The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-06
PORTRAIT OF A MAN WITH /
 HAMMER

HAMMER
 There was a hilarious low com- edy performance in Congress the other hot afternoon when some of the Honorables decided that rid dangerous work They did a fast turnabout when time came to override another Presidential veto ... This time they had no appetite for revolt, not at the price asked t. The President had crossed them by describing the subsidy measure in everyday words like dime" and nickel, words the man in the street can savvy without consulting a Quiz Kid (. "Go ahead and pass the bill," F. D. R., taunted, and take the responsibility for in.la- tion' Well, sir, anything that strikes terror to the heart of the vote-seeker is an opponent who talks the language of the prole- tariat.
 The faction trying to take the lid off prices hid behind big, meaning less federalese, jawing about "li- quidity of resources" and "con- trolled compensation on the DOT tistan, per capita per diem via di- rective every fiscal" Such talk left Joe Doakes in too much of daze to know who was for what, if anything . He didn't know whom to punish on election day . The President enlightened MT. and Mrs. Doakes: "This," he said, lis an in- flation bill, a high-cost- -of-liVing bill, a food shortage bill" He broke it down to show how much more every pound of groceries would cost, and you could see the rebellion ooze out of the House.
 The Presidents down to earth language was still ringing in their ears when the vote was called to quash the veto. My gracious, muttered the ex-rebels, how that man talks! Here we were, discuss ing the qualitative coadjudication of the framson, and he cuts it dow nto mean pound of butter is going to cost the housewives nickel more. Can I tell my con- stituency to spread jurisdictional autonomy on their kids bread be- cause butter is out of reach? No, siree, ain't murdering any vetoes today, thanks all the same"
 The HOnOrableS were still pale and shaky the next afternoon when Cong. Dirksen of H., an old fram- son and fiscal boy, tried to salvage the imitation bill. Dirkson sub mitted a measure which would stop the pay of officials administering the subsidy program -. This is a duty little dish of democracy, this pay roll sabotage, which could ap- ply to army pay, you know, if it's proponents could must enough ballots This is the kind of shysesr legislation that Hitler found so useful when he was feeling his way But the brothers slapped down Dirksens measure. They want ed to hear no more of that nickel and dime talk.
 Yea can look for cagier "ayeing' and "naying" in the Congress now with elections coming up next year <. Some of the more reckless states men got the scare of their lives last year when "The Illustrious Dun derheads" threw their quotes back in their teeth. ace-reddening as the quotes were, the quoter could nevertheless plead that he had changed his views since then. The war had made a man of him, he alibied, and his patriotism had grown so fiery that it was coming out all over him in blisters .. But vote cast in war time is diff ferent accuser. There it is, marking him for or against in unmistakable terms The office-holder who is on the record as having helped up prices can't pour on the feder- alese. He's got to defend the vote, yes or no, the two most difficult words in the language for man asking for votes.
 The sideswipes at the OWI de- cided one writer that the medlers had brought his usefulness to an end .. . He resigned and set off for Hollywood, where he had quit a four-figure weekly job to pitch in for Uncle Samson He was so bitter about the Capitals stiletto set that he was reminded that where he came from there was a lot of work for man with a dagger . "Oh, sure" he admitted, you can be stabbed in Hollywood, too. But out there they did it with a friendly feeling, meaning nothing personal In Washington they destroy you with malice in their hearts
 According to Turner CatledCe, | there is a movement afoot to nom- mate Col. Robert R. Mccormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, as Republican candidate for President at the Illinois primaries That's too good to be true. The purpose behind the move, Catledge explains, is to combat Willkie who, Col. Bertie feels is too much of an internation- alist It would be fun to have Col. Bertie in good give take campaign, lending off the How comes?" It would be interesting to hear how he laughs off the dictator ultimatum Jack Alexander charged against him once |. Rhode Island did something that so piqued the Col. that he ordered that States star removed from Old Glory If Col. Bertie got into office, judg- ing him from that king-like gesture alone, the first ruling he'd make would be to order the Potomac to flow the other way
 GOebbels, who doesn't blunder often, seems to have stubbed his toe on his latest wrinkle, that of kidding the Allies invasion plans. He was coaxing belly-laughs