The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-04-06
OF NATIONS
CAPITAL
BY Sheldon S. Cline.

WASHINGTON, April Theodore
Roosevelt left the white house with the
reputation of being the greatest mast
er of politics who ever occupied that
mansion, but his successor is showing
surprising accomplishment in that di-
rection. Those past masters of the art
political in the senate who expected to
find the new president sfeasy'' have
peer rubbing their eyes of late. Mr..
Taft has gathered in several tricks
which the senate. already had counted
as won.
1t would be unfair to say the action
OF the senate in creating a special con-
m1ttee to cut down appropriations was
nothing more than a shrewd move in
the game of politics. No doubt the
senate leaders are genuinely impressed
with the need for economy, but it was,
nevertheless, a shrewd political move.
The senate is very hungry for a share
of the popularity which has been de-
MED it in recent years, and the senate
leaders thought they saw a road to
popularity in being the wateh-dogs of
the treasury. In the past the senate
has been VIGOROUSLY liberal in the
matter of appropriations. 1t had got
ten to a point where even members of
the house wanting appropriations that
would not bear too close scrutiny
would wait until the appropriation
bills had passed the house and reached
the senate, and there would have the
appropriations they wanted tackled on
as amendments. The chances were
about even that in the stress of con
ference as the session neared it's end
the appropriation which could not have
passed the house in the first instance
would be allowed to stand.
When the senate finally awoke to
the fact that members of the house
and officials of the departments, not to
speack of outsiders, were habitually
taking advantage of its generosity, it
saw an opportunity of turning the
tables. The creation of the ''commit-
tee ON expenditures was the result.
1t readily will be seen how large a
feather it would have been in the
senate's cap to have been alone respon-
sible for saving the treasury some
scores of millions of dollars at each
session of congress. The public is pro-
verbally of short memory, and senat-
ors saw visions of past grievances for
gotten and themselves as popular
heroes.
By looping huge chunks off the esti-
mates sent in by the heads of depart
ments and doing the same to the ap-
preparation bills sent over from the
house side of the capitol, strnly insist
ing that the government s outgo should
be kept within it's income, the oppor-
tunity would have been a splendid one
for the senate to enhance it's ~populari-
ty. And no one would have been chur-
lish enough to withhold a full mede If
praise.
But here enters the president, and
shows himself a skilled player at the
political game. He was quick to see
that if the senate, in its new-found
eagerness for economy, succeeded in
placing the executive branch of the
government in the light of a spend
thrift which had to be watched and dis
ciplined by congress to keep it from
bankrupting the treasury, his admins
tration would be at a serious disad-
vantage. A president who hadn't the
people back of him would stand small
chance in any conflict with congress,
and anything which weakens the pop,-
larity of an administration weakens It's
chance of achieving things. Mr.. Taft
doesn't want a conflict with congress,
but he is committed to certain policies
of legislation and if it develops that
congress is unwilling to enact them the
president will need every ounce OF
popularity he can command. He didn'.
propose therefore, that inroads shout!
be made on his reserve strength.
The counter move was decided upon
at a cabinet meeting. 1t was plain that
were the prevailing plan of sending
estimates from the executive depart
ments to congress to be followed, The
senate would get a world of credit for
the great economics it would effect,
The only way to prevent congress
chopping the estimates was to chop
them before they went to congresses.
1t was decided, therefore, that a cab
met COMMITTEE on budget should be
created, to consist of the secrctaf.v of
the treasury and two other members.
the departmental estimates are