The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-16
.s rHE HOUSE DEcAYrNcf

AS TnE dOuSG OECAx1N0F
 Bourke Cochran has signalized his re- turn to the House of Representatives after an absence of eight years by de- livering a set speech on the decay of that body as an influence in our govern ment. He took a shrewd tack to procure votes for his resolution aimed at the re- cent pension order. He did not attack this as a wrong to the tax payers or as immoral in itself: he preferred to say tt was promulgated in defiance of the Con- gress and in plain derogation of their rights as constituting the sole depositary of legislative power under the constitu- ton. He called on Republicans as well as Democrats to resent the Presidents usurpation of legislative functions. He was nearly successful being beaten by the slender majority of three. Here is e straw showing how Congress feeis twords the present occupant of the White House. Cleveland once awkwardly said that he had-Congress on his hands: Con- gress now has President on it's hands: They plainly. Republicans and Demo- crats, dislike the enormous activity of Roosevelt and both parties in Congress are deeply restive under it. Mr Coch- ran was able to get a manifestation of this from both sides and to that extent he made out the case he was presenting. He said nothing. however. to prove that the House of Representatives Is in fact going through asprocess of decay. We have heard talk of this sort for many years. One time it is directed at the Presidency, another time at the Senate and again, as in the latest cease. at the House. Neither the Presidency. the Senate or the House is decaying. Each Is growing steadily and constantly and will continue to grow steadily and con- stantly for the very simple reason that a larger and larger power is being con centrated at Washington and apporttoned
 there Only twelve years ago. "a bil-
 lion dollar Congress was a good cam
 paign cry. The Democracy won an cleo ton on it as one of the issues. We have in the short period since that time developed a two billion Congress and this excftes less comment and agitation than was possible in 1892 To raise and disburse this stupendous sum ensures
 power at Washington in comparison with
 which the more or less petty affairs that
 engaged tho attention of the early Con
 gresses seem the proceedings of a meet
 ing in town council. Strong personali-
 AAr
 continue to count. Take the House itself.
 Reed made 1t body to be reckoned with.
 Henderson was slipshod Speaker and
 the Senate encroached upon the House in dealing with special measures. The great lines dividing and defining the separation of powers in the two bodies,
 were in no wise affected. So. when Cam non comes in with a more masterful temper, we behold a House boldly as-
 serting itself against the Senate. In the Senate there Is naturally at any given time a larger proportion of experienced members than sit in the House and the Senate as naturally yields an influence in conference committees in keeping with its greater knowledge of affairs. But this is precisely what was anticipated and
 wished for when the Constitution was framed. The Senate was set up to exer- else and enjoy that kind of predominance. They have had 1t from the first and always will have it. In the case of the Presidency, on the other hand, that office
 has grown in power by natural accretions owing to the enormous development of the country itself We shall not soon see any diminution in the influence of that office and our real interest lies in
 the kind of man put in the White House
 to exercise it. Mckinley used his power
 with every application of saccharine
 batter known to the political chemist
 He perpetuaIly washed his hands with invisible soap in invisible water. He was none the less exerting the tremendous power of his place. Roosevelt is wholly
 self-sufficient and he has alarmed the country by the irresponsible manner in which he charges here. there, everywhere to show what a big man he is. The country does not begrudge him the pos
 session of the proper powers of his off,
 flee; they do begrudge him his fiighty and daredevil way of using those DOW