The Wrangell sentinel., 1943-06-04
= ON lSlH1E WASHINGTON
 FRONT

By JACK STINNETT

By JACK STlNNETT
 WASHINGTON = Suppose I just give it to you for what it's worth. without emphasizing too much that I think it may be worth something. Ii came from a political observer. now retired. but formerly high enough on the Democratic rolls to speculate with some authority.
 Suppose. he said President Roos- eYelt should run again with James F. Byrnes. now the little presi- dent, as his vice presidential can didate, and with the understanding that if the war were over before the fourth term expired, he (Pres- ident ROoseyeIt) would resign in favor of the ex-congressman, ex- senator, and ex-associate justice of the supreme court.
 There is an idea to toy with. By picking Byrnes as his running mate, the President probably could bring all the reealcitraant southern states back into the fold because the little gentleman from South Carroll n rides high with his southern col leagues.
 Why did Byrnes step down out of that $20, 0,000-a-year-for-li job on the supreme court, if there were no greater future promised than being trouble-shooter for the Administra- tion? If the President does run for a fourth term in the midst of global war whom else could he sell ect for running mate and why?
 I've tried those questions on sev- eral bigwigs in both parties here abouts and all I've gotten, aside from a worried look or a staring eye, has been the counter question, why didn't Rooseveylt pick Byrnes in 1942? The answers to that are probably three: CD Byrnes was too valuable as floor manager and smoother-outer of Democratic con Yention ailments to be used for any thing else; (2) We weren't in the war then and Byrnes had crossed the New Deal1 on home front is- sues often enough to raise the pro- bability that he wouldn't always string along on everything that the Administration proposed; and C3)| Byrnes probably wouldn't have had the job under any circumstances. Cts pretty well established that he had his heart set on the supreme court post
 There's also the fourth point made by some observers that Presi- dent Roosevelt felt that Henry Wal lace would help with midwest and farm Vetes-which were more i'm portant then than the still-solid South.
 It is, of course, too early to make any predictions about 1914. but the powers that be in both par ties already are drawing the lines. The fact that Byrnes, who didn't earn his political spurs by being a yes-man, could proba bly, win n u h confidence in the south to stem any threatened re- bellion there. is not to be ignored.
 One thing is becoming more ap- parent every day the White House Is not averse to having the fourta term issue discussed openly. A word from the President ro some of those who have been shouting it from the mikes and house-tops would have put stop to it weeks ago.
 Add a few staties to the prognos- tieations of some of our most con- serVative political guessers here. and the conclusion is that no mat ter whether a Democrat or Repub- liean sits in the White House after l944 it will be an uneasy seat so far as Congress is concerned.
 No President has ever had any thing but trouble when he had a Congress divided against itself. It was Republican Senate that whit tied President Wilson's 14 Points down to zero and isolated us from the League of Nations. Republican President Hoover had to cope with a Democratic house. These are within our own time, but the story stretches back into history and ev- cry time it appears, the presidency has had more afflictions than Job, with no time tbecause of coming elections) to apply Jobs patience.
 Practically all unbiased political observers here say positively that the House of Representatives elect ed in 1944 will be Republican. They