The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-05
Tuesday, May 3, zoos,
LEGISLATION ny COMMISSION.

LEGISLATION BY COMMISSION.
This heading may be somewhat
misleading, but 1t is at least clear to
this extent, that 1t succeeds In con-
veyng the idea of the new purpose
which has overtaken those who want
action with regard to certain definite
issues of government In a sense the
program of having a commission do
what the REGULAR committees of CON
gress have failed to do reflects a pos
slble increasing lack Of faith in con-
gressional action on the part of the
public, That in itself Is a serious
thing and calls for comment Of
stimulating character, which shall so
far transform the habits of the federal
halls of legislation as to make action
and not inactlon the order of each ses-
sion. But possibly a still more seri-
Gus thing will It prove to be to dele
gate to commissions powers OF an in
quiring character which belong to
congress alone.
Possibly Congressman Champ Clark
of Missouri Is not the most serious
man who ever sat in the lower house
of congress. but he has a way, never
theless, OF now and then saying SER
ious thing in a convincing way. In
the course of debate Mn the house
the other day upon the proposition
to add another commissioner to the
Philippine political outfit, Mr. Clark
took occasion to relieve himself of his
views upon the subject of commissions
in general. It can scarcely he said
that his remarks we're pertinent TO
the proposed bill before the house.
but they hit the particular mark at
which they we're directed. Said he:
Here lately there has been a propo-
sition to appoint financial commits
sion. ! undertake to say that you can
appoint financial commission and
send them around the country, and
when they get back they will not
know so much about the finances as
Mr.. Hill of Connecticut knows now
What are ninety-two senators and
three hundred and ninety one repre-
sentatives In congress for? II they
want any more information let them
go to work and dig II out. Now the
upshot of this performance will be
that you will simply make one good
fat Office for one poor man and he
will have a lot Of employees, stenog
posed to creating any more commits
sions. any more bureaus to get infor-
nation that we have all got or can
easily get, and to discharge the duties
that we ourselves ought to discharge :"
The weakness Of the commission
idea Is that It at once weakens the
dignity of congress by dividing It's
duty with an outside body, makes leg
islation doubtful upon matters Of SUI
preme Importance, gives to a body
which can make no practical use Of
the statistics It gathers a power which
It Is doubtful II It should be trusted
with and finally destroys to certain
extent the peoples confidence in their
own legislative machinery. The ex-
perience President Arthur had with
the commission method of examining
into the necessity Of revising the tariff
schedules ia still fresh In the minds Of
well read people It was an excellent
commission and 1t did the work re-
CURED of It. The ways and means
committee of the house of represen-
tatives, Jealous of it's own authority
and knowledge, slowed the report
away in the archives and there let It
lie to this day without so much as a
funeral service. Nor Is there any rea-
son to believe that another tariff com
mission such as the national associa-
ton Of manufacturers favors, would
be more successful The same old
congressional jealousy would he en-
countered sooner or later, and what
ever legislation resulted would pro-
coed not from the accumulated evil
dence Of the commission, but from
that assembled by the ways and
means committee working in its own
way. Congress will act the moment
IL Is assured that the manufacturers
of the country want the tariff sched-
ules actually revised and altered All
the commissions the president could
)point between now and the eX-
tion of his term Of Office can not
thing If the manufacturers are
S,ed to the proposed revision. AS
CLARK says commission appoint