The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-14
GAIIrNGER TO THE FRONT.

Now Senator Gallinger, Of New Hampshire.
emerges from obscurity to attack the presi-
Gent for his efforts in behalf Of the In.
dsrwood tariff bill. With a great show
Of fairness he takes pains to state that
he does not charge that Mr.. Wilson has
used and~1s using undue pressure to keep the
Democratic senators in line of the measure, but
hints darkly at the opportunities he possesses to
fnnuencefhe-senators by shrewd use II not abuse
OF patronage. Several times. while testifying
before the, lobby committee he threw out sugges-
tions that Improper methods had been employed
and while die refused to make any open charges
his remarks were easy of Interpretation. Sena-
tor Kenyon was more frank. He said what he
thought. while Senator G~allinger adopted the
old, old trick of the gossips, saying in effect:
II make no charges, but things have happened
thst do not look exactly right The president
has conferred with senators and while I do not
say he promised patronage or threatened to
withhoIddt If they did not vote as he wanted to,
he might-have done So" and so forth and 20
forth
In several cases, however. the New Hamp-
shire senator really said some things with
out hedging. Occasionally he came out with
q nat statement 1t is doubtful If he caused
President Wilson any more uneasiness or hurt
him any more with the public than he did
by his hints and suggestions Here Is one
OF them:
II am an old.fashioned person ! still believe
In three coordinate branches of the government
and itagrteves me to see the executive encroach-
ing on I'll powers of the others and attempting
to influence legislation"
wheu6he president talks with a senator and
seeks byaargument to change his vote. Senator
G41linyer Is "grieved." He thinks, though he
WIN not say so outright, that 1t is lobbying. 1t
would be>thought that a man who "grieves'' when
Aspresident chosen by the people of the country
to represent.them seeks to aid in the enactment
OF legislation demanded by the people, would be
doubly grfeved at the spectacle OF a man repre-
senting special interests only, however honorably,
seeking to defeat the enactment of such legisla-
fi0n. H'would be thought that his hands would
4nvoluntarily be raised in horror at the mere
suggestion of it.
But no. Senator Gailinger has no word OF
criticism for those who seek to persuade sena.
tors to vote against the tariff bill or against
certain features of it. That they use influence
aud bring pressure to bear does not seem to have
occurred to him, or, If so. not to have excited
any grief In his sensitive soul. The encroach.
ment of one branch of the government upon
another-or what he regards as such-is to be
condemned by him, but the encroachment OF
private upon public business matters not at all.
II IL a menace to have d president who argues
Tor certain legislation. because the president has
influence which he may use improperly. but 1t is
no menace for a representative of private In
terests to argue for or against certain legislation,
even though he, too, may have influence to use
and even though 1t is scarcely conceivable that
that influence should be used in any save an i'm
proper way.
That seems to be Senator Gallinger's view.
point. and it Is one that most people will not
Necept as their own.
People possess the right Of petition. They
have the right to argue for or against certain
legislation and they have the right TO make
those In person to their representa-.
tives, but the danger in 1t all exists, nevertheless.
There is danger that they will not stop at argu-
Af~nt--T tere- rs danger rrar an fnruanrfaT man,
one with the power to do something" for the
senator with whom he is arguing. may exercise
that influence. He may do 1t so without intent.
~ may not mention by word or letter or even
fstisnate that II this senator will do as he wishes
4 wa BE- y his advantage. but the very fact