Evening star., 1938-06-28
The Political Mill
Presidents Effort Against Tydings in Maryland
Appears to Be Case of History Repeating.

newspapers to the effect that Presi-
dent Wilson intended to use the whole
influence Of his ONCE to force the
nomination Of Marbury, and that II
he were successful, he would try the
same tactics in other States, gave i've
main reasons why no President should
follow such . course.
Argument Against Course.
quote them:
Il. The course ascribed to you would
be deadly blow to the most precious
and important principle Of the Demo-
cratic party--the principle Of local
self-government or States rights,
which gave birth to the party and
which Is the root and foundation of
all its other principles.
= 1t is implacably hostile to the
nature and structure of the United
States Senate itself and to the very
object Of its institution. as we'll as to
its peculiar and specific functions.
g. 1t would destroy the vital prin-
ciple Of the separation, independence
and equilibrium Of the three great de-
partments Of the Federal Government
the executive, legislative and judi
cial-which the Constitution estab-
fishes as equal, coordinate and su-
preme within the sphere assigned to
each.
u. It would be misuse and q per-
version of the power and patronage of
the Federal Government which were
delegated and created for objects per-
fectly defined, and never intended to
be applied, as above declared. to the
purpose Of controlling or influencing
State elections.
Would Change Government.
IS. 1t would completely change the
character Of the Government Of the
United States, both intrinsically and
in its relation to the several States,
transforming it from q Federal into q
/ centralized. consolidated, imperial sys-
tenn, with the President, an absolute
autocrat, at its head. with all the
vast powers, now so equally distributed
and balanced, absorbed and concen-
trated in himself"
These arguments against the en-
trance Of the President into State pri-
maries in an effort to bring about the
nomination and election of men who
would do his bidding in Congress were
made by a Maryland Democrat. They
sound very much like the arguments
which were made by many Democrats
last year against President Roosevelt's
attempt to dominate the Supreme
Court Of the United States by means
Of adding additional justices.
A Democratic Senator with a philo-
sophie turn of mind insists that
States rights are pretty nearly extinct
under the New Deal administration
today. This Senator Is not one of
those who have opposed the Presi-
dent. In fact, he has voted for all
the Presidents proposals and would
have voted for the court bill had 1t
not been recommitted
In the body Of his letter, Mr.. Straus
said to President Wilson, You may
as well tell a true Democrat that you
intend to take his life as tell him that
you propose to strike q blow at the
electoral independence Of his State
He will tell you that such a course is
the annihilation of the party creed"
President Wilson's resentment
against Senator Smith in 1918 was
a hangover from the Democratic
National Convention OF 1912, when
Smith had been q supporter of Oscar
Underwood for the presidential nomi-
nation. Smiths colleague in the
Senate, Blair Lee. was an ardent Will
sonite. Yet in 1915 when he ran for
denomination 'Davey" Lewis, Tydings'
present opponent, won the nomina-
ton from Lee. The result of that
intraparty row was the election Of Q
Republican, Senator France, In place
Of Lee.