The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-04-01
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
BUT CAN THE SENATE BE PURCHASED" BY
OTHER BATS?

he says that the United States Senate "can not De
purchased by organized kilograms based on mlsrep-
resentaton,"
He was referring to the vote on the admlnlstfa
TONS reorganization bill and to the flood OF mes
sages that poured into Washington from protesting
individuals and groups on the day the issue was de-
cided by that body.
The Presidents quotation is seriously incomplete
1t leaves much to be said. The imagination may
take it and run to the ends of the earth with 1t IN
whirligig of speculation.
Just what does the President actually mean when
he says that the Senate of the United States can
not be purchased
Had he previously feared or had reason to sus-
pect that it could be purchased?
Does he mean that up to now he hadn't been sure
at all of the honor and integrity of that body?
In that event, the Presidents congratulations TO
the Senate are no better than back-handed com
pliment, sort of circuitous damnatiOn
Or does Mr.. Roosevelt extend his fluctuations to
that body because it 'can not be purchased by or
ganzed kilograms based Misrepresentation!
.Which would be to infer that if something other
than organized kilograms based on misrepresen-
tation" were hung to the end of the line as bait
the Senate might be purchasable. Is that the mean
ing of the Presidents language?
Or is it simply another one of those well-known
cases of dragging the red herring across the trail!
1t has been proven to Mr. Roosevelt that his
enemies could not purchase" the Senate, but has
it been proven to his mind that he can not pur-
chase its favor and sanction for l. measures when
the bait of projects and patronage are hung at the
end of the line?
Is Mr. Roosevelt in position to tell the people
of this country that the Senate'S vote on the re-
organization bill was an expression OF It's own
honest and studied conviction without pressure or
attempt his part to "purchase"--if that's the
word ne insists upon using in this connectlon-lts
support for this particular measure?
Would the President be willing to say to the
American people that it has been proven to his
mind that the Senate not only lean not be pur-
chased by organized kilograms based upon misrep-
resentation," but neither by promises of admins
tration reward or threats of administration punish
ment?
Does Mr. Roosevelt deny that for the past fort
night when the administration lines wavering
in the Senate on this question and there was grave
fear of it's defeat, his son. James Roosevelt, White
House strategist and errand boy for the President
to Capitol Hill, and Postmatser-General Farley,
boss of the Democratic organization, and patron
age dispenser were feverishly at work in the cloak
rooms and the corridors, button-holing Senators
face to face in some instances, and at other times
applying the pressure over the telephone and
through third-party interventions?
If the Senate "can not be purchased by organ
lied kilograms of his opponents, is it to be in
ferred that it can be purchased by the organized
lobbying of the Presidents personal ENJOYS who
have the authority to dangle promises of projects
and patronage in the faces of Senators on the eve
of critical decision?
Can Mr. Roosevelt assure the American people
that this represented the full extent of the efforts
of the administration to apply the pressure to shy-
shalying senator's, presumably at his own will and
dictation in order to influence them against their
better judgment to Shift their votes on this ques-
ton?
Is it not fact that in addition to this extremely
questionable procedure, the President himself es-
tablished direct telephone communication Monday
afternoon between his residence at Warm Springs,
Ga, and the Democratic cloakrooms in the Senate
building and for an unmentioned period of time,
talked to one uncertain Senator after another for
the explicit purpose of persuadng them to vote
for the measure and contrary to their personal
convictions in the matter?
If, therefore, the Senate is to be congratulated
by the President that "it can not be purchased"
by his opponents, is it entitled to compliment be-
cause it could be influenced, if not purchased"
by the President and his coterie in authority who
have the money to spend, the work projects to as
sign the patronage to award and the political IA
yor to bestow or withhold?
Would it not, therefore, have been more in keep
ing with what was in the mind of Mr.. Roosevelt
when he was passing around his left-handed adula-
tons for the Senate had he merely said that lit
has been proven that in critical moment of SEN
atorial INDIGESTION, the president can make the high
est bid?-Charlotte Observer
THEY WOULDN'T FOOL US