Evening star., 1946-12-29
Truman Faces Clashes
With New Congress,
History Indicates
BY the Associated Press

DJ IHe HSsoStoiSo siess
What's the prospect when a Presi-
dent OF one party has to do busi-
ness with a Congress dominated by
another party, as President Truman
will have to do after the new Con-
gress convenes Friday?
The answer, political history indl-
Gates, is a series of clashes, dead
locks that hamstring legislation and
some rare instances of cooperation.
That's what happened during the
three periods in the last half CEN
tury when Government power was
divided between Republicans and
Democrats.
The Presidents who, like Mr.. Tru-
man, had to deal with opposition
Congresses were Herbert Hoover,
Woodrow Wilson and Grover Cleve-
land. The divided governments came
during national emergencies in the
latter years of the three administra-
tions In each case the party holding
the presidency lost it at the next
election.
Hoover Lost Majority.
Presidents Hoover and Cleveland
hardly had time to stow their fish
ing rods in the White House when
business slumps-two of the worst
in history-swept the country. Both
Presidents lost their congressional
ma jorities in mid-tern elections,
just as happened to President Will
son and President Truman last
| November.
While banks and factories were
closing in 1881 and 1882. Mr.. Hoover
had to contend with a Democratic
House and Senate where anti
administration Republicans of the
farm bloc held the balance of
power.
! The Senate had At Democrats,
one Farmer-Laborite and 48 Repub-
licans, but a dozen of the latter
often were aligned against the
President.
| Mr.. Hoover and Congress battled
over the bonus for World War
soldiers and over various methods
of fighting the depression. His veto
of the bonus bill was overridden by
huge majorities in both houses.
/ Democrats Supported RFC.
He sought to preserve wage scales.
but when he opposed direct Federal
relief to the jobless as leading to the
dole, Democratic Congressman as
sailed him as "do-nothing Pres
ident." ........
Speaker Garner lined up the
democrats in support of Mr..
Hoover's proposed $4,000, ,0o0,00 Re-
construction Finance Corp. and the
Glass-Steagall bill to enlarge credit
facilities of the banks. But Con-
Igress and the administration
quarreled over ways of increasing
taxation in order to balance the
Government budget.
Democrat Cleveland had just
started his second administration
when the panic of 1898 hit the
country, causing widespread farm
distress, many business failures,
wage cuts and unemployment.
| In 1894 embittered farmers elected
Republican Congress. Many DEM
ocrats in the House were free
silver" men who charged that the
gold standard. supported by Cleve-
| land, was breeding nation OF
tramps and millionaires."
Refused to Sign Tariff.
A group of anti-administratlon
Democratic Senators helped Repub-
licans amend tariff reduction bill.
Mr.. Cleveland was not willing to
veto it but showed his disapproval
of the high tariff rates by refusing
to sign the bill. 1t became law with
out his signature.
| Although President Wilson ap-
pealed to the voters to elect Demo-
cratic majority to carry out his world
peace aims, the Republicans won a
congressional ma jority in the 1918
election. The historic battle be-
tween Wilson and the Senate over
the League of Nations ensued.
After five months of bitter wran-
Cling, the Senate refused to ratlfy
the peace treaty with the Covenant
of the League of Nations as part
of the treaty. Even the treaty, with
reservations on United States par
ticipation in the league, failed to
receive the necessary tWo-thlrds
ajority in the Senate.
Epidemic of Strikes.
Mr.. Wilson, like Mr.. Truman, had
to cope with postwar imitation, high
living costs and an epidemic OF
strikes. He was struck down by
paralysis while on a speaking tour
! for support of the League of Nations
and thereafter was unable to devote
| full energy to national problems.
Several Republican members OF
the new Congress have urged CO.
operation between the legislature
and President Truman in handling
major domestic issues as well as a
united nonpartisan effort for endur-
ing peace Other Republican Con-
gressmen have said they would not
cooperate with the President If he
makes radical recommendations"
President Truman's comment on
that was to ask who can say what is
radical. He has said that his state
of the Union" message to the Re-
publican controlled Congress will
call for what he believes to be
necessary for the welfare OF the
country.