Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-25
Invisible Line
Divides Dems
In Congress
Southern [ legislators
Splitting With Radicals
By GEO. ROCKWELL BROWN

BY GEO. ROCKWELL BROWN
nOWN the middle of the great
~ hall of the House of Repre-
sentatives there runs, from the
north door TO the well before
the rostrum, what is generally
regarded as the dividing aisle.
To the speakers left of this
aisle sit the 200 Republicans; TO
the right sit the Democrats,
with the left-wing Marcantorio,
and a Progressive or two,
thrown in as make-weights.
This is the outward division
OF the House in the seventy
eighth Congress. as viewed from
the galleries.
But actually there Is a divid-
ing line which is invisible TO
the casual visitor - the line
which divides the Democratic
side Of the chamber and this
line, although invisible, is psy-
chologically more clearly defined
than that wide center aisle
which theoretically, separates
the two major parties, OF the
Congress. and of the country.
The invisible line follows none
of the various aisles which block
off the members seats in groups.
But il is there, just the same.
And on the opposite sides OF
this line which the eye cannot
detect, there is developing a
party cleavage. between con-
servatives and radicals, between
old-faShioned Democrats. and
the New Deal Democrats, which
already has become in some
essential respects. more pro-
nounced and more bitter, and
more irreconcilable, than the
gulf which theoretically sepa-
rates the Democrats from the
Republicans.
DUT for the fact that most OF
- the conservative Democrats
are from southern states, this
cleavage would be of tran
scendent political significance.
II still may become so, al
though there is another in
visible and nonexistent dividing
line in the United States-that
between the Union and the old
confederacy-which long has
been a determining factor in
party politics in this country.
If the Democratic conserva-
tives Of the House hailed from
the West and North. the New
Deal would be al an end, right
now. today.
There are about a hundred
southern Democratic representa-
tives, of whom about half are
definitely conservatives. and
these constitute approximately
one-fourth af the total Demo-
cratic membership.
There are, Of course. some
conservatives from many OF the
other states. North. East, West
and border.
The radical left wing. or the
convinced New Dealers. who
once numbered more than a
hundred. were shot full of holes
in the November elections. and
now muster not more than %
per cent Of the total Democratic
membership. with about an
equal number Of mild New Deal
ors between them and the con-
servatives.
Between the conservative
group and the New Deal group,
the tension is today more
marked than at any time since
1888.
The conservatives realize that
they have permitted the de-
velopnent Of a vast bureaucratic
machine which has grown so
powerful as TO challenge. defy
and insult its own creator.
-
WHAT is going on within the
w Democratic Party Is a
determination on the part Of the
conservative group 10 win back
what has been surrendered. II is
recognized as a tough job.
Control Of the Democratic
leadership is definitely in the
radical group. The bitterness has
been greatly accelerated by the
determined effort Of this leader
Aip 10 place the left wing
radical, Vito Marcantonio Of
New York. on the Democratic
majority side of the judiciary
committee.
To this purpose Mr.. Rayburn
exerted himself TO such an ex-
tent as TO ALLEVIATE many Of
those who on January s voted
for him rs speaker. Some MEM
bers Of his own party have been
convinced that If MIR Rayburn
were candidate for that office
today he would be defeated in
his own caucus, and have not
hesitated 10 say so.
II is quite certain that the
controversial legislation that in
evitably will come before the
present Congress will still fur
Their accentuate the split within
the Democratic Party ranks.