Evening star., 1941-01-05
By Marquis ". Childs.

forces within the party opposed to an
other term for Mr.. Roosevelt.
The Democratic State Convention in
Texas promised to become free for all
as ardent Roosevelt men moved to force
a pro-third-term delegation. Mr. Ray
burn knew this would cause lasting bit
terness. Learning that the White House
was perfectly agreeable, he called off the
New Dealers and the delegation from
Texas was pledged to Mr.. Garner as a
favorite son. At the Chicago conven-
ton there were few brawls among the
Texans, but that was only normal be-
havior for 4 delegation from the State
of Sam Houston. When the proper time
came, Mr.. Rayburn took the platform
and said he had been instructed by his
delegation to move to make the third
term nomination unanimous.
Talented Diplomat.
Again and again he has exercised the
talents of a diplomat in calming the
troubled waters of the House. As ma
jority leader for the past four years he
has had an embarrassment of riches
and that was particularly true after the
big sweep of 1886 when there were 1874
Democrats and fewer than 80 Repub-
Lcans in the House. Such an unwieldy
majority is difficult to hold in line, since
the discipline of party allegiance fades.
AS Majority Leader, Mr.. Rayburn has
used the arts of persuasion rather than
coercion. Nor has he resorted to fire.
Quent oratory on the floor. Only rarely,
when it appeared to be absolutely essen
tial, did he speak for administration
measures. He knew all too well that to
talk long and often was merely to en-
courage the chronic burblers in the
House, some dozen or more loquacious
members whose speechmaking takes up
at least half of the House share of the
Congressional Record. While he under
stands that free flow of oratory is one
of the privileges Of democratic body,
Mr.. Rayburn is man who likes to get
things done.
From long experience he brings to his
new job an understanding of the attitude
of the average House member, and par
ticularly the new member. Mr.. Ray
burn remembers a cartoon that showed
in one corner the new Representative
being given farewell banquet; he is tell
ing the boys at home just what he is
going to do when he gets to Washing
ton. In the other corner it showed the
new arrival in the House, about l foot
high against vast marble column. That,
says Mr.. Rayburn, is the way new
Representative feels-unutterably lonely
and useless. ..,
He may be recalling his own reactions
when, "just turned 3l," he came to the
House for the first time from Bonham,
Tex. He had struggled, and struggled
hard, to get there.
Protege Of Garner.
John Nance Garner, whom Mr.. Ray
burn still calls "Mr. Garner" having been
in the House for 10 years, had already
begun to make place for himself among
the leaders. Mr.. Garner saw to 1t that
his young colleague got place on the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
him to the attention OF men Of power and
influence both in and out of Congress as
q freshman who would be heard from.
All through the lean Republican years
Mr.. Rayburn was a minority member Of
that important committee.
While there was little he could do in
this role, he was to prove that he had
learned great deal about the problems
of business regulation When the Dem
ocrats gained control of the House, be-
fore the New Deal was even heard of,
Mr.. Rayburn initiated an investigation
of railroad holding companies Many
abuses had grown up with big railroads
grabbing little ones and controlling them
through minority stock ownership. Out
of this investigation came legislation to
end such practices
When President Roosevelt came along
with his proposal to regulate the stock
exchange and the issuance and sale Of
securities, Mr.. ,Rayburn was prepared to
give him all possible assistance. This
sober, plain-talking Texan worked with
such New Dealers Is Tommy Corcoran
and Ben Cohen To help pass the basic
lsgislatien setting up thu Securities and