Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-29
Resentment OF CONGRESS
Alleged Dictatorial Attitude OF the
President.
REPORT OF THREATS Anglers
Spirit of Sullenness Engendered by
the Reputed Menace of the
Chief Executive.

There are Indications of another perlod
Of strained relations between Congress
and the President Several times during
the present session there has been an at
mosphere of GOODNESS between the Capltoi
and the White House, occasioned to some
extent by misunderstanding and misrepre-
sentation. The principal cause has been
the resentment of Congress toward the
alleged dictatorial attitude of the execu-
tive. That Is the case at present.
The gleeful statements by some OF the
Presidents friends that he proposes to
WELD the big stick over Congress to en-
force adoption of his policies are causing
intense irritation in both branches of the
national legislature. Some OF the Presl-
dents friends have gone so far as to say
that not only would he veto the personal
bills of republicans. but that he might at
tack them in the campaign and hold them
UP to their constituencies as recalcitrantS.
refusing to carry out the will Of the peO-
pie. which the President believes he is
voicing in his recommendations for legis-
tiOn. 1t was said around the Capitol to-
day that one Of the impelling motives of
hts me ssage of Monday. which came as an
UnNeacome surprise to Congress. was to
- 70 on record regarding his legisla-
0licfeas so as to furnish a contrast
- 6en his proposal and Congress- dis
poeal
inject Of Reported Threat.
The threat. being circulated by the
Presideut's friends. Of q veto of the legis-
lative measures in which congressman are
personally interested, such as public
building bills. seems at present to be more
trritati49 than effective. Instead of de-
terrinG Nembers Of the House and sena-
tors non their course in regard to legis-
lation which they deem impracticable' the
threat is eneendering spirit of sullen-
ness and obstinacy. Today some of the
men who are interested In bills OF con-
Germ to their districts were discussing the
chances OF passing their bills over the
Presidents veto. The Senate also has
been known to tack such measures on
one OF the big supply bills and the House
10 acquiesce.
So the menace Of the veto is not SO
deadly to some of the old stasers as II
appears to the fiedgling members. serving
their first term and anxious to get some
thing for their districts. At the hint.
however, toat the President may go be-
fore the country and attack republican
candidates for Congress for failing to
carry out his policies the republicans ''go
right up into the air" When they alight
again they say that II President Roose-
velt desires to present a democratic House
is welcome to 60 as far as he likes. They
point out. however, that In the doing Of
IT II might turn out that the country would
conclude to make a clean sweep and put
in a democratic President. But In point
of fact congressman are inclined today to
regard this latter threat as more In the
nature Of a bluff.
May Cost the Next House.
All Of this. however. Is undoubtedly
making for bad blood between Congress
and the President. and that, too. upon the
eve of general national election. Re
publican leaders in Congress are reasonably
hopeful of electing republican President,
especially If the democrats run Bryan.
but they are by no means confident Of re-
turning a republican House. On the con-
trary, in private conversation they ex-
press grave doubt of the republicans
carrying the next congressional election.
The republican leaders I'm Congress from
the beginning of the session have had q
pretty general understanding Of what
they might accomplish and what was i'm
practicable to attempt. When the Presi-
dent outlined his policies at the opening
of Congress the leaders in both bodies
made up their minds Of what could be
done and what could not. TIE currency
bill was one OF the things they thought
could be passed. but the President has
devoted more attention to other policies
than to currency legislation. When the
Supreme Court knocked out the employ
tiative provided another to meet the con-
stitutional objections Of the court.
There is decided objection on the part
of the leaders to go into the question OF
amendment OF the Sherman act and other
large questions of legislative policy raised
by the President. That has all been ex-
planned to the President time and again.
and It has been thought that the Pres
ident recognized the situation.
AS an indication Of the difficulty In the
way Of far-reaching legislation Of the
scope-and character proposed by the Pres
ident the republicans cite the embarrass-
ment attending their efforts 10 secure
agreement upon currency legislator
something which everybody wants. They
lust about have their hands full with this
one proposition. and when the President
comes along with other problems likely
TO be more Vexatieus still, the republican
leaders say. they almost feel J Ike giving
up the ghost.
Some of the "third-term" boomers are
showing satisfaction over this state of af-
fairs: they say IT, tends to make the Pres
ident's denomination more necessary "as
the one man to carry the party 10 VIC
tory"