The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-01
THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS-.

q.
New York Press: II Is inconceivable
that any parliamentary body, and par-
ticularly that which In q broadly repre-
sentative character Is the true mother
Of parliuments, should take any steps in
In u matter OF foreign relations without
official acquaintance with information
In executive possession and official
knowledge OF executive policy. No
even the parliament OF Venezuela would
burst In upon n diplomatic correspond
ence OF whose terms 1t Is ignorant In
order to force the nationa! adoption OF a
policy OF Its own, based, like Senator
Mason's speech yesterday, on newspa-
per clippings. 1t is. therefore, not to
be a~pprehended that congress will take
any action before knowing precisely
all that President Mckinley has done
and expects to do on the general sub
M power to ask for and obtain his
knowledge. Certainly It IL to be ex-
pected that 1t will exercise them.
It was owing to the form of our gov
eminent that actions OF certain of It's
more irresponsible members appear to
take the Gtllse OF actions OF the bodies
OF which they are a part. Such was the
case yesterday. IL Senator Foraker,
Senator Frye or Senator Rawlins had
introduced their various resolutions In
a parliament where the ministry has
the right Of the floor Its spokesman
say In this case Secretary Alger. who
yesterday sought to supply this consti-
tutional need with a statement 10 the
press-would have promptly challenged
a vote of want OF confidence. The result
of this would have been the support Of
the government by such an overwhelm-
Ing vote as NJ. Hanotnuy and Mr.. Bal
four secured n year ago on the Grecian
complication. For. though the feelings
or n majority OF members in the Amerl-
can congress are the same toward Gu
ban conditions Is those Of probably n
majori,yiot the French and English to-
ward Cretan conditions, none but the
feather-heads would take upon them
selves the responsibility OF overthrowing
a government until they knew beyond
The p~eradventure OF u doubt that It had
conspicuously failed In the performance
of what they conceived to be its duty.
But with US any member Of either house,
whatever be his character or motive.
can Introduce any sort of resolution or
motion that he pleases. There is no one
to answer Il. In fact, It calls for no an
swer. 1t goes into committee TO die.
And because. as we have said, there Is
no reply to the resolution, the action
goes out TO the %unthinking world as that
OF the body In which 1t Is taken.
The evening Yellows announce that
Congress has broken away from Nc
kin!ey." And next morning astute for
eign Journalists having their own insti-
buttons in mind, devote grave comments
to the action of the American con-
| Sress."
There will be no action Of the Ameri-
can congress" until It knows exactly
what the American President hns done,
n what he proposes to do. AT that
time 1t will accede to what he proposes,
for the reason, first, that he has shown
an unvaryinG capacity to propose the
right thing: and. secondly, because he
Will be apprised by Its members, whom
he has informally consulted TO n greater
extent than, We think. has any of his
predecessors. Of the temper Of the saner
element. which each recurring crisis has
shown to be predominant, In both bodies.