Evening star., 1939-08-13

Unless President Roosevelt can regain
control over Congress, the rebellious and
contradictory record of the session just
ended presages. by all political signs,
another bitter session next year which
in turn will largely determine the pro-
gram and the candidates of the 1910
national conventions.
The loss of Rooseveltian prestige dur
ing the past year poses three questions
which vitally affect Democratic presi-
Dental prospects:
Does the electorate approve the acts
of commission and omission of the pres
ent Congress?
will the 'unholy alliance between Re-
publicans and anti-New Deal Democrats
be continued through the next regular
session? .-..-
will the Democrats be compelled to
go through another Madison Square
Garden convention fiasco?"
Disappointment Unconcealed
Despite the brave public words of SEN
ate Majority Leader Barkley and House
Leader Rayburn, the New Dealers in
private do not conceal their disappoint-
ment over the record of the last session.
One prominent adherent described the
defections of the old-line Democrats as
"organized hara-kiri" Others, more
hopeful, are insistent that the President
will regain his prestige and his control
over Congress between now and next
h1, foJ
trip in October, by the calling of a
special session, or both
The Republicans, decidedly the gain
ers from the record of the last session,
are jubilant. The old-fashioned Demo-
Gratis are at least momentarily elated
They feel they have regained control of
the party from the White House coterie,
but they are not so sure about 1910
Some of the Southerners are not particu-
larly disturbed about the presidential
election-they are almost certain of their
jobs and perquisites regardless of who
is in the White House
President Roosevelt has threatened
reprisals on those who blocked three
important recommendations These were
immediate revision of the neutrality
laws the spending-lending program and
the S800,000,000 slunn clearance increase.
But his attempted reprisals last year, in
the Inflated 'purges," have made even
some of his closest advisers reluctant to
support this plan.
Mr. Roosevelt's determination to regain
nf
cratic party was evident in his bitter
message to the Young Democrats this
week. His threat to go fishing" or take
a walk"-to use the usual political
phrases for participation in a presi-
Dental campaign-was directed as much
to the older Democrats in Congress as
to the youngsters at Pittsburgh
The Presidents reasoning is obvious.
If the anti-New Dealers continue their
alliances with the Republicans next
session, the Roosevelt forces at the
Democratic Convention will be faced by
group of conservative candidates" who,
by the force of circumstances, must in
sist on what Mr.. Roosevelt calls a
"Straddlebug platform" BY declaring
that he will find it impossible to have
any active part in such an unfortunate
suicide of the old Democratic Party"
the President, confident of his own hold
on the electorate, has in effect told the
Democratic members of the Senate and
the House that if they won't play ball his
way he will bench himself next year.
Mr.. Roosevelt's loss of control and
prestige is not unique in American his
tory. He has suffered the fate of almost
every President who served two terms
Washington in his second term was sub
jected to torrent of abuse which he
said only common criminal deserved.
Jefferson in his second term declared
he was presidential failure. jackson
had trouble from the start. Grant had
Democratic House his last two years
in Office. Cleveland in his second, but
non successive term, completely lost
control of the Democratic Congress In
fact the 1896 Democratic National Con-
vention refused to commend his admin
istration. Although Theodore Roose-
velt had a Republican Congress during
his second term, 1t was more conserv-