection about tempering the win
TO the shorn lambs-in this cas-
the sections of the country and tn
particular industries which Nigh
be favored with differentials-is tn
chief problem on which agreemen
lis not in sight.
If Miss Perkins were entirely sa'
isfactory TO William Green, pres
dent of the American Federation {
Labor, to-John L. Lewis, head {
the c. |. O., and to congress, the bi
would 60 through like creased ligh
ming. To put it another way,
Miss Perkins were to resign tomol
row, and the President should az
point Edward F. McGrady in he
place, passage of the bill would haI
pen within SO hours.
But--there is no likelihood
that. Lewis and Green are not vii
ing to trust Miss Perkins. Congress
is not willing to trust her. So IF
alternative would seem to be an il
dependent board or commission
administer the law. This is whel
the power of Green in congress b
comes important Green sticks