The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-01-07
The New Congress

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The New Congress-
Washington, Jan.
The significant thing about the
new Congress which meets on Thurs
day is that for the first time since
1882 the President has lost control Of
both branches. 1t is true that the
Democrats have a numerical major
ity. but there is no New Deal major
ity-quite the contrary.
###
I'm the House, for example, the Re-
publican gain of forty-four seats
means that at any time a controlling
coalition with handful of anti-New
Deal Democrats can he formed. On
the Senate side, the addition of eight
Republicans, plus the anti-New Deal
Democrats, plus the acknowledged
stumbling and feeble Administration
floor leadership, make impossible any
thing like effective White House
domination of that body.
1865
So after ten years the New Deal
grip on the legislative branch of the
Government has been broken and it's
Independence, which Congress had
appeared permanently to have lost,
has been restorcd-restored too. as a
result of an expression by the people
at the polls. To many, this will seem
a gratifying and fortunate thing. in
deed, but it is premature to rejoice
now. The uncertain elements in the
situation are the character of the Re
publican policies and the quality of
the Republican leadership. Until these
have developed sufficiently to Judge
no one can be sure that the change is
beneficial. All we know is that the
Republicans, more compact as party
than the Democrats, split into two
factions, are in position to enact or
reject every controversial legislative
proposal that comes up at this SEES
sion.
#~#
The vital question is how the Re
publicans will use this power. The
answer largely hinges upon two men
Senator Charles McNary, of Ore
gon, in the Senate, and Representa-
tive Joseph Martin, in the House.
These are the official Republican
leaders. They are both exceedingly
astute and practical politicians.
Whether they are wise remains to be
seen. There is no danger that the Re
publicans in this session will fail to
support the President in the prosecu-
tion Of the war abroad And there is
no danger that the blight for isola-
tionism will tinge the party's poll
cies. There are one or two confirmed
and irreconcilable isolationists on the
Republican side in Congress, but
there are just as many on the Demo-
cratic side. The bulk Of the Repub-
leans, as the bulk of the Democrats.
are now anti-isolation, pledged not
only to the Presidents war policies
but to some form of International
cooperation after the war.
*%*
Where the danger lies is in the Re-
publican attitude toward the home
front-how it, as party, is going to
line up on domestic issues. Undoubt-
eddy, the temptation for men with
their eyes and hopes centered upon
the 1914 election, will be to conciliate
and placate the two great Hobbies,
which have more influence in Con-
gress and supposedly can deliver
more votes than all others combined
to wit, the labor lobby and the farm
lobby If they yield to this tempta-
ton the Messrs. McNary and Martin
will forfeit the respect Of many who
look to them for a more enlightened
and patriotic leadership. Further,
they will justify the charge that their
party lacks the character to run the
country. In addition, they will deprive
the Republicans Of their chance to
commend themselves to the country
as whole instead of to special
classes, which may or may not be
grateful on election day.
If they yield to the farm lobby,
they will nullify the Administration
efforts to avert initiation and precipi-
tate disastrous rise in prices. And
if they yield to the labor lobby, they
will lose the opportunity to amelio-
rate the evils and injustices of exist
ing labor legislation from correction
of which, despite strong public senti-
ment, the Administration still shrinks
and which the President used his in
fluence in the last session to prevent.
Aside from these, there are plenty of
vulnerable spots in the Administra-
ton handling of the domestic prob
lens created by the war. 1t has made
a mess Of the manpower problem, the
price-control problem, the tax
problem. 1t still retains in high posi-
tions incompetent and inexperienced
men. 1t still is ineXcusably wasting
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