The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-08-03


of the rift in the Democratic par
ty.
Because of this rift, the Presi-
dent has lost major engagements
in the struggle between himself
and the Legislative branch.
Perhaps the most important act
of Congress, in the last fortnight
of the session, was the passage
of a bill introduced by Senator
Carl A. Hatch of New Mexico to
prevent federal workers, includ-
ing WPA workers and others on
relief, to take part in party poll
tics. After it had been amended
on the floor of the House and the
Senate had concurred in its
amendments and sent the bill to
the White House for the Presi-
dents signature, it made it lille
gal for any official or employee
of the Government to take any
part whatever in party politics,
under penalty of a $1,000 fine.
Only the President, the Vice
President, Senators, Members of
Congress, and officials whose po-
sitions, make them responsible
for formulating national and in
ternational policies - otherwise,
the Cabinet-are exempt from
the operation of this new law.
The net effect, if the Hatch Act
is enforced, will be to keep all
federal office-holders from taking
part in next Springs primaries
to choose delegates to the Presl-
dental nominating conventions OF
either party, or from being dele
gates themselves to any party
convention. That is calculated to
destroy the ancient system
whereby Presidents in office are
renominated by conventions
largely composed of office-hold-
ers.
Eighty-three Democrats joined
the solid Republican block in the
House to carry the Hatch bill by
a vote of 242 to 1873.
Passed 242 To 1873
After the final passage of the
Hatch bill by the Senate, forty or
fifty Southern Democratic Sena-
tors crowded to the Vice-Presi-
dents rostrum to congratulate
him and Senator Hatch, the au-
thor of the bill. Vice-President
Garner beamed his appreciation;
for the new law gives him a
greatly improved chance of get
ting delegates elected who will
stand for him for the Presiden-
tial nomination.
The Garner Presidential boom
is now fairly launched.
The second major piece of leg
islation in the closing weeks of
the session was the adoption by
the House of a resolution propos-
ed by Representative Cox of
Georgia, for the appointment of
a special Congressional commit
tee to sit during the recess and
investigate the administration of
the Wagner Labor Relations Act.
Here, again, 104 Democrats, most
ly from the South, voted with the
Republicans to carry the resolu-
tion by a vote of 254 to 1874.
The ground for this investiga-
ton is the charge, frequently
made not only by employers but
by the American Federation of
Labor, that the Labor Relations
board has refused employers a
hearing in labor disputes, and has
Disseminated against the A. F.
of L. and other labor unions in
favor of the c. 1. o.
simultaneously with this action
by the House, the Senate passed
the Logan bill providing for the
judicial review by the courts OF
all administrative rules, decisions
and orders made by any branch
or fundamentally of the Execu-
tive arm of Government. This is
aimed not only at the Labor Re-
lations Board but at all other
agencies.
Conference Fails.
The most severe blow to the
Presidents aims was the failure
of his conference with Senator
ial leaders of both parties in q
last desperate effort to win sup
port for the changes in the Neu-
trality laws which Secretary Hull
formulated and the President
urged on Congress.
The Senatorial leaders of both
parties, the chairmen and rank
ing minority members of the
Foreign Affairs committee and
the Vice-President and the Sec
rotary of State for three hours
while Mr.. Roosevelt told them,
and Mr.. Hull confirmed, the re-
ports from American Ambassa-
doris in Europe about the danger