The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-25

- HESE are rather trying times
for those Of US who are not
yet enaaneipated from the in
. nuence of precedent. There are
those among us-a fair sized and GER
tainly highly intelligent minority-who
have been experiencing a series Of more
or less disintegrating shocks ever since
the president began to manifest his
apparent lack of veneration for po-
litical tradition. Their present condi-
ton is that of bewfldered wonderment
they realize that the ship of state has
escaped shipwreck thus far, but they
cannot comprehend the reason there
for.
Yet that reason is far from mys-
FERROUS 1t may be found in the fact
that the American state is not de-
pendent for its perpetuity on anything
that has happened in the remote past.
1t may be true in a sense that s'an law
and order are the result of carefully
boarded tradition but the American
commonwealth is a law unto itself
The iconoclastic nature Of no single
member of its composite nationality,
be ne president or recently naturalized
citizen. can work great and permanent
injury.
More than that we have the repu-
tation of being precedent smashers
our interest in tradition is not a very
serious matter. and precedent is quite
likely to appeal to our sense of humor
We follow the somber gowned verger
through the abbey crypts in which so
much Of the history of Britain lies
buried. but we are not so overcome by
the environment that we cannot extract
4 modicum of amusement from the
pilgrimage. Few of us are ever so i'm
pressed that we fail to smile when the
solemn and unlettered guide recites his
perfunctOry speech over the tomb of
the Scottish queen whose sad fortune
and many indiscretions resulted in the
loss of her head.
So it is that the unconventional
method of any Of our executives is
more likely to inspire amusement than
disQuietudc. Our national stability and
elasticity have been revealed to all the
outside world in this way. il in no
other We have not patterned largely
after the tradition of others, and it is
becoming very evident that we do not
purpose TO depend on our own past as
a model for present and future conduct
The United States senate is reputed
TO be the one particular adjunct of our
national legislative system that is still
welded TO precedent It is fortunate
perhaps that it is So With our tend
ency to swing to the opposite extreme
it is well to be met by restraining
conservatism. It is the senate that
still reserves for itself. the privilege of
being properly indignant at any at
tempted infringement Of its rules of es-
tablished order. No man. be he way
up" or way down" may venture to
ignore the etiquette which precedent
has saddled upon this august body.
From time immemorial-as imme-
mortal that is, as our comparative age
as a republic viii permit had been
the custom of the president to with
hold his nominations of cabinet APP
poEntees until his message had been
sent in to the congress This time,
however. Mr. Roosevelt sent in his list
FOR confirmation on the first day of the
session.
why did he do it2'' was question
that framed itself in many senatorial
mind and found utterance from more
than one senatorial lip It was not that
- was unfamiliar with the practice,