Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
Says Roosevelt Has
Regoined Leadership
By OUen L. Scott.

along with Legislature.
There have been times during the past
three years when Mr. Roosevelt might
have been accused of oyerstatement. In
1887 and again in 1898, the President
spent good part of his time trying to
drive a Congress that wouldn't be driven.
The result for the country was very pain
full and, for the President, appeared
disastrous.
been written until the Senate left the
reservation on the issue of devaluing the
dollar.
Mr. Roosevelt is approaching the end
of one more session Of Congress. and at
least month before that end he has in
general been able to regain the ascend
ancy that he lost in the months follow
ing the 1886 election. The revolt that
was to be led by Vice President Garner
and that was to be history making in its
consequences simply has failed to de-
velop into more than a skirmish that
the President won hands down.
Now Congressman are back again at
the White House looking for leadership,
except when they can make trade on
the basis of cash for the home folks.
They find Washington and the problems
that center here so complicated, and they
discover that the demands of their con-
stituents are so insistent that a strong
hand in the executive branch of the
Government is comforting.
Then. too, President Roosevelt hs S
changed his method of dealing with
Congress. q.
After 1886 Mr.. Roosevelt was inclined
to treat Congress in somewhat the same
manner that business executive is in
cllned to treat an Office boy. He sent
up orders kept his plans secret and used
White House emissaries to maintain con-
tact in the Senate and House Congress-
men are elected representatives and al
ways have liked to maintain at least an
element of independence. The result of
the President method was to cause re-
sentiment that finally produced stalemate
ana deep animosities that have cut
through the Democratic party structure.
President Roosevelt, during this period
permitted his youthful and exuberant
aides to read old-time Democrats out of
the New Deal and to class as an enemy
any Democrat who did not follow the
New Deal line"
Mr.. Roosevelt. in recent months. has
been getting away from this tack and
has been trying to win back lost ground
by the simple use of kindness.
x4
Instead of ordering Congress he has
taken to writing letters to Congressman.
Instead of letting Tommy Corcoran carry
orders to the Capitol he has been seeing
the leaders in Congress himself. Ben
Cohen still writes important bills. but
those bills do not pop into Congress on
the heels of White House messages or
oerlng acceptance without the crossing
OF ST. or the dotting of an 81" There
even is a willingness to concede some
points.
Beng human, members of Congress
nave responded to the new treatment,
They are able to feel important again
and to enjoy measure of responsibility.
AT the same time that he has been
helped by changed tactics. Mr.. Roose-
welt has benefited from the failure of
his party opposition in Congress to
SHOW real leadership. The anti-New Deal
Democrats cracked up on the issue of
economy. When Senator Pat Harrison
and Senator Byrd and even the Vice
President bumped up against the prac-
tlcal question of cutting down on the
amount OF money going to farmers, they
simply lost their nerve.
Without real leadership and without
any program on which they can agree,
the anti-New Dealers have forfeited
chance to bring forward a man who
might force President Roosevelt to give
up his domination of party affairs.
People who see the President regularly
note that he is in good humor these days
and is very confident.
The fact is that Mr.. Roosevelt ALWAYS
is at his best when he is dealing with
political problems. He realized at the
start Of the year that he had been
Unanswered into tight corner. The 1888
election had produced a combination of
Republicans and conservative democrats
with majority in each House of Con-
gress. A working agreement could have
scuttled the New Deal.
But, at this late stage in a session that
was to be devoted to remaking the ex-
perlments of the past six years, the New
Deal not only is as strong as ever but
it is strengthened.
Farmers have a bigger and better
Agricultural Adjustment Administra ton.
Labor appears likely to keep its Wagner
Labor Relations Act without much
change. The Social Security Act is be-
ing broadened. There is no present
prospect of scuttling w. P. A. The Sc
cur1tles and Exchange Commission is
deeply entrenched in all of its powers
and those powers are to be broadened
Every sign points to acceptance of most
OF the Presidents latest plan for Gov
eminent banking as the basis for third
New Deal
In word: The opposition fizzled
through lack of leadership on the part
of the men who were pictured as anti
New Deal leaders.
This failure Of the opposition leader
ship has added to the strength of the
Presidents position in more ways than
one.
Owing to the fact that he has managed
to maneuver himself out in front, Mr.
Roosevelt must be considered in tho COL