The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-02-10
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By Carter Field y
By Carter Field

Washington.-Not much has been
heard lately about the purge of
Democratic senators who opposed
the White House on the Supreme
court enlargement. On the contrary,
President Roosevelt has been hold
ing out quite few olive branches to
the northern and western Democrats
who opposed him on this one i'm
portant issue, but who agree with
him on most of his New Deal pro-
posals.
The answer is simple. The Pres
ident is worried about possible
strength at the 1910 Democratic
convention of the southern conserv-
atives. He knows that his opposi-
ton to the northern and western OPP
ponents OF his court plan drove
those senators into alliance with the
Southerners, and he does not want
that alliance made permanent.
So within few days no one need
be surprised when Senator Burton
K. Wheeler, the one opponent of the
court plan whose attitude was re-
sented more than that of any other
by the White House, is announced
as comforting with the President.
In fact, the subject for this confer
ence has already been selected. It
will be on the railroad situation,
Wheeler being chairman of the sem
ate committee on interstate COM
merce
But there is another reason why
the talk about purge" has died
away. 1t develops that plenty of
thick and thin. tried and true, 100
per cent administration senators
may have denomination troubles.
The latest is Senator Kenneth D.
Mcclellan of Tennessee. This comes
closely on the news that Senator AL
ben w. Barley of Kentucky, whose
selection as Democratic floor leader
President Roosevelt forced by
majority OF one vote after putting
on pressure and pulling every wire
he could manipulate, is in danger.
In both these cases there is no
rumor of an anti-administration up
start taking the scalp of good New
Deal senator. Both the aspirants
III these cases, Governor Gordon
Browning of Tennessee, and Cover
nor Albert B. (Happy) Chandler OF
Kentucky, are ardent supporters Of
President Roosevelt. In fact, Chan
dler was elected over a non-con-
formist with all the strength the Far
ley organization could bring to bear.
Bad Medicine
But 1t is bad medicine for the
morale of the administration forces
in the senate and house to have the
word get round that even the most
devoted following of the White
House on every issue is no guaran-
tee that the follower will be re-
turned to power when his term ex-
pires. And it is slightly embar-
RAISING, to say the least, to the
White House for ii to be known that
the senator it picked to lead its
forces in the upper house may be
thrown out Especially when the
man defeated by that White House
pressure, Pat Harrison, was renom-
mated the last time he faced his
voters by something like three to
one majority, despite the opposi-
ton OF his own colleague!
Then there are some other bad
spots. Gvernor Herbert H. Leh-
man of New York, whom Roosevelt
once called his good right arm" is
getting sourer and sourer on the
New Deal. And now spies are tell
ing the Great White Father that his
own choice for governor to sue
coed Lehman, Robert III. Jackson.
might not be elected if nominated.
They whisper that he has no "polit-
ical sex appeal" whereas Attorney
John j. Bennett, Jr., fairly
reeks with 1t!
There are no cases yet of Re-
publican making a real threat any
nor even of some rabid anti
New Deal Democrat frightening the
faithful. But there are plenty OF
crackings in the existing machine,
all calculated TO encourage sena--
tors and representatives to play
safe when measures that their own
constituents may not like are de-
by the White House.
Nobody Likes 1t
The proposal by Commonwealth |
and Southern's president, Weldell
L. Willkie, that the government buy
all the privately owned electric util-
tiles in the Tennessee valley field,
accompanied by the suggestion of
the machinery for determining the
price, promises to cause more irri-s
tation and trouble. among the pro-
government ownership and anti
utility groups in Washington than
anything which has so far devel-
oped.
The truth is that nobody likes it.
1t is mighty hard to criticize, and
that combination is an annoying
thing to happen to anyone. David
E. Lilienthal, most ardent yard
stick man in the IVA, could find
nothing further to say than that
WILKES proposal was radical"
H..