Evening star., 1948-12-23
Congress Will Meet
: Without Clear Idea OF
Meaning Of Mandate
Every Man for Himself
o Expected to Be Attitude
:: OF Incoming Members
By David Laurence

What kind OF Congress will as
u semble here next month? Will it
-- be independent-minded or rubber
: stamp" for the President? Will it
be left" or right" or middle Of
the road?
These questions are being asked
on every side as the country waits
to see what the trend Of legislation
will be in its impact on economic
problems. Thus, there are many
businessmen who are convinced that
q Truman depression" Is in the
offing-to be initiated by policies
sponsored by the "left wing" and
. designed to break up the system Of
Z. private initiative in order TO pave the
way for more and more govern
!, mental and socialistic controls.
D.. There are many other persons who
do not share this view, but who be-
lieve that more and more public
control of business and the economic
system is nevertheless in the cards.
It. Mandate" UncIear.
So far as Congress itself is con-
cerned, it may be doubted whether
" it will assemble here in January
!. with any clear idea of what the So
n called mandate" of the people was
In the last election. Most members
Of the Senate and House who were
elected know full well to what they
owed their election. Several ran
ahead of President Truman, and in
=, some instances Mr.. Truman ran
ahead Of the congressional nominees.
r. But, in q general sense, the Con-
gress will not be able to depend on
any presidential prestige in the con-
gressional elections two years hence.
II will be every man for himself
then. Inasmuch as the congress
sional election will be fought in
: every State and in every district on
the record of members of Congress
on a variety Of issues, it may be ex-
pected that the members will en-.
deavor to travel an independent
path. 1t would not be surprising II
the President appeared to be left"
In his policies and Congress further
: toward the middle of the road. This
jority party, which includes many
conservatives from the South. These
conservatives, together with Repub-
lican conservatives, can make ma
Jority on important issues like tax
, alton and labor management laws.
During the past so years there
have been instances in which Presi-
dents have dominated Congress and
instances in which the reverse was
the case. Usually, in the former
case, the prestige and personality
p Of President were such as to carry
. more influence with public opinion
than the Congress did.
Examples Of Presidents who domi-
mated Congress through the force
Of public opinion are Grover Cleve-
: land, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow
Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ex-
smples of Presidents who were DOM
mated by Congress are william
Howard Taft, Warren Harding, CAL
win Coolidge.
will Find Self in Battle.
1t would appear that President
Truman will find himself in a bat
tie with the Eighty-FirSt Congress, |
just as he did with the Eightieth. |
Examination of the results of con- |
gressional elections will determine
the extent to which the Democratic /
Party as such was stronger than
was Mr.. Truman.
Members Of Congress who are up
for election in two years may expect
help on the stump from Mr.. Tru-
man, but it is significant that rarely
has a President been able, even
. with specific appeals and speeches,
to arrest tide running against
the party in power. 1t will be up,
. to the Democrats, especially those
elected in closely contested districts
In the North and particularly in
the agricultural regions, to deter
mine to what extent they have been
given a mandate to support any
radical proposals that may be put
before them by the administration.
Recent history shows that in the
mid-term elections the party in
) power usually has suffered losses.
The late President Roosevelt ex-
: planned this by saying the con-
gressional elections turned on
:. local" issues. In any event, there
- are profound differences between
the attitudes OF Congressman from
city districts, where large numbers
OF unionized workers vote, and the
Congressman from country districts,
: where the consumers must pay the
prices charged by the urban pro-
ducers and sellers of goods.
(Reproduction RiRhts ReserYedO