Evening star., 1939-01-03
The Political Mill
Orthodox Democrats Fear Public Reaction to Naming
Of Iome Ducks to High Office

months 1t is likely that other ardent
New Dealers will be selected to flll
them. The President has given no
indication Of an abatement In his
desire to surround himself with ad-
vanced liberals. Former Gov. Ben
son Of Minnesota and former Gov.
La Toilette of Wisconsin, both beat
en- by Republicans, are at liberty
from public ONCE now. Both in
the past have been particularly
friendly to the President. although
neither belongs to the Democratic
party, and the President has been
friendly to them. He might find
uses for one or both of them.
The Democratic organization of
the House and Senate has been
perfected in the main without the
semblance Of row. II there is to
be a rumpus it will come when
Democrats of the Ways and Means
Committee of the House, acting as
q Committee on Committees, un-
dertake to select the members of
the House Rules Committee. There
may even be contest when it
comes to naming Democrats to va
cancies in the Ways and Means
Committee.
Barkley Stays in Saddle.
Senator BarKiey won reelection
as majority leader of the Upper
House without the slightest diff
Guilty, as was predicted, although
there might have been enough
Democrats to unhorse him and place
Senator Pat Harrison in his place.
The antiNeW Deal Democrats,
however, are content to have the
Kentucky Senator act as adminis-
tration spokesman and leader. They
believe that it is better tactics than
to insist upon placing one of their
number in that position.
Speaker Bankhead's reelection in
the House and that of Representa-
tive Sam Rayburn of Texas as ma
jority leader of the House went
through without the slightest diff
Guilty. But despite all this surface
indication of Democratic harmony,
there is lot of bitter feeling seeth-
ing among Democrats on Capitol
Hill. How soon it will break forth
is matter of conjecture. Decidedly,
administration leaders must be
adroit If they are to avoid a devas-
tating warfare.
The Republicans last night picked
Representative Joseph w. Martin,
jr., OF Massachusetts, to be their
leader in the new Congress AL
though Mr.. Martin cannot be classed
as red-hot liberal, he is on the
liberal side. The more conservative
Republicans, who would like to get
their hands on the controls of the
G. o. P. If they could, preferred
Representative James w. Wadsworth
of New York. There are signs that
the conservative Republicans are
restive over the idea that q new
and younger group Of more liberal
party members may take over the
party organization. Mr.. Martin
takes the place held in the last Con-
gress by former Representative Smell
OF New York, who declined to stand
for reelection.
Although Representative Bruce
Barton of New York. Republican, is
now beginning only his second term,
he is becoming more and more rec
ognized as a potent voice in the
House. He is quick and pungent
in attack-in fact, without holding
any formal Office, Mr.. Barton occu-
pies in the House much the same
position that Senator Arthur H.
Vandenberg of Michigan occupies
in the Senate. Neither is officially
leader Of his party, buteeach is capa-
bic Of taking the ball and running
with it when the Republicans need
a spokesman.
One thing the administrator
Democrats hope for is a general at
tack by Republicans in the House
and Senate upon the Democratic
party. They believe such an at
tack would 60 far to cement the
Democrats in both houses. If the