The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-05

Two years ago, before the war crises, both the event and the man would have been top head, front page news. And they would have warranted it.
 In the legislative machinery of the House, the Majority Leader is a key pin. Through the power he yields, both open and under cover, he can decide the fate of the bills. More than one strong willed Majority Leader in the past has been the virtual boss of the House of Representatives.
 No President can hope to get to first base in the House without the good will of the Majority Leader who is smart. Otherwise the White House incumbent is sure to be in constant hot water putting through the legislation he wants.
 In addition to all this, Mc-
 Cormack's election was 8 pOli-
 ticaI milestone. He is the first New England Democrat and the second northern Democrat, in
 the history of the House to achieve this post.
 Until McCormack'S victory, every Democratic Majority Leader in the 152 years existence of the House = with one other excep- ton = had been Southerner. Mo t,,ro11xy fJ,ic hod O ,,rnn0I1rrod effect on the machinery of the chamber. And in the House, with 435 members, the machinery is all important.
 NON-SECTIONAL LEADER
 There are two other very signi- ficant facts about McCormack's election. One was the fact that he is a strong New Dealer and close personal friend of the Presi- dent; and the other that he was elected with Southern votes.
 One of his most effective campaigners was Rep. Gene Cox of Georgia, frequently and assidu- ouS New Deal foe.
 This apparent contradictions Boston-Irish New Dealer being enthusiastically supported by southern antis for decisive post in party and legislative control is the clue to why Mccormack won it and to the kind of lead- ership that can be expected from him.
 Mccormack is a diplomat and
 not slugger. He will rule by
 persuasion, not the strong arm.
 This does not mean that he
 is g pussyf00ter or softly. He can fight and hits hard when he
 has to, as the House well knows
 from experience. But Me
 COrmack's instinct is to talk softly and use the gloved hand.
 It is noteworthy that while SUD- porting every major New Deal measure and taking the lead in bitter battles over many of them, he left no personal scars. Cox is an example. A fierce foe of the National Labor Relations Act. he played a leading role in putting bill through the House aimed at scuttling the law. Mccormack just as determinedly fought the bill. Yet the two men remained warm friends.
 UP FROM BOTTOM
 This trait of standing firm for what he believes, without arous- ing personal animoSities, may arise from McCormack's early conditioning. He came up the hard way.
 One of six children in a poor South B0tOn family. the death of his father forced John tO find work at the age of seven to help his mother keep the family together. lie sold newspapers, pedaled the streets as . tele- graph messenger, and left school at lS to become office boy In . law firm at s3.S0 . week.
 From earliest youth, McCor- Saack's ambition had been to be Q lawyer. Tn the law office he de- voted every spare moment to por- Ing over legal tonnes. As he grew older he secured permission 10 take books home to study ct night. and apparently was co diligent that, without formal schooling, ho passed the bar examinations at ago Of ef. as soon as ho was ellgi- hle io take them.