The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-03-18
WILSON'S PLAN TO VISIT THE
CAPITOL OCCASIONALLY
BREAKS PRECEDENT.
NO REASON He SHOULDN'T
Any President Who Sought to infiu-
ence Legislation Could DO IL Much
More Privately by Conferences in
White House.
lev eEoReE CLINTON.

hint that he may go on occasion 70
the cabitol where he can be in touch
with legislation, created its ten days
stir. and it will create another ten
days stir, and perhaps more. II AFTER
the extra session convenes he car
ries out his limited intention.
It does not seem that there would
be anything to create special Interest.
let alone undue excitement, in the
expressed desire of the president OF
the United States to sit for few
hours each week under the same
dome of the capitol where he would
be in easy reach of such members as
might like to consult him or as he
might like to consult. but anything
which breaks precedent in Washing
ton raises comment, stir and frequent
ly strong opposition. There is moth
ing in the Constitution OF laws OF
the United States to prevent the pres
ident from making his office any,
where that he wishes In the city OF
Washington, and il his desire is to
have a branch Office IN the capitol.
nothing can be done to prevent 1t, and
very likely there Is no reason except
that of tradition and precedent why
1t should be prevented.
Has No Ulterior Motive.
No one in Washington has been
found to say that he thinks for an In
slant Mr.. Wilson has any intention
of coming over to the capitol to make
his will dominant" They think that
his desire in the matter is entirely
democratic, and that it Is born Of
wish to be in closer and more re-
sponsive touch with the members than
would be the case if he spent all his
time in the White House while con-
gress is in session. This feeling OF
an utter absence of any untoward In.
tention on Mr. Wilson's part has not,
however, prevented criticism. and it
has come not only from members of
opposition parties but from members
of his own party. The thing probably
will prove after little to have been
only tempest in teapot,
II the executive authority ever is
used wrongfully to influence legisla-
ton, it can be so used at the White
House just as readily as at the cap
itol. In fact, the observer of years
in Washington knows perfectly well
that If a president wants to make his
will felt he Is much more liable to
attempt 1t at a distance rather than
from the capitol, where all the MEM
bers in way would be watching him.
Every day of the parts of the year
when congress is in session scores of
senators and representatives go to the
White House, some on their own er-
rands bent, and others called there
by the president who wishes to con-
suit with them upon matters of legis-
lation.
When the president wants to see a
member alone he takes him into his
private office and closes the doors.
What passes there no one knows, I'M
less the president or his visitor
chooses to disclose it, and the visitor
never will disclose it unless the pres
ident gives him permission, for such
conferences always are held to be con-
fidential.
Federal Protection for Birds.
BY an act of the last congress
just three days before adjourn
ment the whole system of protec-
ton of the wild birds of the United
States was changed. This bill will go
into effect at once, but the existing
state laws will remain as they are I'M
til the department of agriculture has
prepared new federal regulations for
the governing of the protection OF
roma opd ipcontiv0ro,c birds IN al
sections of the Union. This matter
is of interest to every sportsman and
every market man, to every farmer
and to every bird lover, no matter in
what state of the Union he lives.
1t should be said that the federal
laws will have no control of non-mi-
gratory birds, whether they be game
birds or song birds. This limits the
action of the law very little, however
because comparatively few birds re-
main within the borders of any one
state through the twelve months OF
the year. One or two examples may
be given, however, of birds which
probably must depend hereafter, for
the protection Of their lives and of
their families from actual extinction
on the action of state legislatures.
The ruled grouse. called the partridge
in many states and the pheasant in
other states. is non-migratory bird,
at least 1t probably will be so de-
cided to be by the department Of agri-
culture The prairie chicken also is
non-migratory and it probably also
must depend upon state protection.
but nearly all the other birds of the
United States, game. insectiyorous and
song, are migratory and hereafter will
be protected by Uncle Sam.
Scope of the Measure.
Here is a section of the bill which
shows definitely what it is intended
to do:
"All wild geese, wild swans. brant,
wild ducks, snipe. plover, woodcock,
rail, wild pigeons, and all other migra-
tory game and insectivorous birds
which in their northern and southern
..-s......t;<x,,s co flra11gh or do not re-