The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-11
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS.

| fact that the people ENJOY ndNlnH d
President who will take the guidance
OF and direction over Congress. Presi-
dent Andrew johnson undertook this,
right after the war, but Congress at
that time would not stand for it. Pres
ident Cleveland was the next TO take
up the cudgcl against Congress and
endeavor to bring that body into sub
Lection TO the Executive. He found
lstrong resistance, and the contest be-
tween him and the u. S. Senate was
a memorable one. In that contest Pres
|ident Cleveland held his own so far as
his distinctive executive prerogatives
were concerned. but could make no
impression on the Senate on any mat
tcrs where Congress had jurisdiction; /;
and several enactments tied up the
Executive in matters that had been
the exclusive Executive activity there
tofore. This during Mr.. Cleveland s first
term. But in his second term he prac-
tically reduced Congress TO subsection,
especially during the FIRST two years of
that second term, when both Houses of
Congress were Democratic. Although
the party was committed to the free
coinage Of silver, President Cleveland
overpowered the party declarations
announced that he would not only
have nothing to do with free silver,
but that he would actively suppress
the purchase of silver which the law
provided should be made. He had his
way about it all, too. And he had his
own way also as to the tariff revision,
except only for the determined oppo-
sition of Senator German of Mary
land, who held out on the sugar duties
and so amended the bill as passed by
the House as to make it, as President
Cleveland said, measure of "perfdy
and dishonor.'
Next, President Roosevelt took Con-
gross in hand and absolutely domi-
mated that body. He did so through
| pure force and determination, and the
power of his position. He made it
known both to Senators and Rcpresen-
tatives that he intended TO have
his own way, and would insist upon
Congress doing what he wanted or the
Congressman might look elsewhere for
patronage; that he would refuse all
their Endorsements for office, and would
set back fire in every State against
any Senator who opposed his will and
| in every Representative district
where any member of the Lower
House refused to kneel. The people
liked that sort of thing, and Roose-
welt won immense popularity by it,
| Then came the Taft administration,
which was absolutely listless so far as
any attempted control over Congress
was concerned. President Taft. on his
coming into Office in March, 1909, made
no attempt whatever to influence first
the House and next the Senate in the
framing of the revision of the tariff,
1t is an immense misfortune to the
Republican party that he refrained, but
he was cautious about infringing upon
Congress. He was anxious to observe
the constitutional limitations, and TO
leave TO the legislative branch Of the
Government the complete freedom from
executive interference that the Consti-
tuition manifestly contemplates. The
result, especially following after the
strenuous personal administration of
President Roosevelt, was disastrous.
Congress got out of hand, paid no
regard to the manifest meaning Of the
pledge made by the National party
platform for revision of the tariff
downward as President Taft in
terprcted that declaration to mean
| When President Taft found right at
the windup of the extra session that
Congress was completely disregarding
the party pledge as he construed it,,
he interfcred mildly. urging certain
concessions TO the manifest meaning
Of the party pledge, and grudgingly got
free leather and q few minor
changes that did not in fact take the
odium away from the bill as passed
There can be no doubt but that if the
extra session OF Congress of 1909 had
Responded to the popular will on the
general understanding Of what it ought
10 do. and revised the tariff downward
on the protective basis, there would
have been no revolt of the people such
as completely reversed the political
color Of the House of Representatives
through the election of 1910: there
would have been no opportunity for
| Colonel Roosevelt 10 split the party
wide open; and it is practically sure
that President Taft would have been
elected TO succeed himself But he
did not encroach upon the legislative
function; he WAS observant of the
Constitutional distinctions between the
functions of the different departments
of the Government, aud he suffered ac.
eordingly. in withdrawing the super
lvision which Congress had become ac-