The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-09
THE SUN AND ROOSEVELT.

The New York Sun, ever on the alert
for the dignity of the Roosevelt admin,
istration, sees degradation and scan
dal in the trip of Senators and Con-
gressmen to the. canal zone and the
Caribbean waters generally.
According 10 the reports of the orig
inal plan, a large group of the Nation 8
lawmakers arc to travel upon ordinary
passenger steamships belonging to the
Panama railroad line, as guests of Pres"
ident Roosevelt; and another equally
large and distinguished group are to
make the "junket" as the guests of
wealthy member of their own party,
The Sun insists that as there are now
available in Atlantic waters at least
fifteen stupendous battleships and seven
magnificent cruisers, the Nation should
take its law makers In a splendid and
impressive way upon this tour OF 1nves'
tigation. They should not be the guests
of any one individual, Official or private
They should 90 in state, with squad
ron steaming in line down the Atlantic
coast-furnishing 10 the world an OBJ
ject lesson of the maritime power oil
the country, the Importance OF tho Pan
ANA canal, and the regard which the
Nation has,for the law-makers-as we'll
as the regard which the lawmakers
have Tor their own dignity.
1t is not to be presumed that the Sun,
loyal to Republicanisms and to the ia
vorite offspring of New York, Theodore
Roosevelt, is indulging in any sarcasm
when it calls TO the attention of Con-
grcss the fact that the Legislative de-
partment of the Government is co.or-
dinate with and not subordinate to the
Executive. The tender guardianship
which the Sun exercises over the fame
and the feelings of the present Chief
Executive removes all suspicion of in
nuendo: and therefore Congress should
accept It's suggestions in good faith, If
one department of the Government
should invite the other 1t should be the
Legislative department extending its
courtesies to the Executive department;
instead of request from President
Roosevelt, which there is too much
proneness TO construe as q demand
upon Senators and Representatives, to
90 IN his steamship TO Caribbean
waters, there is some proprlety In an
invitation from Congress to the Exec
utive 30 90 in the Nations battleships
to inspect n great National work.
AS the Sun remarks, there is posi-
bility that a trip organized upon lines
Of proper relation between the depart
meuts might awaken in Congress the
recollection that the law makers Of the
country constitute branch of the Gov
ernment quite equal to the Executive.
Doubtless this plan would suit the
quiet taste Of President Roosevelt bet
ter than the one which seems to be in
progress, under which the nations
would view President Roosevelt as TAX
ing his Congress in his ship over his
seas to view his canal.
1t is not n coincidence bearing any
special relation to its editorial remarks
that the New York Sun prints on its
editorial page-in the same issue in
which it animadverts upon the Roose-
vclt-conducted trip to Panama quo
tation from Woodrow Wilson, president
of Princeton, who, in his lecture on
"Party Government in the United
States before large audience at CO.
lumbia university, said: ;.
Under our system, the moment an Of
ficer transgresses. he ceases 10 be an Of
fccr 4 man is part OF the government
only far as he holds to the under
standing on which government rests. II
liberty is the object OF constitutional gov
eminent. constitutional government may
he defined as a perfect adjustment be-
tween the governors and the governed
Constitutional government can be main
tanned only In such n way as TO bring
planning and action of the lawmakers
under the influence OF the opinion OF the
nation Two things are necessary to
lbcrty-one is that government
shall be governed by public opinion and
the other that the individual shall lie kept
free from the corruption of government.
General welfare cannot be conceived ex-
ccpt in terms Of freedom OF the indi-
vidual