Evening star., 1938-04-09
A Personal Defeat.

happily ended-President Roosevelt S
4eaaers IN the House called upon the
Democrats not to let the President down
Ihey made the issue the leadership of
Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1t became a mat
ter personal to the President Since the
President and his leaders made this the
issue, they must accept the verdict The
Presidents grip on the National Legis-
Iature-overWhelmingly Democratic-has
slipped. The House has reasserted it.
sell once more-as it did in the case of
the wages and hours bill at the special
session last December.
The reorganization bill was a New Deal
measure; it proposed greater centralized
control OF Government. centralized in the
hands OF the President. But it was not
New Deal measure in the same sense
that the crop control bill and the wages
and hours bill were. 1t proposed to give
to the President general powers 10 re-
organize the executive departments and
agencies of the Government to shift bu-
reaus, to consolidate them. even to wipe
them out. Even so, the program had
been so modified since it was first tossed
into the lap of Congress by the President
that 1t was regarded by some OF the op-
posing legislators as Of comparatively
little moment. 1t did, however, propose
to give the President legislative powers,
to delegate them away from Congress.
Right there Congress finally baked.
The defeat of the President in the
House was accomplished by lO8 Demo-
Gratis 88 Republicans, Progressives and
Farmer-Laborites- total of 204 men,
bers. Rallying to the President were l9l
Democrats, -Laborites and 2
Progresslves-196 in all The margin of
defeat was not great. 1t could have been
upset by change of four votes. The
administration, however, over the course
OF week had eXerted its utmost effort.
The President himself had hurriedlv
made public letter in which he denied
d
tator" He had pointed with pride to
his victory in the Senate with the reor-
ganlzation bill-and declared that the
Senate could not be purchased by mass
OF kilograms based on transformation.
He was unable to stem the tide. The iig
was up.
FOr pa
and his further legislative program? The
Senate, 1t will be recalled. last year de-
feated him in the court bill fight. But
later It passed his crop control measure,
1t passed his wages and hours bill al
though that measure was stopped" in
the House. Now the House has turned
back his reorganization bill. But will it
oppose him successfully on other meas
ures to come? The answer probably can
be given only when specific measures are
presented for action
Violent adherents OF the President
after the court bill defeat. insisted the
issue would be carried to the country.
They will say the same about the reor-
eanlzation bill They more than hinted
as much before the vote was taken. Yet
the members Of the House, all of whom
must come up for denomination and re-
election this year. paid no heed. 1t is an
amazing thing that l08 Democrats. from
California to New York and from Iowa
10 Texas, have turned deaf ear to the
cry: Support the PreSdenti' There
must, II appears, be something back OF
1t. some feeling that the people them
selves are opposed to further grants of
power to the Chief Executive And
since there is only one Chief Executive
today, the blow is against him. The
people feared that certain of their
liberties might be endsngered-even
though the President disclaims all desire
To dictate
II IS for these reasons that members
Of the House do not fear to have the
issue taken to the country Rather Will
they welcome the issue
There was in the vote reflection of a
feeling which has been developing in
many quarters that the planned economy
OF the President has not proved the sue
cess claimed for i. There was in it a
reflection OF a change in political senti-
nent, so far as the New Deal" is con-
cerned There was in 1t more than a
hint to the Executive to give considera-
ton to measures of recovery in a new
emergency that has recently arisen.