The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-03-18
CONGRESS CRITICISED.
President Cleveland Says Its
Course Is Dangerous.
DIPLOMACY BY TOWN MEETING.
IL L. Liable tn Bring tho Nation Into
Grave PerII-But This IL = Democratic
Government. and Discussion In Inevits-
BILE. They Say.

President Cleveland has very radical Ideas
concerning the improperly of congress at
tempting To interfere In foreign matters.
The president has SO often expressed him
self on this subject TO members of his cali
met, TO senators. representatives and other
callers that his views have become well
known. They are interesting, even to
those who do not agree with him. Mr..
Cleveland says he, as president Of the
United States, Is charged by the constitu-
ton with management of our affairs with
other countries. The makers of the con-
stitution were wise in imposing this duty
upon the executive branch of the govern
ment. Diplomacy, unlike Legislation, does
not thrive on publicity. In all govern
ments there is recognition of the necessity
Of leaving the conduct of negotiations with
foreign powers TO the head of the state, be-
cause he alone can throw about the business
those safeguards of secrecy prudence and
skill requisite to success. Diplomacy must
be attended to by diplomats and legisla-
ton by Legislators, and the two functions
are apart and distinct Nothing but trou-
BILE is bred by any effort to mix them to-
gether Diplomacy by town meeting is u
failure, and always has been.
Liable to Precipitate War.
said our congress was adopting "a very
dangerous course Its eagerness to have
something To say about every foreign affair
which comes to the surface, its desire to
meddle by resolution or speeches or bills
or Investigations will, If carried on much
longer, involve the country in serious diff
ficulty. 1t will bring on war, and perhaps
bring ii on in such way that tie right will
not be on our side. President Cleveland
spoke very earnestly and added that ever
since congress assembled, last December,
his greatest fear had been that some action
of that body would precipitate interna-
tional trouble which otherwise might be
averted.
President Cleveland spoke quite AS en-
phatically against the habit congress has
fallen into of making speeches on interna-
tional questions while they are pending.
In other countries the improperly and
danger of such speechmaking are clearly
recognized. The trouble Is that the words
spoken in debate by members of the legis-
lative bodies are irritable abroad. They
convey an impression that is not warranted
by the facts Sometimes they may be too
belligerent, and at others too much for
peace. In either case il is possible to do
great harm So we'll Is this understood
that in European countries such debates
are either suppressed altogether or are
practically limited by the wishes of the
government. An illustration of this was
afforded and has been several times cited
by the president in conversation in the
house of commons when the Venezuelan
case came up for discussion last month.
The debate went on little time, and no
objection was made, but as soon as it
reached "A stage in which the public inter
ests were threatened, or there was danger
that they would be, the representative OF
the prime minister on the floor appealed
to the house to remember the duty 1t
owed To another branch of the government,
and the debate instantly came to an end.
Fearful Forebodings.
President Cleveland mentioned this as
good example for our congress TO follow.
Unfortunately in our system the executive
has no spokesman on the floor Of either
senate or house. A member or senator
may presume to speak for the president,
and it may be well understood he speaks
by request, but his words do not carry the
weight which would be borne by the utter
ances of minister or secretary. Such APP
peals have been made To the senate, but
they fell on deaf ears. Mr.. Cleveland Is
satisfied that If this tendency of congress
to NEEDLE with foreign affairs be allowed
to continue and develop it will unbalanoe
our government and produce "A state of af-
fairs which will threaten the nation with
the direst perils. The president did not
speak with the tone of one who feels hurt
because another branch of the government
Is encroaching upon his prerogatives, but
as one who was sincere In his belief that
81 a
system and TO our peace.
This Is "a very grave matter which the
president has brought forward, and one
not TO be dismissed without serious
thought. There is of course another side
to the story, and am able to present that
after talks with members of the foreign re-
lations committee of the senate These
gentlemen admit the management of for
eign affairs is constitutionally in the hands
of the president, but claim this fact does
not operate to shut out congress altogeth-
or. Ours is democratic government. Con.
gress more nearly than the president repre-
sents the people. Cannot congress express
its opinionS Is IL debarred from voicing
what it believes TO be the popular willp
Must IL simply sit still without making
the slightest effort to convey To the execu
tive the nature of its wishesp
The Other Side.
Discussion Is inevitable, they say. This
is the age of discussion, the age of publici-
ty, the age of free speech. Editors will
write their opinions and reviewers theirs,
and the pulpiteers will thunder theirs and
all sorts Of private citizens theirs by means
OF interviews and signed articles in the
press. Must congress alone remain silent
simply because the matter which is attract
ing universal attention is foreign and
not domestic affair?
Moreover, they claim the danger from
expressions of opinion Is exaggerated.
There is no harm In letting the temper of
Che people be known. IL an individual
opinion chances to be extreme, too bellicose
or too cringing, IL will be discounted at
its true value The art and skill of the
diplomatist need not be nullifled by free
speech on the part of the people or their
representatives. WALTER WELLMAN