Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-24
Election S Changes
Give Back 10 South
lis Balance Of Power
Democratic Losses in
North Make Dixie
Power in Congress

By the Associated Press.
The changed party complexion Of
the new Congress due to Republi.
can gains in Senate and House is not
the only significant election result
which will confront the administra-
ton leadership when that Congress
assemblies.
Democratic losses in the North
and West returned the Southern
and border State Democrats to the
balance-of-power position In the
party that they held before the
Democratic congressional sweeps of
1884 and 1886.
In the last Congress-the seven
ty-ffth-Southern and border State
Democrats held 80 of the total of
rs patty votes in the Senate. They
have the same 80 in the. new Con-
gress out of party total Of SO votes,
just less than half.
In the House of the Seventy fifth
Congress Democrats from the same
States cast 141 of the party's total
of 1913 votes. In the Seventy sixth
Congress they will have al votes
out of a party total of 262, or more
than a majority of the party
strength.
South's Lineup UNCHANGED.
The Democratic lineup from the
South and the so-called border
States, like Maryland, West Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennes-
see and Oklahoma, is virtually I'M
changed from the old Congress.
The election brought only a few
new faces from that area. Senator
elect Stewart of Tennessee is one.
In the House there will be only II
new Democrats from those States.
Already there Is speculation as
to just how this realignment of
relative strength between the North
ern and Western Democrats on the
one hand and those from the solid
South" and border States on the
other may affect party policy max
ing either In the next Congress or
in the 1910 presidential race pre-
liminaries.
There can be little doubt that the
Southerners and border Skaters will
have the votes to veto any legisla-
tive proposal drawing their united
opposition.
A New Factor.
1t Is a new factor the White House
and party leaders in Congress will
have to weigh at every legislative
or parliamentary step. The steam
roller of huge party majorities in
both houses from non-Southern
States is no longer available.
This situation has intensified the
talk among Washington political
observers as to whether the South
ern Democrats will insist that the
old "two-thirds rule" be restored at
the Democratic National Conveu-
ton in 1910. This rule required a
two-thirds vote for a presidential
or vice presidential nomination
For a century 1t gave the solid
South virtually a veto power over
candidates.
1t was dropped in 1886 only be-
cause denomination of Franklin D.
4OoOoSNClG was q NCl GdlllUy. ALI ca
fort to revive it in 1910 by party
forces hostile either to a Roosevelt
third-term candidacy or to selec-
ton Of a Roosevelt-di New
Deal" ticket appears certain.
South in Key Positions.
Whatever comes of such a move
ment, the fact is obvious that the
Democratic losses in the 1888 cleo
ton served to entrench the South
more firmly than ever in the key
positions of the new Congressman
prospectively in some Congresses to
come, due to the seniority rule of
distributing committee posts.
Their seniority leverage was in
creased by the election. Even be-
fore it Southern Democrats had
established seniority claims to the
chairmanships of IA of the Senate's
80 standing committees and % of
the Al similar committees of the
House, in addition to holding the
vice presidency, the speakership and
the majority leadership in both
Senate and House.
But the power and patronage of
the Southern Democrats depends on
continued control of the National
Government by the Democratic
party. 1t is this fact which buoys
administration confidence that Dem
ocrats from the South or any other
section will refuse to form any i'm
portant coalition" with victorious
Republicans against New Deal pro-
posalS.