Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-08-03
-uckart's Washington Digest
Bruckarfs Washington Digest
Shaping of National Policies
influenced by Work Of Congress
Party Defectons Defeats and Victories of President
Have Important Place in Pictures Growing Split
In Democratic Party Blamed on Roosevelt.
BY WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg. WASHINGTON D. c.

sSS oAuS.1 washington, II. u.
the White House at all, for his work
was destroyed by the Supreme court
in the first term and was wrecked
by tories in the second years"
When one places the seething
mass Of legislation, bureaucracy
and propaganda under a micro
scope. Mr.. Guffey undoubtedly is
correct-if the view is from the
New Deal angle, alone. The wild
reforms proposed by the brain trust
Of the first term were knocked down
by the Supreme court. Further at
tempts to rebuild America were
slowed down by congress, little by
little, until the current session of
congress has been telling the Presi-
dent what to do in a great many
instances. Thus, it can be said, the
President remade the Supreme
court to his liking, but he lost con-
gress, and it is well to remember
just here that the Supreme court
decides only questions that are
brought before it. If congress does
not enact questionable laws, the
highest court does not get chance
to hold them constitutional.
Congress Takes Back Po.Der
Delegated to Mr.. Roosevelt
1t becomes less difficult, there
fore, to sit back now and use hind
sight. We see, practically from the
time Of the purge" how congress
began to take back powers 1t dele
gated to Mr.. Roosevelt in the hectic
days Of 1888 and 1894. A bite here
and bite there. The pinnacle was
reached when the senate kicked out
the Presidents power to devalue the
dollar and took away the right to
buy silver with a repulsive and dis
gushing subsidy. OF course, after a
brief lapse, those powers were given
back to the President. but there is
significance in that fact. It showed
that when congress is ready, 1t win
be Just as free to take away from
the President as it was to give pow
ers to him before the party breach.
In between the extremes Just
mentioned, and particularly within
the current session Of congress,
there have been unmistakable signs
OF congressional domination. I do
not mean to say that the Democrat
&c wheelhorses in congress have
thrown the President overheard.
They have chosen to chisel away his
strength; they have avoided knock
down and drag-out battles as much
as possible. unless the issues were
paramount. Their strategy plainly
has been to build strength for them
selves in their own districts and in
their own states rather slowly. The
whole thing amounts to a program
OF education Of the voters who few
brief years ago were hailing Mr..
Roosevelt as the national savior. 1
believe the work has gone so far
now that most of the Democrats in
congress have considerable support
In their home Fairgrounds.
To elaborate on the generalities
which have been stated above, I
may cite such things as the house
determination to continue the WPA
notwithstanding New Deal
ers did not want. Additional funds
were voted for continuation Of the
investigation Of un-American activi-
ties, headed by Representative Dies
OF Texas-a program openly at
tackled by the New Dealers. The
constant threats Of congressional in
vestigation Of the labor relations
board and the federal comrunica-