The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-11-24
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS

ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
The most obvious observation to
make on the elections is that they
marked a notable popular victory
for the long-dormant Republicans.
And there is no denying that. Ex-
perts not connected with either par
ty predicted the COP would gain
about so seats in the House, They
actually gained 81. The same ex-
perts thought it extremely unlikely
that they would win more than 4
Senate seats-and they took 8.
Still another victory was won, too
and it is an extremely important
one. It was won by the conserva-
tive, anti-New Deal wing of the
Democratic party. This wing is
dominated by the Southern Senat-
ors and Representatives, all Of
whom were returned to office as
usual. It includes number of East
er12, Western and Middlewestern
Congressmen-some of whom were
on the Presidents purge" list-who
also again received the stamp Of ap-
prevail Of their constituents. From
the standpoint of the administra-
ton, it is not unlikely that this vic
tory will prove great deal harder
to swallow than that of the Re-
publicans. Any Administration ex-
poets and can stand opposition from
the other major party-few admin
istrations have been able to with
stand strong and growing dissension
within their own ranks. Democratic
revolt, coupled with Republican re-
surgence, brought the Wilson Ad-
ministration to swift collapse. Re-
publican revolt, coupled with Demo-
cratic resurgence, was a major fac
tor in bringing on the crash of the
Hoover Administration. And now
the Roosevelt Administration faces
the same thing. .......s
This is best seen In the House.
Next January a coalition of but 48
revolving Democrats with the Re-
publican minority-which can be
trusted to vote almost en- bloc
against what it regards as unwar-
ranted New Deal experiments
would give the combined forces q
bare but workable majority. During
certain bitter legislative battles of
past sessions, notably the Judicial
reorganization and governmental
reorganization battles, considerably
more Democrats than that voted
against White House "must" orders.
And now to make matters worse,
from the administration stand
point, a number Of Representatives
who could be safely trusted to "vote
with the President 100 percent" were
beaten by other Democrats who
pledged themselves to accept dicta-
ton from no one.
What will come Of this? It seems
plain that one Of two things must
result. The President can "veer to-
ward the right" as many of his adj
visors are now strongly urging, and
by adopting q more conservative
line, hold his Congressional ma
jority. Or he can go ahead with a
more radical program and take a
chance on q legislative deadlock
such as those which occurred at the
end of the Taft, Wilson and Hoover.
Such deadlock can almost para
lyze government. Congress can re-
fuse to pass any measure the Presi-
dent proposes. And the President,
with the veto weapon at his disposal
can make Congress virtually mop
erative. This reached an extreme
at the end of the Wilson second
term, when some boards and COM
missions could not do business at
all because they were unable to OBJ
tain quorum Congress having re-
fused to even consider Wilson'S ap-
pointments to vacancies.
The outlook, according to some
commentators, Is for the President
to bow to the inevitable, and take
the conservative line. Time will
prove or diSprove that.
In the meantime, much talk is
going the rounds concerning the ef-
feet OF the elections on Mr.. Roose-
velt's third term ambitions, If any.
Some think that the Republican
comeback will kill those ambitions,
on the grounds that the President
will take them as an indication that
he would be heading for almost GER
tain defeat. On the other hand, q
school of experts thing that the op-
posite result may follow-that the
Democrats may be forced to draft
Mr.. Roosevelt, on the theory that no
other candidate would have q
chance of winning. It seems to be
q fact, as many surveys indicate,
that an army Of voters still like and
support Mr.. Roosevelt personally,
though they oppose most Of his
policies, and tend to vote for Re-
publicans for other offices.