Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-19
WILSON'S ACTION WAS FORE
SHADOWED,

Some one who has been delving into
President Wilson's historical volumes
has found that his plan of appearing in
person to address congress, instead of
sending the customary written mes
sage, was foreshadowed by his writ
1ngs In 1897, when he was a professor
at Princeton. In one of his volumes
written at that time Mr.. Wilson said:
The sovereign (British) Is not a
member Of the cabinet, because George
I. could not speak English. Until the
accession of George I. the king always
attended cabinet councils. George did
not do SO because he could not either
understand or be understood in the dis
cussions of the ministers. Since his
time, therefore, the sovereign has not
sat with the cabinet.
"A similar example of the interesting
ease with which men of our race estab-
lish and observe precedents is to be
found in the practice on the part of
presidents of the United States of
sending written messages to congress.
Washington and John Adams adj
dressed congress in person on public
affairs; but Jefferson, the third presi-
dent, was not an easy speaker, and pre-
ferred to send written message; sub
sequent presidents followed his exam
pie as of course. Hence a sacred rule
of constitutional action!
Continuing to argue the need of
greater cooperation between the presi-
dent and congress he said:
Washington and John Adams inter-
preted this clause to mean that they
might address congress in person, as
the sovereign in England may do; and
their annual communications to con-
gress were spoken addresses. But JET.
ferson, the third president, being an
ineffective speaker, this habit was dis
continued and the fashion Of written
messages was sfnangurated and firmly
established.
Possibly, had the president not so
closed the matter against new adjust
ments, this clause Of the constitution
might legitimately have been made the
foundation for a much more habitual
and informal and yet at the same time
much more public and responsible in
terchange of opinion between the ex-
ecutive and congress. Having been
interpreted, however, to exclude the
president from any but the most form
al and Intellectual utterance Of advice,
our federal executive and legislature
have been shut of from cooperation
and mutual confidence to an extent to
which no other modern system furn-
ishes parallel.
In all other modern governments the
heads Of the administrative depart
ments are given the right to sit in the
legislative body and to take part In it's
proceedings. The legislature and ex-
ecutive are thus associated in such a
way that the ministers OF state can
lead the houses without being misun-
derstood-in such way that the two
parts Of the government which should
be most closely coordinated, the part,
namely, by which the laws are made
and the part by which the laws are
executed, may be kept in close har-
mony and intimate cooperation. with
the result Of giving conference to the
action Of the one and energy to the
action of the other.
In view of these opinions earlier ex-
pressed President Wilson's action In
restoring the custom inaugurated by
Washington is shown to be more than
an impulse Of the moment. !