The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-26
Sharply Emphasizes Presi- dents Efforts to Sub
 ordinate Legislation
SHOWS ARROGANCE OF IA GEORGE THE THIRD
With Sting in His Interview That Cuts, Alaba milan Plays Taft for Unwarrauted Assumption
 of Authority
p, wALTEp HARPER

~..nntattve Underwood of Alabama re- turned from New York this morning and said before leaving for his summer va cation that the most distinctive difference between the democrtic majority in the House and the position taken by the President of the United States in his veto messages did not relate to the details or the tariff bills that were passed by Con ' sress and vetoed by the President but IL emphasized more sharply than any act of the executive heretofore the efforts of recent republican Presidents to subordi- nate to the will of the executive the legle- 1atiye branch of the government in the enactment of the laws of the land. He said:
 ayve all rerpember the message of the president to the last Congress not only \, s,dvisine the House as to legislation in reference to the regulation of railroads, . but the fact that he sent to Congress hill covering all the details of legislation and used the power of the administra- tion to pass the bill as it came from the White House. Even republican Con rress with the assistance of the united democratic vote and the progressive and insurgent republican vote In poth branches of Congress repudiated his Dill and consequently enacted law that was recognized by all as protecting the risnts of the people on important principles that were ignored in the presidential bill The President now says that he will not sign the tariff bills enacted by democratic House and Senate that contain repub- lican majority because Congress and the people of the United States must wait until q so-called tariff board. of his own appointment, has determined what should be done in reference to tariff legislation.
 Is Unauthorized
 This tariff board is unauthorized by law. When the Aldrich- Payne tarin Dill was enacted it contained provision pro viding for minimum and maximum tarin 1 nates and authorized the President to ne oeotate treaties with foreign countries tH.fsnting to them the minimum rates Tor Xconcessions made to American commerce vf for the purpose of developing our foreisn trade .4..4.
 ITO carry out the provision of this section of the act the President was authorized to employ certain persons 10 enable him to make those negotia- tions and to advise the executive de- aartmant in reference to the adminis- tration of the law. There was no lan- xuage contained in the act that author ized these employees to act as tarli board. to secure information and ad wise Congress- In fact, realizing that inc so-calied tariff board had no au- thority to act In these matters, an CT fort was made at the last congress to pass a law creating tariff board Tor this purpose, but it was finally re1ec,ed and did not become a law. The Presl- dent has already negotiated treaues with all foreign nations and extended to them the minimum tariff rates under the Payne tariff law. without any ma terial concessions on their part to the people of the United States. There ls' therefore, no reason Tor the contih ua ton of the employees authorized by the Payne act for the purpose for which the original authorization was granted, and the retention of them for other work by the executive Is an unjustifla- ble assumption of authority.
 Information Welcomed
 Ut goes without saying that any ways and means committee, democratic or republican, is always glad to re- ceive honest and fair information from any source whatever to enable them to successfully write tariff bills, so as to adjust the law fairly to the people of the United States and to meet the expenditures of the government, but 1t is very different matter for Pres ident of the United States to say that the legislative, branch of the govern ment shall be prohibited from legislat- ing on matters that they have pledged themselves to the American people to enact into law because certain em- pioyes. entirely under the control Of the President, are not prepared to advise them as to the details involved in the Legislative programme. There is a very grave distinction between the right to advise and the power to prohibit legis- lation.
 ''rhe great men who wrote the consti- tuition of the United States realized that the English people had secured their liberties from an arrogant and despotic executive by maintaining the power in the legislative branch of the government to raise taxes and pass the supply bills for the maintenance of the government. They therefore provided in the eonsti s tuition of the United States that all reve- nue legislation must originate in the House of Representatives, giving the d- rect representatives of the people the primary power to enact the legislation imposing the burdens of taxation. Mir. Taft won his election. by promise to the American people to revise the tariff downward. It is now admitted by the President as well as everybody else that the Payne Aldrich tariff law did not full fill these promises, ana promises TOT a 4 downward revision are again renewed by the President of the United States
 But in the last congressional election the people were unwilling to rely further on broken promises and elected demo- cratic House on the issue that there should be an honest revision of the tariff downward. The Congress has presented to the President an honest revision down ward of the woolen. cotton, chemical and iron and steel, schedules. and has also passed what is known as the farmers free list bill, putting on the free list certain articles. most of which produced no revenue and were sold abroad cheap CT than at home, and are large competi- .r, tors in the foreign markets, and reliev- cd the masses of the people from any , unjust burdens of taxation. ss Displays Arrogance
 'The President vetoed these bills and has. with the arrogance of George the Third. announced to the people of the United States that their representatives in both branches of Congress are incapa- ble of legislation and that the people 4o,t,rt uaif rolief lntil A so-calIed tartff