Evening star., 1938-04-15
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

1
The first Democrat nominated this
year for Senate membership opposed
President Roosevelts bill to increase the
membership of the Supreme Court last
year. Representative Scott w. Lucas Of
Illinois, who has the senatorial nominal
tion in question, speaking in the House
last May urged the American Legion to
60 on record in opposition to the court
bill. He had served as national judge
advocate of the Legion for four years.
What he said at that time, declaring
that in his opinion the effort to change
the membership of the Supreme Court
was, in fact, an attempt to destroy the
independence of the judiciary, was cred
tied with influencing many Legionnaires
| to register their opposition.
Mr.. Lucas success in Illinois on Tues
day does not square itself with demands
OF the radical New Dealers that every
Democrat who opposed the Presidents
court bill should be defeated in the party
| primaries this year. In this connection
| it may be recalled that the first Demo-
cratic Senator to be elected to the upper
House after the famous court bill fight
was another member of the House, who,
like Lucas. had opposed the court
packing bill-Senator Miller of Arkan-
Sas, chosen to succeed the late Demo-
cratic leader of the Senate, Senator
Robinson, who led the fight for the court
bill.
Senator Millers success in Arkansas
was set down by ro-administrationists
to the fact that the Democrats in that
State were engaged in factional row
with the Governor heading the opposing
faction. The Governor, it is true, de-
clared himself 100 per cent Roosevelt
including the court bill. Representative
Lucas defeated Michael L. Igoe for the
senatorial nomination this week in a
bitter party contest, too. And Lucas
victory is interpreted by the adminis-
tratlonlsts, not as defeat for the Pres-
dent IN any way, but as a defeat for the
Chlcago organization headed by Mayor
kelly and National Committeeman Nash
and success for Gov. Horner.
Lucas not only spoke in the House-on
more than one occasion-against the
court Dill, but he also was among those
VINO voted to put on ice the Presidents
"age-hour bill, when that measure came
up IN the special session last Deem
per he was in Illinois campaigning
"hen the Presidents reorganization bill
was tucked away again in committee bv
a vote OF the House last week. It is no.
uceanle ne was not paired for that
measure either.
speaking against the Presidents court
Dill in the House July IS last, Mr.. Lucas
commended Judge Summers of Texas.
chairman Of the House Judiciary Com
mlttee. who had earlier delivered an ad-
dress scoring the court packing proposal
and declaring that if the bill were kent
before Congress it would result in a
disastrous split in the Democratic party
When conviction battles loyalty upon
deep-Seated and far-reaching human
problems mems souls are always tried"
Sald Lucas. but invariably conviction
becomes the victor. To really know
something through years of teaching and
environment is to believe, and Mr.
speaker, II We really believe enough in
something fundamental and have the
courage OF our convictions, there is none
VINO snail tell another what he shall do"
lhat IS plain speaking. If Mr.. Lucas
becomes Senator the administration will
have another independent legislator on
its hands.
The nomination Of Mr.. Lucas was
brought about. according to the dis
patches. with the aid of many Repub-
Hcan voters. who went over to the Demo-
cratic primary to support him. Here
is first instance of coalition" in this
years elections. Decidedly, it is not
likely to be the last.
\ -
The size of the vote cast in the Demo-
cratic primary in Illinois is hailed bv
the party leaders here as meaning that
the State is surely going Democratic in
November. 1t may. but If Mr.. Lucas is
elected Senator there is lust another
Democrat in the upper House At the
same time, Mr.. Lucas is a different kind
Of Democrat from Senator Dieterich
who is on his way out and who sup
ported the Presidents court bill and
every other New Deal measure.
Representative Drewry of Virginia
chairman of the Democratic National
Congressional Committee. issued state
ment rejoicing in the large primary vote,
He called attention to the fact that, be-
ginning in 1880, the Democratic vote
has been constantly increasing in Illinois
primaries, with similar increase in the
general elections This year for the
first time, he said. in modern political
history the Democratic vote in tradi-
tionally Republican downstate Illinois
was larger than that of all other parties
combined. The national administration.
he insisted, took no part in Lucas-Igoe
contest, being satisfied with the "ster-
ling qualities of both candidates. There
is strong belief, however. that a VIC
tory for Igoe would have caused much
more JOY around the White House than
that of Scott Lucas
There is drive on to nominate Sena-
tor Wagner for Governor of New York
among the Democratic party leaders.
wagner does not want to be Governor
But the party wants him. He would be.
in the opinion of Chairman James A.
Farley and others, the strongest candi-
date the Democrats could put up this
year. Farley knows his New York. Fur
thermore, with Wagner in the field. there
would be no more talk about Solicitor
Robert H. Jackson for the gubernatorial
nomination. AS matter of fact the
jackson talk has subsidized almost en-
III la .l~r~A