The National tribune., 1909-02-11
THE PRESIDENT
AND CONGRESS
tContinued from page one

to employ sarcastic phrases at their
expense. The point of the veto, of
course, was that it provides for the Sc
lection of large numbers of additional
employees for the taking of the next
Census, without examination by the
Civil Service. That means good spoils
of Office for all of the Senators and
Representatives, because Democrats
were taken care of in the bill which
Congress sent to the President. Now
it has come to a question whether Con-
gress will pass the Census bill over the
Presidents veto. Probably Congress
Will not, but it is by no means certain,
yet.
In the meantime there is much rum
ming to and fro and much putting OF
political heads together at the Capitol.
One Democrat has already offered iii
the House resolution of inquiry as TO
what appointments have been made by
President Roosevelt in violation of the
Civil Service. That is intended TO em-
barrass the President, for it is well
known that while the President has
been a great friend of the Civil Service
and has advanced its interests mighti-
ly, he has surpassed all other Presi-
dents together in suspending its pro-
visions in order to get his personal
friends into Office.
The Veto OF the Census BILL
The veto, if overridden at all, must
first be overridden in the House. The
Senate will act, il at all. after The
House. In the latter body there is a
in progress to determine wheth-
er the necessary tWG-thirds majority
can be had. 1t seems at this date rath-
er doubtful. When the bill passed the
bers have been badly pummeled in
their districts for not supporting the
Presidents Secret Service propaganda.
They now hesitate to have to so on
record against the President on the
Census veto. For veto can be over
ridden only by a record vote Over in
the Senate, where there are probably
enough votes to pass the bill over the
Presidents veto, there is an active or
ganization in behalf of the Civil Ser
vice. Senator Lodge. OF Massachusetts.
has been organizing to make strong
fight, and probably could defer vcte
if he could not prevent one. lis an
interesting incident of the program
over there that Senator Lodge has
formed an alliance with Senator La
Toilette. tne Republican redical, with
whom he has little in common. They
are going to join forces in trying TO
prevent the veto from being oyerrid
den.
President Roosevelt intends round
ing out this week. or very sooa there
after, his work for reorganization Of
the Navy AItho considerable mystery
is maintained about it in some quar-
headed by Mr.. Justice Moody 2Ei Paul
Morton, ex-Secretaries of the Navy.
Judge a. G.. Dayton, of the United
States District Court, and Rear-AdmiIai
A. T. Mahan, retired, are preparing 10
meat at some early day. and that all
expect to have their report ready som.
The work of the Commission viii p:.ob-
ably be completed inside of 10 days,
and il the report cannot be written by
the end OF this week the conclusions
which it will embody will be agreed
upon.
Reorganization In the Navy.
No such controversy has ragged in the
Navy in recent years as that over re-
organization, with which the Pres;-
dents Commission now has 10 deal
The consequent forces of demoraliza-
tion are already apparent, as the Pres
ident fully realizes. This demoraliza-
ton has been STAYED off by the splendid
spirit Of pride in the Navy that pre-
walls among its officers. But the two
factions have pressed their cases ia the
extremity where the service is an
doubtedly suffering. There is now rs
much earnestness TO win in the contro-
versy as there is to advance the inter-
ests of the Navy itself.
Both sides recognize that Secretary
Newberry, who is to go out ot office
March 4. has lined up with Senator
Hale and other leaders in Navy Iegis-
lation at the Capitol. The mcst inf.u-
entail men of the two Navy Committees
of Congress agree with Secretary New
berry in his declared policy of oonsoli-
dating several of the eight powerful
Bureaus thru which the business of
the Navy Department is handled
Yards and Docks. Equipment, Naviga-
ton, Ordnance. Construction and Re-
pair. Supplies and Accounts, Steam En-
gineering and Medicine and Surgery.
The most conspicuous of the consoiida-
tions proposed, which Secretary Nea-
berry has discussed publicly, is thar of