The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-02-10
Genuine Strain Being Placed Upon
Administration Control Of Senate
Presidents Appointments to Public Office Are Upsettng
To Some of His Followers; Roper Virtually Forced Out
As Secretary of Commerce Make Room for Hopkins.
BY WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service National Press Bldg, Washington d. c.


Thomas F. Amlie, Wisconsin pro-
gressive and also lame duck, to be
a member of the interstate COM
merce commission. That nominal
ton went to the senate without even
the great progressive, Senator La
Toilette, knowing about it, and there
are those in the senate who believe
that Senator LaFollette would have
advised against it, had he been
consulted.
There is very real possibility
although not conclusive-that the
senate will reject the Arnlie appoint
ment. The pressure against him is
quite unusual. Even the legislature
of his home state adopted resolu-
ton, memoralizing the senate in OPP
position to confirmation.
Whatever virtues Mr.. Anlie may
have, his qualifications to be MEM
Der of the interstate commerce COM
mission cannot be numbered in that
list. He knows nothing about trans
portation; he is not an economist,
and if his. record as a member of
the house of representatives here
is proper criterion, he is as lack
ing in judicial characteristics-well,
he simply does not have them. His
work in the house was distinguished
by the fact that he headed con-
glomerate group which was at
tempting to coordinate liberal
thought" in the nation. But appar-
emily the folks in Wisconsin rather
doubted his value for they refused
to select him as the progressive SEN
atorial candidate-who, incidentally,
was doomed for a licking anyway
in the November election.
Appointments Upsetting to
Followers of President
One never can tell what trades
may be made within the great club
known as the senate, but surely Mr..
Amlie will be discussed fully before
he is confirmed. And as I said
above, he may not be approved at
all. The appointment may be the
straw that breaks the cameps back.
When Mr.. Roosevelt began max
ing appointments three or four
months ago that were upsetting to
some of his followers, they had to
decide between their loyalty to him
and their convictions. The bulk of
them stood by him. He was the
head of the Democratic party; party
unity was, and is, essential, and
they justified the votes in confirma-
ton in various ways. The Hopkins
and Murphy appointments were con-
firmed because it always has been
the philosophy of senator's that cab
met jobs are intimate associations
with the President. He is entitled,
therefore, to have whom he desires
to sit with him at the cabinet ses-
sion and to advise him when he
seeks advice. I think there was an
inclination to accept Mr.. Murphy,
too, because it was known he want
ed to crush the sit-down strikes at
their inception and was confronted
with White House refusal of sup
port. There were fewer votes
against him for that reason than
against Secretary Hopkins. On the
other hand, Senator Vandenberg, the
Michigan Republican, said he voted
against the nomination because "the
issues were the same as in Michi-
gan's election last fall when Mr..
Murphy was repudiated."
When it gets to cases like the ALI
red appointment for Texas judge
and the Roberts appointment in Vir-
ginia, there simply is no explana-
ton available-unless as I said, the
sinner circle" is leading Mr.. Roose-
welt into a morass. Senators Glass
and Byrd are going to fight the Rob-
erts nomination. Senators Sheppard
and Connally were not consulted
about the judgeship in their state.
AS far as it has leaked out, nobody
was asked whether the Amlie APP
pointment would arouse enthusiasm
or hatred.
Congress ShosDs Disposition
To Assert Independence