Stampede

Last week 25 disgruntled House Democrats forced a party caucus which they hoped would send a committee to the President protesting against inadequate patronage distribution. Large blocks of Democrats in the Senate bridled at the President's St. Lawrence waterway proposal (see p. 15). And though no one talked seriously of his losing control of his huge majority, there were two rounds which gave the President last week the political thrill he loves:

Senate. In the Senate the stampede was started by sly, fleshy Bennett Champ Clark of Missouri. A Democrat, son of a great Democrat, but also an American Legion founder, Senator Clark had fought the President tooth & nail on the Economy Bill, which cut veterans' pensions, at the special session. He now prepared to discomfit the President by introducing an amendment to the liquor tax bill providing an extra excise on wines & liquors imported from War debt defaulting nations. Leaping at the chance to sound off on their pet hate, debt defaulters. Senate Democrats and Republicans alike began to line up solidly behind the Clark amendment. In vain did Mississippi's Harrison plead with his colleagues not to injure the President.

"Why is it." acidly inquired Nebraska's Insurgent Republican Norris, good friend of President Roosevelt but a bad friend to European welshers, "that we have an amendment that everybody wants and no one is for?" After three hours of hot debate in which he took no part, Senator

Clark was pleased to see that his amendment had diverted from the fold one voting Democrat out of every three, was carried 40 to 39.

That night President Roosevelt had a heart-to-heart with Democratic leaders, put the responsibility for brewing certain diplomatic mischief squarely on their shoulders unless the Clark amendment were extracted from the liquor tax bill. The leaders piped the pressure along to their side of the chamber, and next afternoon, with nine Senators absent who had voted aye the day before, the offending amendment was stricken by a vote of 44 to 30. House. No sooner did the President have Senate Democrats in hand than House Democrats, led not by one of their number but by Republicans, went on a rampage. Measure under consideration was the Independent Offices Bill, cut $57,000.000 as a result of slashes in veterans' allowances under the Economy Bill, to appropriate $566,000,000 for the Veterans' Administration and 15 other agencies. Point at issue was a rule of procedure by which the Democratic leadership was attempting to handle the bill. Rule was that no amendment be offered from the floor which would affect the economy sections of this appropriation bill or any other appropriation measure to come before this session of Congress. Purpose: to carry out the President's budgetary wishes. When the House was asked to approve the rule, ruddy Bertrand Snell of New York, Republican leader, went dead white. "Just say to us that the Appropriations Committee and the President are going to do everything!" he angrily cried. "Abolish your regular committees!" Turning to the majority side of the House, he exhorted Democrats: "Vote down this gag rule!" Not a few disgruntled Democrats lent ear as their own leaders' leadership was thrice tested. First test: a vote to uphold the Speaker's decision that the rule was admissible. The Democratic leaders won, 261 to 112, but it was plain that there had been Democratic defections.

Second test: an attempt by Republicans to prevent a vote on the rule. Before the vote was taken Republicans sent their womenfolk across the aisles to shake their fingers in doubtful Democratic faces. The Democrats won 216 to 179, a victory made bitter by the fact that now 68 Democrats had deserted to the opposition.

Third test: vote on actual adoption of the rule. The Republicans and maverick Democrats lost by the narrow margin of five votes (192 to 197), but it was they that did the shouting. Mopping his brow, Democratic Leader Byrns said: "It was the stiffest step we will have."

That morning the Democratic steering committee had been summoned to the White House. Well they knew what was expected of them the day after the skirmish. Forty-one maverick House Democrats were corralled and Leader Byrns smashed. 240 to 141, an opposition move to recommit. The bill passed viva loce. As to the 84 strays who had given him and the Administration an uncomfortable afternoon day before, Leader Byrns tol erantly declared that he did not "feel hard" toward them, they were "muddled" by the Republicans.

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