Evening star., 1938-07-09

- D.
ton.
TWEEN ty- five r. cou,a Y,u,.,n
years ago Judge"
Summers came to Congress from the
great State Of TeXas-elected then as
Representative at large. He came to
the National Legislature when Wood
row Wilson entered the White House
and when President Franklin D.
Roosevelt was moving in as Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. The Judge"
as he is affectionately called by his
friends, has never gotten over the
democratic principles which he brought
with him into the House. So when
as chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee Mr.. Summers let his opposi-
ton to the Presidents bill to increase
the membership of the Supreme Court
be known, it was not unexpected.
Later he made speech on the floor
of the House itself, denouncing the
bill. It was heard round the country.
This year he put spoke in the wheel
of the Presidents reorganization bill
and the wagon broke down.
Two Are Opposing Him.
In view Of this opposition to the
Presidents pet measures, Mr.. Sum-
ners probably looked like an easy mark
to the New Dealers in the Texas pri-
mary Two candidates have cropped
up against him-both processing to
be 100 per cent new dealers. One is
Tom Love, veteran political war
horse, at one time Democratic ma
tional committeeman for Texas. The
other is Leslie Jackson, an attorney
who opposed Summers two years ago.
Tom Love, ardent prohibitionist in
the old dry days, denounced the nom
ination of AL Smith for President,
which took place at Houston, Tex, in
1928. He campaigned for Herbert
Hoover. and the State went Repub-
lican for the first time in its history.
There are Democrats who still hold
that up against Mr.. Love. It might
get him some Republican votes were
it not for the fact that the Republicans
do not care for 100 per cent New
Dealers The Texas primary takes
place July %.
His New Deal opponents have been
burning up the hustings. while Judge
Summers has been engaged in his
duties in Washington. One of the
latest is his service on the legislative
Executive Committee to investigate
monopoly. While he was hesitating
to accept appointment to that COM
mittee-since he had primary fight
on his hands-President Roosevelt
telephoned from Hyde Park asking
the White House personnel to get
word to the Judge the President would
like to see him serve on this CON-
mittee. In view of that solicitation,
it does not appear that the President
is particularly anxious to see the Judge
retired from the House, no matter
what the other New Dealers may
wish in the matter.
Friends Are on the Job.
The judge has Just left Washing
ton to go back to Dallas, his home
to campaign. He has his friends on
the job, of course, and the reports
are he is getting along well. In Texas
candidate must obtain a majority
for nomination. If no candidate has
majority, there is a run-d election.
Summers, however, is expected to re-
ceive majority of the vote cast.
John O'Connor as chairman of the
Rules Committee, holds one of the
most important posts in the House
organization. The Rules Committee
virtually determines what bills are to
come before the House and what bill
shall not. The Speaker, of course
plays his part in these decisions, but
not to the extent that Uncle joe
Cannon did when he was called "czar
of the House" The Rules Commit
tee came in for plenty of New Deal
condemnation when it would not re-
port special rule for the consider
alton of the wage-hour bill. John
O'Connor, although he insists he was
always in favor of a proper wage
hour bill, was given credit for help
ing to delay this legislation Also
when it came to stand up and be
counted in connection with the Presi-
dents reorganization bill, O'Conno1
tore into that measure with both
fists, and it was recommitted.
The New Dealers are talking about
running Mrs. Gilmore M. Herrick
New York regional director for the
National Labor Relations Board
against O'Connor. Mrs. Herrick was
an organizer Of the new American
Labor party. She has been included
In that party's tentative list as can
didate for Lieutenant Governor.
John O'Connor Is brother o1
Basil O'Connor, former law partner
OF President Roosevelt. Basil O'Con.
ner is travelling West with the Presi
dent now. But that is no mitigation
in the eyes of the New Dealers. They
cannot see Mr.. OConnor as chairman
of the Rules Committee again with.
out shedding bitter tears.
Views Published in Record.
MIR. O'Connor has just had pub.
lished in the appendix Of the Con.
gressional Record his views on th<
Presidents lending-spending program
which he regards as merely tempo
rary stop-gap and not capable o.
bringing real recovery. In his state.
ment Mr.. O'Connor sought to explain
his opposition to certain New Dea
demands. He said: my concern i
not alone for the little district
miles long and " mile wide on tn
east side of the Borough Of Man
haitian in New York City. I realiz
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