Evening star., 1938-11-29
Opposition May Force
Roosevelt 10 Run
Again, Norris Says
President Might Follow
Example Of T.R. in IL,
Senator Declares
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.


| If conservative bloc develops in
the new Congress and prevents pas
sage of liberal legislation it will
force President Roosevelt to seek q
third term, Senator Norris, veteran
Nebraska independent, predicted
yesterday upon his return to the
Capitol.
The Nebraskan. who supported
the President in 1882 and again In
1886, indicated his belief that Mr..
Roosevelt will not run for third
term if there is no concerted move
to block liberal legislation.
II believe the country Is liberal
by large majority" Senator Norris
said, "and If reactionaries get to-
gether and prevent liberal legislation
the country will go against the group
that brings that about and force
Roosevelt to run for a third term" I"
Carrying this possibility a step
farther, Mr.. Norris suggested that
If the same thing should happen to
President Roosevelt in the next
Democratic convention that hap
pened to Theodore Roosevelt he
might follow the same course"
The Nebraskan had reference to
1912, when Theodore Roosevelt be-
came an independent candidate on
the Bull Moose ticket, after the Re-
publican convention had nominated
William Howard Taft"
If Reactionary Is Named.
If this should be the Democratic
situation in 1910 and the Repub-
licans then nominated "a well-knoWn
reactionary Roosevelt would win, "
Senator Norris declared. He added
his belief that Theodore Roosevelt
would have been elected in 1912 if
the Democrats had not nominated
Woodrow Wilson, whom the Nebras-
kan said he regarded as progress
Sive.
Mr.. Norris said the Republicans
"have it in their hands" to elect a
President If they put up a liberal.
Reiterating his belief that the
country is still progressive the Sen
ator suggested that putting too
many Jobs on the political pie
counter" was one of the factors that
brought about the results of the
recent elections.
In an earlier comment on the
election results Mr.. Norris said 1t
demonstrated to him that polit-
tcal party that would 60 into power
and act for the good of the country
instead of the party could stay in
power indefinitely"
Doubted Third Party Wisdom.
Discussing the setback received
by third-party advocates, notably in
Wisconsin, the Nebraskan said he
has doubted and advised against
the wisdom of trying to establish
a third party. He attributed this
setback to belief that the Pro-
gressives were not as united as their
opponents.
He said he believes the people Of
the country have the same conf
dence in the President they had
before, and said he assumes the
President lis going right on"
The Nebraskan suggested that the
action of the new Congress on ap-
proriation bills might furnish one
test of the future of the New Deal
program. To illustrate, he cited
the need for funds to complete the
T. v. A. development, the rural
electriflcation program or to carry
on such activities as housing and
securities and exchange regulation.
He indicated that Withholding the
funds for any such activity would
be one reason why the country
should repudiate a Congress-"
Among unfinished legislative prob
lens he listed for consideration were
limitation of hours of labor as a
means of increasing employment,
and further study of the farm
problem. In pointing out that
farmers in some sections are not
satisfied with the existing agricul-
tural program, the Senator said they
should bear in mind that Congress,
In drafting the new law, had to
strive to make it constitutional, in
the light of the courts action in
declaring the Agricultural Adjust
ment Act unconstitutional.
Asked what he thought of District
Attorney Dewey as q Republican
presidential possibility, Senator Nor
ris indicated he had been impressed
by the New Yorker's work as a
prosecutor, but wants to know more
about his views on national issues.
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