Evening star., 1939-01-21
The Political Mill
Hearing Of Hopkins Inspires Bitter
Attack on Roosevelt by Foes

dent tried to get his political scalp
last summer. But Mr.. Tydings is
a fortnight fighter, and the New
Dealers will have a tough time
laughing off the charges he made
against the President-if they try.
The Maryland Senator is ready to
return to the attack at any time
and the New Deal strategy may be
Just to ignore his statement of yes
terday, thinking that such a course
will bring the least notoriety. 1t
remains, however, to be seen how the
President will take it.
Democratic Senator after Demo-
cratic Senator has spoken in the de-
bate so far. denouncing the use of
the w. P. A. in politics, as revealed
by the Sheppard committee. Sena-
tor Barkley of Kentucky sought to
stem ti'e tide when the youthful
Senator Rush D. Holt of West Vir-
ginia, violent Democratic oppo-
nent of the President and the New
Dealers, was hurting the charge of
dirty politics. Barkley had his fin
gers burned, however, and his fig
ures turned against him, showing
that the rolls of the w. P. A. had
been enormously increased during
the campaign year of 1888 over what
they had been in the year 1887
and that the big increases had come
just before the election.
Senator Norris of Nebraska, inde-
pendent and warm friend of the
President, made the plea that it was
Congress, not Mr. Hopkins. that was
culpable: that Congress had failed
to pass laws that would take parti-
san politics out of Government
spending, and that the country had
come to expect that kind of politics.
But as Congress did not administer
the w. P. A. funds-but left that to
the President and Mr.. Hopkins
Senator Norris argument. however
well taken, fell on good many deaf
ears.
Vote Recession Cited.
Another Democrat, Senator Walsh
of Massachusetts. addressing him.
SCll CSpCIIdllS " LID OCllloSld dIAS
colleagues, discussed the recession
in the Democratic vote in the last
election"-a recession of which the
President has made light. Senator
Walsh takes a serious view of the
recession, however. He gave three
main reasons for the loss of Demo-
cratic seats in Senate md House
and Democratic Governors. The
first of these was the unsatisfactory
administration of Federal relief
funds by Federal and local agencies,
coupled with dissatisfaction over the
administration of the National La
Dor Relations Act, and controversies
over the application of the Social
Security Act and the pay roll taxes
levied hereunder. Second, the fear
of higher taxes and uneasiness over
the mounting public debt and con-
tinued Government spending beyond
the Federal income. Third, grow
portant office were not standing
four-square for fundamental and
traditional democratic theories and
policies-which is another way of
attacking the New Deal.
Mr.. Hopkins nomination will be
confirmed. Many of the Senators
who vote for him, however, will do
SO not because they believe he is a
good appointee, but because they
are willing to give the President the
privilege of selecting his oun cahinet
officers. Only 10 cabinet appoint
ments have been rejected by the
Senate in the whole century and a
half of the United States Govern
ment.
In the meantime, the row over the
Hopkins appointment has served to
indicate the temper of the Demo-
cratic Senate-and to raise the
temperature of that body.