Evening star., 1938-04-24

SENATOR PAT HARRISON.
Of generosity toward those he fought daily
on the Senate floor and his consequent
popularity on both sides OF the aisles
For instance, in May Of 1923 he con-
tributed to the New Orleans Item an article
in which he paid generous tribute to the
father of President Harding. Hanging from
his ofilce wall today is letter from the late
President containing the following quota
ton:
I'm your capacity of chief party trouble
maker in the Senate, YOU have said some
things which have made me lay my news
paper down and turn to q fresh pipe OF
tobacco for consolation. This very gener-
Gus and considerate article has intidoted
all the things that have gone before"
Another contemporary Of those days de-
scribed Pats opposition conduct on the
Senate floor as follows:
Pats is the honeyed way; the broad
highway banked with flowers: the prim-
rose path of delight and sweetened hem
lock"
Pet Enemy OF Watson.
Some OF Pats most famous exchanges
of excoriation were with Republican Jim
Watson. Indiana's gift to the Washington
sideshow Of the l920's As in other in
stances the bitterness between the two was
one OF words only, condition borne out
by an offside exchange reported between
them on one occasion. Espousing some
particularly vulnerable project Of his party,
Watson drew from Harrison a sharp and
lengthy denouncement not only of party
sippian ambled casually over to the desk
of his Indiana foe, clapped him on the
shoulder and remarked:
Jim, amt the worst demagogue you
ever heard?"
mo, Pat, am," Watson replied with q
smile and more than q grain Of truth
In 1924, Pat was keynoter for the Demo-
cratic convention but in 1928 he played
an even more important part in his party's
presidential campaign.
Heading a small but militant Southern
bloc that had the courage to support New
Yorks Catholic governor. Al Smith, Har-
rison not only lent important strength to
the New Yorker's convention fight, but
also stumped for him and with him during
the campaign.
Fought for Roosevelt
He was again an important power
in the final selection Of the 1892 candi-
date, Franklin D. Roosevelt In fact,
1t took wild taxi ride during which he
completed his dressing between his hotel
and the convention hall to keep his evenly
divided Mississippi delegation lined up in
back Of Mr.. Roosevelt during the early roll
calls when trades were being made and
pressure was being directed toward the Sc
lection of Newton d. Baker.
When his party finally ended its 12-
year campaign to regain the White House,
Pat entered upon a new phase Of his career.
Through the best years Of his political life
he had developed into the Senate's most
effective oppositionists, q political gadfly.
Now he was selected to head key COM
mittee of the Senate and vested with the
responsibility of plotting through slightly
legislative program of the New Deal.
And although Pats best informed biog-
raphers insist that their hero has been COM
pletely honest in his espousal Of legislation
handled by the Finance Committee, it must
be suspected that his fundamental ortho-
doxy was wrenched more than slightly as
he manipulated the passage of such start
ling legislation as the National Industrial
Recovery Act the Social Security Act, the
Reciprocal Trade Treaty Act and numerous
other measures which had been entrusted
to his committee
Assumes Blame.
Senator Harrison's loyalty to the White
House reached high point in the summer
OF 1895 when he took the rap" for the
President in the wake Of wave of criticism
that greeted announcement of White House
demands that a share -the-wealth" tax
rider be attached to joint resolution ex-
tending nuisance taxes, and the whole
passed in a limited time in the Senate.
Although there is believed to be no doubt
that the Finance Committee chairman was
accurate in his original statement Of the
situation, he took the floor few days later
after cloud Of criticism had descended
over the White House to claim himself in
error in outlining procedure to be followed.
The joint resolution then was passed and
TIA ahAeA-AhA->>akk -. v~A~~a0a