New-York tribune., 1909-01-15
PRESIDENT FEARS NO
CLASH WITH CONGRESS-
READY To SATISFY 4LL
REASONABLE DEMANDS.
But Hi Not Yield on Uhat He
Considers Purely EleCutire
Functions
LEronn The rribune Ruresu.I

a moment the view that there can be any CLASH
notwithstanding the fact that he viii not comply
with the precise demands of the Foraker resoiu-
ton or Of the Secret Service resolution adopted
by the House The Executive intends to do
everything which. in his Judgment. can be asked
by reasonable men. aad he believes tnat Wiz
satisfy the men on the investigating committees.
although he appreciates that ii may be tmpos-
sibIa to satisfy the demands of Mr.. Foraker. A.
for a detailed accounting Of the S3.000.000 fund
to which Mr.. Forakers resolution refers. that
would in the Judgment OF the President be
Incompatible with the public interest II MI
Foraker is seeking To ascertain what funds were
used in the effort 70 ferret out the culprits IN
the Brownsville a1ray. the President viii cheer
fully furnish every item. but there have been
uses To which some parts of the fund have been
devoted which cannot he disclosed
The President expects that the reasonable
members Of the Senate will be quick to appre-
ciata the fact that there are certain expenses
incurred i'm the administration Of every army.
particularly the military information and kim
dred divisions which cannot be made public II
will be recalled. for instance. that Just before
the Panama revolution. and when there were
strained relations with Venezuela and Colombia.
it was deemed advisable to send two army OFF,
GERS through these countries on confidential
missions At that time it would have been most
inexpedfent to have revealed this fact or t.
have made public an itemized account OF their
expenses. although now conditions have so
changed that no harm would be done Neither
would il be deemed expedient to render to Con-
eress an account so detailed as TO show. for In
stance Item. one package Of Turkish ciga-
rettes for use Of German army officers attending
American army uancauvres. 25 cents" and sim
liar trfffng expenses of like nature
SOME MATTERS NOT To BE DISCLOSED
Buc while the President is unwilling himself
to submit t. Congress. or to permit the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury TO send complete 1temtzed
statement. he is prepared to submit as detailed
an accounting as reasonable legislators can
ask for and he does not believe that either
House of Congress will demand more especially
as the $4,000 GOO fund expended entirely
under the supervision OF Secretaries Root and
Taft and most of the other funds have been
expended under the supervision OF Cabinet on
GERS in whom the public has entire confidence
Were the terms OF the House resolution with
regard to the Secret Service complied with lit
eraIIv il would be necessary to furnish ali the
data on hand regarding every case OF counter
feitine now being Investigated and would prove
of the utmost benefit to the COUnterfeiters, who
would thus be able to escape with all their par
aphernaIia of course. the President will permit
no such compliance with the resolution.
No one ever knew the President to dodge
contest If 1t We're forced him, and while he
would regret the injury to Congress and to the
party II such a fight were caused. he could not
be induced to deviate from the course which he
deems for the best interests OF the country.
Resolutions requesting. demanding directing
the Executive OF members Of his Cabinet TO do
things which the President regards incorn-
patibIe with the public interest might meet with
a decisive reply but after that they would be
ignored As for the intimatlon that members Of
the Cabinet might be imprisoned for contempt
r they refused to reply to questions which
the President had directed them TO remain ST.
lent. that Is regarded as silly. Public sentiment
would so strongly support the Executive and 50
severely condemn whichever house undertook
such procedure that It Is highly unlikely that
either will resort to such measures
THINK THEY HAVE GONE TOO FAR
Senator's and prominent Representatives are
beginning to ask themselves II they have not
already gone too far IN their efforts TO probe
executive matters They are receiving food
of letters some warning and others begging
them. for their own good. not 20 engage in any
conflict with the President Some writer's point
out that the people believe che President STANDS
for the interest of the public. while the Sena-
tors and to some extent the House leaders.
too closely affiliated with special interests
one Senator. commenting the situation to-
day said that he hoped the investigating COM
mittees would be governed by the utmost COM
mon sense for certainly if the President were
pressed to do what he deemed unwise. he would
write a message in which he would not fail TO
refer again to the fact that it had been neces-
sarv for the executive branch OF the govern
r,en+ 10 prosecute and obtain the conviction OF
two senators and one member of the House.
we'll as the Indictment of another member OF
the lower chamber That kind of thing tells
with the people said the Senator and there
* no ADEQUATE reply which we can make. Those
of nv colleagues who persist that the time has
come To fight Theodore Roosevelt must have
taken leave of their senses We cannot hurt
him but when get through we snail look
as il we had been m0nkeying with buzz saw
Some senator's we'll versed in precedent pOirt
to the fact that even in President Washington's
administration he fatty refused to furnish 70
congress the papers in connection with the jay
treaty. despite the fact that they had all been
made public. and frankly explained his refusal
nv saving that il was not the business OF the
I4ouse To concern itself with treaties They also
noirt to the fact that despite the opinion rem
darad by learned counsel members of the
Judiciary Committee. with regard TO President
CIeveIand's refusal to furnish ths papers in con-
nection with the appointment OF a United States
marshal i'm AIahama Mr Cleveland did not fur
nish them and the Senate was IowerIess to en-
force its opinion
The senate and the House and the Judiciary
committees of both may resolve and demand
and direct as much they please" said one
Senator today but We are ell poverless to
compel and so long that is the case how can
We escape making ourselves ridiculous by try
ing it. especially with the most popular Pvesi-
dent We have ever had?"