Evening star., 1939-12-29

litiCal fortunes.
On the Repub- David Lawrence
lican side. the presence OF senators
Vandenberg and Taft. who are con-
spicuous candidates, means laaO
Senator McNarv, who will nave
favorite son Endorsement from MS
own State, will have to steer care
full course of neutrality, but that the
leadership will have to be asserted
more positively than before ny the
Oregon Senator.
The real impact of the 1910 pre-
convention campaign will be felt on
the Democratic side OF the Senate
more than anywhere else. The TWO
candidates whose names are men
toned most frequently nowadays are
Vice President Garner and senator
Wheeler of Montana. II the ad-
ministration declares open war on
the Garner candidacy, there will be
developed a Garner block Which
from time to time will go along with
the Republicans in makeshllt
coalition against New Deal meas
ures. But will the President early
In the year indicate such hostility!
While his cabinet members already
have done so, there is no certainty
that Mr.. Roosevelt will commit him.
self to anybody's cause when ne has
made clear his own disinclinatlon to
run for a third term and when the
Draft Roosevelt movement gets
under way as seems inevitable.
Indebted to Wheeler.
AS for Senator Wheeler, nobody
can persuasively call him con-
servative or take away from him his
"liberal" record. 1t is true he fought
the administration vehemently on
the Supreme Court (packing) BILL
but he always fights hard IN the
causes which he champions. The
administration is indebted to the
Montant Senator for having engl-
neered through the Senate the Ia
nous public utility holding company
law with its death sentence
There are reports that the c. 1. o.
Is considering the grant Of its sup
port to Mr.. Wheeler as being the
most friendly of all the candidates
to the cause of labor. 1t is too early
to determine whether this would
be a handicap or a help to Senator
Wheeler because there are many
persons with much devotion to the
cause of labor, notably the A. F. OF
l.. leaders, who would be estranged
by such an alliance.
Yet if the c. I. o. is looking about
for some one to fight its battles IN
the Senate in the coming session.
1t is natural for Irritation to begin
with the candidacy of Senator
Wheeler. 1t is not likely that the
Montana Senator will become en-
tangled with any group or faction
because he doubtless knows the ex-
tent to which the C. I. o. is taboo
In the minds of influential Southern
Democrats who must furnish dele
gates.
The only chance that Mr.. Wheeler
would have, If he alienated the
Southern conservatives, would be
to pick up delegates among the
Northern liberals.
His opportunities there are linn
tied by what the New Deal strate-
gists decide They may or may not
bestow their blessing on Paul
McNutt or Henry Wallace. They
may get hint to support Cordell
Hull as the Presidents choice. But,
in the meantime, the effect is to
put Senator Wheeler on the fence,
and it is questionable whether he
will be found leading any anti
administration fights or lining up
with the Garner group.
Western Aid Seen for Wheeler.
The same thing may be true of
some of the Senators who attach
themselves to particular candidate
Mr.. Wheeler will have the strong
support of the Western Democratic
Senators, whereas Mr.. Garner will
be Endorsed by the Southern Demo-
Gratis. A third group-the New
Dealers-will be more or less non-
committal, waiting for the signal
from the inner administration
circle.
Thus the Democratic party in the
Senate will be split three ways, but
its majority is so large that, on
vital matters likely to affect the
attitude of the voters toward the
future of the Democratic party it
self, the tendency of the Democrats
will be to stick together On such
issues, however, as amendment of
the Wagner labor relations law and
changes in the Wage and Hour Act,
1t would appear probable that the
New Deal will be found In the mi
nority.
The coming of the presidential
pre- convention campaign with dele
cations made up largely of Senators
and Representatives will unquestion-
ably mean less legislation and more
to1k fhop in anv session this far