The Washington times., 1913-04-07
THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE" I"


1t is reported that there is some feeling amon
elder statesmen that President Wilson is guilty OF
not perhaps anything quite grave as an indiscre
| ton, but assuredly of an innovation, in making
personal appearance before Congress to deliver hi
message to that body.
The shock which this announced purpose of the
new President brought to susceptible toryism nigh
have been cushioned at least if gentlemen had noted
from time to time the predictions, first printed ir
this paper that Mr.. Wilson would do just this. How
ever, it may be judged that grave results will fol
low the Presidents return to a custom more than a
century ago abandoned There is no real reason
why anybody should object to the President making
this personal appearance before Congress; there is
much to be said in favor of it. As to the frightfu
charge that innovation is being perpetrated, il
may be said that that innovation is quite the order
of tine day in politics, and it bears the countersigna
ture of the distinguished approval of the public.
Much is being said by way of suggestion that this
is return to the form of the British speech from
the throne and the implication is that it is re-
version of monarchical forms. Well, what of it?
Parliamentary government in Britain has developed
farther has approached nearer the ideals of rep
resentative government, than it has in this country
Responsible cabinet government is longstep toward
really representative government and the present
day demand in this country is to make our Govern
ment truly representative. The failure of old meth
DDS to give it the true representative quality is
sponsible for the widespread demand for nearer
approach, through initiative referendum and recall,
TO direct government by the people.
Corollary in logic and reason to the Presidents
appearance before Congress the expounder of his
policies, is the proposal to give Cabinet Ministers
places on tine floor of Congress- and let them take
part in the debates. That proposal has the approval
of so conservative statesman Senator Root, and
is indorsed by representing all classes of opinion
and all the political divisions. Of course, without
radical reorganization of system will not have
responsible Cabinets of the sort that must retire
when defeated in the legislative branch. Our Pres-
dent is his premier; he is ruler as we'll
sovereign. We elect him for a fixed term, and can
not turn him out within tnat term, by dint of any
legislative rejection of his program. There a
good many critics who think acceptance of the British
or French system would be good thing; but that is
doubtful Our system gives an appeal to the people
every two years, and the people have demonstrated
capacity to make up a verdict that the Government
cannot misunderstood At any rate, whether i'm
medately responsible Government would be desir
able not the fact stands that can't get it now
and that the innovation of the President if followed
the floor of the houses represents about much as
we can accomplish in that direction at this time and
perhaps as much it is wise to undertake at single
step in experimentation.
The President believes, il is said, tnat personal
appearance before Congress will br:g legislative
and executive divisions of the Government into
closer touch and understanding That is certainly
what the country has been demanding. Even the sad
experience it had with the Taft regime has not
weaned the country away from the idea that the Presi-
dents chief business is to extort from Congress as
mucn as possible of what the country demands Ii
is his duty that pledges which he elect
ed are executed. He is the only functionary whose
election represents the conclusion of ALL the people
He doesn't represent the hides of Texas or the shoe
factories of Massachusetts,. He doesn't represent
the wheat of Dakota, or the Touring mills of Min
neapos. He is not expected to think for the cotton
grower exclusively, for the cotton mill owners
alone. He doesn't represent consumers, producers.
He is presumed to represent all these classes.
1t would be better if Congress were able to take
a more national view Of its obligations, and less
local one But it doesn't 1t is essentially an ag-
gregation of provincialites and whatever procedure
is calculated to impose the national view upon it, to
make it see things in their wider relations is cal
cuated to improve the product of its deliberations.