Evening star., 1939-07-31

1@** ~ changes on the
evils OF the de-
Charles G. Ross. preston.
So they were all able to come out
of the caucus smiling and happy.
One is reminded of a Coolidge
story. After a church service the
President had attended, some one
asked him what the preacher had
talked about. We'll" drawled Mr..
Coolidge, "he was against sin"
1t took platform as wide as that
of Mr.. Coolidge's preacher to pro-
vide standing room for the House
Democrats. Their action throws a
bright light on the divided state of
the party-and on current politics
generally.
Common Desire Binds G. o. p.
Being the minority party, the Re-
publicans are in probably somewhat
better case; they are bound together,
as were the Democrats in compare
BILE circumstances in 1882, by that
most powerful of all political ce-
ments-the desire to get back to the
public trough after long, lean years.
1t is the potency of this great hunger
which has enabled the astute Joe
Martin, the minority leader of the
House, to keep his forces operating
pretty much as a unit.
The Republicans, though, have
their deep-seated differences, and
any attempt on their part to write
platform at this time, except in
the vaguest terms, would bring on
as violent dog fight as ..he Demo-
Gratis would have had the other day
If they had got down to cases.
There is abundant evidence in
the record of this session Of Con-
gress that such issues as old-age
! pensions and farm relief and the
wage and hour bill are tending more
and more to create divisions within
the parties. Despite the historic
background of the Republican party
and despite all the breast-beating
for economy, there has been out
rageous flirting with the Townsend
plan among the Republicans. to say
nothing of willingness to hand out
bigger and better bonuses to the
farmers.
For one striking bit of evidence of
dissension in the party, look at the
roll-call vote of last Friday, by
which the Senate, 40 to 38, rejected
an amendment to the lending bill
which would have restored the pre-
vailing wage rates for w. P. A. en-
ployes. Ten Republican Senators
voted to restore these rates; voted,
that is, to upset the recent action
of Congress requiring 100 hours of
work month on w. P. A. projects
Nine Republican Senators voted the
other way.
Among those for the prevailing
rates, the abolition of which had
provoked widespread w. P. A.
strikes, were such Republican stall
warts as Lodge of Massachusetts,
and Vandenberg of Michigan, a
leading candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination for President.
Taft Among Opponents.
Among those against the prevail
ing rates was Taft Of Ohio, a lead
| ing candidate for the Republican
nOInlndClOn 1Or PRESIDENT.
What will Mr.. Glenn Franks COM
mittee to draft Republican plat
form-if it ever comes to life-say
about the prevailing rates question?
But to get back to the Democrats,
whose intra-party troubles for the
moment are more conspicuous. The
caucus was forced by a group of
New Deal Democrats who hoped to
get party commitment in favor of
specific pending New Deal meas
ures, notably the lending bill and
the administration proposal to ex-
pand the slum- m-clearance program.
Did they get it? Look at the
resolution that was adopted. A plea
for harmony" prevailed. Specific
commitments were stricken out and
the meeting went on record for the
social and economic objectives of
the President and against the sins
of Hoover.
If that isn't good for a laugh, try
this one. Says the resolution: Dur
ing the present session of the Sew
enty-sixth Congress the leadership
of the Democratic party has been
handicapped by carping. critical
reactionary Republican party"
Well, in the present Senate there
are SO Democrats, % Republicans
and 4 of other assorted Affiliations.
In the House. there are 25S Dem
ocrats and 169 Republicans in total
membership of 435.
Platform to Be Task.
| The Rules Committee Of the House
that constant headache to the
Democratic leadership-has 10 DEM
ocratic members and only 1 Re-
publican.
Clearly, the Republicans couldn't
have got to first base In their op-
position to the Roosevelt program if
they had not had large support from
the Democratic side.
The truth of the matter Is, of
course, that the New Dealers and
the anti-New Dealers In the Dem
ocratic party are as far apart as the
poles, and it's going to take some
fancy Juggling to write q ma
tional platform for 1910 that will
seem to bring them together. It's
lucky that the party has got Herbert