The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-12-11

WNU Service, 1343 II Street, NV,
Washington, d. c.
The COP elephant is looking for
ward to his merriest Christmas in q
long time. His trunk will be filed
with lots Of pretty presents this year
those nice, new, comfortable seats
in the house Of representatives and
the senate.
As the last session Of the 18th
congress moves to a close there is a
contented smile on more than one
Republican visage. Not the least
genial is former Republican nation
al chairman and continuing leader
Of the house, Joe Martin of Massa-
chusetts-the "a" in Martin pro-
nounced as the ga" in yard at
Harvard. (That doesn't mean, how
ever, that Joe talks Harvardese-
he's small town boy and makes
the most Of it, Beginning January
4, 1913, when the new congress
meets, Joe will be out in front ready
and able to snap a long raw-hide
over his political herd. He doesn't
use that method, but he knows what
everybody else has known since No
vember Shat his political power
has risen like the mercury in Au-
gust.
Silently Behind the Scenes
Like most of the effective workers
in congress, inter or intra-party,
Joe does his stuff quietly behind the
scenes. And the impression I got
when / talked with him recently in
the gloomy, high ceilinged Office Of
the minority leader in the Capitol
was that he is more comfortable
now that he has slipped out of the
craftsmanship robes. He can get
his coat of, roll up his sleeves and
start on his big under-cover cam
paign.
The slogan for the new venture is
''12 to Is or fight" That means, as
most people in Washington know al
ready, IL Republicans for every Is
Democrats on the congressional
committees. (Most committees have
Is members.) That will mean bare
majority Of one for the Democrats
and more than corresponding in
crease in Republican influence in
the drafting of legislation.
Reduce Expenditures
There are certain Democrats in
both houses, such as Sen. Harry
Byrd Of Virginia, upon whom house
leader Martin can count to join in
the chorus of one of the theme
songs which is going to be heard
raised with vehemence from the
Republican side of the house-re-
duction of expenditures for non-war
projects.
Taxes, the Republicans say, are
going to make the middle class more
class conscious than they have been
for a long time. The white collar,
salary man, realizes that he is car
rying a financial load which is not
being shared by the great army Of
workers whose incomes have sky
rocketed. Many Of the middle class
are ON fixed salaries that didn't 60
up. 1t is this class which has bought
the most bonds. The Republicans
are going to take advantage of this
situation and do their utmost to be-
come the champions Of the middle
class.
One Republican congressman said
to me recently:
1--WE can't outbid the u. S. treas
ury for the support Of the people
who are getting various kinds Of
subsidies or benefits from the adj
ninistration. We have got to ap-
peal to the salary man, the man
with a small business, the fireman,
the bus-driver, the people who are
paying for homes and buying in
surance. That's why it will be a
bad mistake if we get ourselves tied
up with any Of the wealthy eastern
politicians. They can give us some
money, but that's all. We won in
the last elections with very little
financial help"
AS this is being written, the choice
of a Republican national chairman
has not been made, but If it goes to
an fastener whose hackers are as
ISOLATED in the public mind with
great wealth, it will be bitter dis
appointment to a group Of practical
minded Republicans in congress who
are looking forward seriously and
hopefully to the presidential cam
paign in 1914.
However, at this point it might be
said that the national committee
chairman in neither party has the
power or the importance that he
once held. There was a time when
he could get on the long distance