The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-22
WILL PRESIDENT
SUBDUE SENATE?
Roosevelt Wants to Be on Good
Terms with Upper House
of Congress.
BUT HE WILL, VOICE
THE PEOPLES DEMANDS
Question Is Whether National
Legislators Will Recognize
His Agency.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY W. w. Jermane.
Washington, March 22.-''The ques-
e exeou qsef t. BIZ e vs the enfs1 mt
congress?' Now it is: will congress
president7' y
This remark, made by Senator Moses
E. Clapp of Minnesota, in public adj
dress here the other evening, tells brief
~ the story of never-ending conflict
between the executive and the legisla-
lie affairs in the United States, read
Ing in the newspapers of the past three
months Of the unsuccessful attempt of
President Roosevelt to secure from the
senate certain legislation, might get
the impression that it was the first
time in the history of the government
that the president and the senate had
cry aggressive president has had his
troubles with the upper body Of con-
gress.
The troubles of Cleveland are fresh
In the minds of most persons, and his
famous remark about trying to drive a
team of unrulv horses Will live. Even
General Harrison, mild hammered as he
cause the senate would not always fol
low the will of the executive.
Roosevelt Door of Things.
The extent of the tension between
the executive and the Legislative
branches of the government has, as a
rule, been governed by the individu-
If there is prospect Of great tension
during the present administra ton it is
because President Roosevelt is a doer
of things.
Most observers Of public affairs here
have an impression that the conflict
between President Roosevelt and the
senate will come in for a great deal of
attention during the sessions of the
ffty-ninth and sixtieth congresses. 1t
would be doing the president injustice
to say that he is seeking quarrel with
the senate. On the contrary, the truth
undoubtedly is that, at heart, he is
exceedingly anxious to be on good terms
with that body. But he cannot be a
g doer of things' and escape obstacles
way.
The Senate's View.
The senate does not like to hear it
said that cit will not enact laws the
president wants. It's view is that,
the government, it need not follow the
recommendations of the president. I'm
less great changes come over it, it will
continue to indicate to the executive
department. that it will exercise it's own
Judgment on legislation. Indeed, it may
now and then reject legislation that
it might approve, had not the sugges-
president.
Not all the members Of the senate are
committed to the view that the body
must be on it's guard lest it surrender
some Of it's prerogatives to the execu-
tive department. Senator Clapp, for
instance, is representative Of minori-
ty Of the body (not a political minori-
tlon OF the government the time has
come when the executive does and
should overshadow the legislative.
People to Govern.
eve have reached the point where
the people are actually to govern, ,;
has, come when the president gets his
authority direct from the people.''
Senator Clapp calls attention to the
fact that the people now vote directly
for president and vice president. Not
one voter in 100000, he says, can name
the electors for whom he votes; he
knows only the names of the candidates
Tor president and vice president.
In my own state,' said he, eve
have gone 80 far as to print the names
of the candidates for president ove1
the list of electors, and the voter, in
stead OF marking the names of the
nominees for electors, marks the name
OF the candidate for president for whom
he desires to vote.'
The membership Of the senate tina,
6olds this advanced view of which
Senator .Clapp has become the cham
piioq is increasing. Possibly onesthirt
OF the senators now believe, the body
ought to be responsive to public senti
ment as voiced by the president. bu
the long-service men, the s'old timers. ;
are SO firm in their conviction that thu
senate should be free from any influ
dent, that the modern view has small
opportunity of becoming fact.
A superficial study of the son
ate shows that the longer a man serve,
as member of the body, the deeper hi,
conviction that the "voice of the neo
ple' should receive cool reception
when 1t penetrates the chamber.
Senate Classification.
The senate is classified officially, ac
thirty: seven ranks. William B. Ali
son Of Iowa outranks all, and his nun
Der Is l. John T. Morgan of Alabam;
Is in the second rank; Orville H. Plat
Of Connecticut in the third; Eugen,
Hale of Maine in the fourth; William P
Frye of Maine in the fifth; Nelson w
A1drich of Rhode Island in the sixth
and so on down to the end of the list,
After the sixteenth rank reached
the official classifers bunch the sena
tors and so there are seven or eight mel
In the seventeenth rank, and from thre
to ten in the various ranks down to tn
thirty.third, which contains. sixteel
names. ~
The men in the lower ranks are tn
newcomers, and unless they have previ
ously seen service in the body, the y ar
not welded to the idea that the senate j
in danger of losing prestige at the hand
of the president. Even Senator Clapr
who is now in the twenty-ffth rank, ma
by the end of the sfx-year term fo
which he has just been elected, join tn
membership which adheres to the doc
trine that the senate must be constantl
on the lookout lest the president tram
On its toes.
Presidents Plans.
Undoubtedly the president is full O
plans for legislation during the mex
four years. He has broadened the scop
Of the executive department until h
has put the senate on constant guarC
and this condition may initiate agains
legislation which the people are demand
ing thru him.
It must give the president a sense o
Continual ON Cd PAGE. 9TH Column.