The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-09
|Ho ly-Fought BiH
 Recon1n1itted 2O4-196
Continued from Page D

 (Continued bureaus and commissions of the 150-year -old United States govern mental structure into Il cabinet de- partments held even more imme- diate political significance than the supreme court defeat because it came on the eve of the Illinois primary-the first important one preceding the 1898 national elections. The voters will choose nominees for one senate and 27 house seats from among candidates avowing various degrees of loyalty and opposition to the new deal.
 Primaries in other states-notably Indiana and Pennsylvania-will be held in May.
 Defeat Clear Cut
 What made the defeat so clear-cut for the new deal were the State- ments of the ranking house leaders Speaker William s. Bankhead and Majority Leader Sam Rayburn, Democrat, Texas.
 Several times since the special session was convened last Novem- Der, Rayburn, stocky and bald headed, has faced house tense with anticipation of vote on which reelection of its members may depend. Last night he did 1t again.
 would this House, by a vote of lack of confidence in the present occupant of the White House." he said, "now add tremendously to the doubt and disturbance in the coun- try in this time of recession when the minds of men and women are disturbed?
 Can we as a party and as citi- zens afford to throw that kind of disturbance into the minds of the citizens by this vote, if 1t were un- favorable to the President and the recommendations of the commit tee?
 What is wrong with this policy of government that was not wrong last summer when only 75 members of this House voted against the heart of this bill?
 Il CannOC Ilgure lC out.
 Bankhead Speaks
 Bankhead went even further. Ad- ministra ton leaders were confident they had seen the bill survive all tests. It then was at the brink of passage.
 Say what you please" Bankhead said, "this bill has been jockeyed into position where 8 vote to re- commit would be repudiation of confidence in the President and the Democratic party.
 If you defeat this bill-and it's going to be done by Democratic vote-watch the reaction in public prints.
 "You will see these words: House by Democratic votes has repudiated the President of the United States and expressed the opinion that 1t cannot rely on him.
 T say to that man down there in the White House, we have confi- dence in your character and your objectives."
 OConnor's Reply
 Upon that note the leadership rested the issue. But to the argu- ment of loyalty to President and party, O'Connor replied:
 "Let us try to be calm. Now, what has been done here today? Every attempt has been made to offer bait to pass any kind of bill. Now, you have here a bill reported 10 this House in which the whole Senate bill was stricken out and the House committee offered sub- stitute bill. There have been count less amendments offered here.
 Does anybody know what they all mean? I do not.
 "Ncw, do not say that anybody on this side is playing with the Re- publicans. The Republicans can be right. They can be right on a great, fundamental, governmental issue.
 Something has been said by the distinguished majority leader, my friend, to the effect that last sum- mer we passed a reorganization Dill. This is true. It was done in thoughtless moment, but the Senti- menu III this country has changed since last summer.
 Our people went through seven years of turmoil and trial and trou- ble, but since last fall they have experienced something they had never experienced before in spite of all our promises to them. This is why a reorganization bill could have passed last summer but is of- fensive to the people right now.
 T am appealing for the interests of my party and my Democratic colleagues, that if this bill is not recommitted for further study it will be disastrous to our party and to our country, which I love above my party"
 Loyalty Tested Thrice
 Since MT. Roosevelt summoned Congress back to session to enact the legislative program put aside by the Supreme Court fight, the appeal of direct presidential loyalty has been put to the House on three issues. They were the farm bill, the wage-hour bill and the surtax on closely held corn0ratiOns