The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1939-03-30
ECONOMIC .HIGHLIGHTS

ECONOMIC HIGIILIGHTS
There is an American tradition
to the effect that the Vice-PreS-
dent of the Republic shall be man
who says little and does leSs-an Of
fetal with an imposing title and q
substantial salary, but with few re-
sponsibilities and almost no author
fly. Some years ago very sue
cessful stage farce was written
around the idea of a ,vice-president
named and 'WinterbottOm who kept
wandering about his party head
quarters and could find no one who
knew or cared who he was. And, in
actual history, the vice-presidency
has been used more than once to
''get rid" of some man who party
leaders thought too troublesome.
Roosevelt had made many enemies
as Governor of New York, and he
very likely would have been doomed
to obscurfty had not McKinley,s as
saSsination taken him to the White
House.
Cactus Jack" Garner seemed to
be the perfect stuff. of which a
run-of-the-mill Wice-presiden t
should be made. Aa able congress
man, with decades of service behind
him he was known as a hard but
unspectacular worker. And when
he assumed his position of vice.
president he seemed to fit well into
the classic mold. A good disciplin-
ian and administrator he apparent
ly took little part in politics. He
wasn't often in theheadlines. But
now, times have dramatically
changed, and tits around the genial,
plain figure of Jack Garner that
much of today,s most important
political discussion Is centering. He
has become the great hope of the
conservatives in the Democratic
party-and the leader of q quiet
but unrelenting right rebellion"
against the New Deal.
In the view of some of the most
astute political commentators, the
Vice-President is well suited to this
new role In origin, training and
experience he is the logical repre-
sentative Of those millions Of people |
Of whom little is heard but who new
ertheless hold the real balance of
power in America-the merchant,
the farmer, the rancher, the small
town banker and lawyer and doc
tor. In political philosophy, he
might be termed a conservative lib
eral-he believes reform should be
achieved slowly and cautiously with |
out diSheartening or Mscouraging |
business. He has certain gifts Of |
immense political Importance - q
nerveless patience lit is character
dstic Of the man that he Is called
the best poker player In Washing
ton, where famous poker players
abound); vast knowledge of the
technique Of political strategy; q
talent for making friends; a win
ming, 'home-spun" personality; q
nack for terse, individually phras-
ed comments ON events. The lat
ter is illustrated by remark he Is
rumored to have made to the Pres
ident: you've got to give the cat
tie (meaning bilsiness) a chance to
put some fat on their bones"
It Is around Garner that the po-
tent pro-economy group Of Demo-
cratic senators has gathered. He is
very close to Senator Harrison, who
is leading the economy drive on the
floor. He is strongly in favor Of
tax revision though, like the cagey
politician he is, he does his talking
in the privacy of his office, and not
in public. And it is universally re-
ported that he was largely respon-
1able for persuadtng the Senate to
reduce the WPA appropriation ask
ed by the President, to the tune of
$50, 900 ,000 As Time observes,
Extraordinary fact about the Gar
ner Rebellion is that its leader does
not for one minute expect to win
its Economy objective; at least, not
at this session Of congress" He is
hiding his time, getting in his licks,
<SAk&A PAeSA43AAAA6 AVA tAAS AOVOAC.
Highly significant is the fact
that Garner now leads in all the
standard polls for 1905 Democrat
ic presidential nomination. On the
debit side Is the fact that he is 20
now-an age that Is generally re-
garded as being too old for the tell
ing job Of Chief Executive. But
he seems to be in the pink physical
" as well as mentally. A power
full group is getting ready to back
him for the nomination, and there's
certainly at least fair chance he'll
get it. At any event, he is force
to be reckoned with.
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