The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-11


 Roosevelt Congress as it ia
 1. The rejection of the Su- preme Court and government reorganization bills-the Prest- dents greatest legislative de- feats.
 2. His extraordinary come- back in forcing the resurrection and enactment of the shelved wage-hour legislation.
 3. The rise of Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, Democrat, as the real leader of the opposition against a Democratic admins tration.
 Only one other President in the 150-year history of the Union was able to regain control of Congress after it once got out of hand. "Andy" Jackson did it after Con- gress voted a new charter for the United States bank despite his fiery opposition. But from Jack sons day until 1888, no President who had to deal with a runaway Congress ever got back into the drivers seat.
 After about four years in of- flee, Theodore Roosevelt was kicked around on Capitol Hill like a football. Woodrow Wilson was broken physically and mentally by congressional rebellion, and Her. bert Hoover was booted from pil- lar to post during more than half of his ill-fated incumbency.
 Franklin Roosevelt's comeback and "Old. Hickory's historic feat have a striking similarity. For both got what they wanted.
 Although Congress gave the United Staets Bank new charter, Jackson finally smashed the Bank and drove it out of business. And although Congress turned down Roosevelt's Supreme Court bill, he forced the Nine Old Men to re- verse themselves on almost every Administration issue.
 And were it not for the anxiety of Senator Barkley to mend his political fences back in Kentucky, government reorganization would again be a flaming issue on Capi- tol Hill today. Under the pres- sure of Barkley's frantic pleas, Roosevelt reluctantly agreed to drop reorganization for the pres ent, but 1t will be back in the lap of the new Congress that con- venes next January.
 Der Fuehrer
 The emergence of Burton Wheeler from the ranks of the little band of veteran liberals. to the surprising role of chief of the variegated Old Guard ele- ments fighting the New Deal, is the most dramatic and may be the most portentous political develop ment of the Roosevelt Adminis- tration.
 For Wheeler has filled need that long has been the greatest weakness of the Old Guard 0p- positi0n-cOmpetent leadership.
 Until the Montana senator took command of their camp, the anti Administrationites had lacked a really first-class general. They had plenty of rough-and-tumble fighters, but no one with the pres tige and calibre of a top-rung leader. Wheeler's accession filled this gap.
 The Whole Works
 Although inclined to be lazy and easy-going, Wheeler. when his vanity had been offended and his ire aroused, can be an army in himself in stirring up trouble. There is no more astute, experi- enced and agile strategist in the political arena than the senator from Montana.
 He lacks the Presidents ora torical gifts, and Jim Farley's ingratiating personality, but he can more than match them in courage, resourcefulness and dem0goguery. There isn't a pO- litico in the country today who is Wheeler's superior in doing one thing and saying another and what is more, saying 1t with . straight face.
 Although the possessor of one of the strongest patronage-built ma chimes in any state, although feed- ing half a dozen close relatives from the government payroll, : Wheeler can rise solemnly from his seat and hurl anathemas of righteous indignation at White House lieuetnants for taking sides in Democratic primaries and at the Presidents sons for selling in- surance and marrying duPont heiress.
 And while publicly maintain ing his pose as liberal cru- sader, Burt can hold daily se- cret confabs with the most re-
 l.