Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-19
WILSON HOLDS WHIP HAND
New President Has Tremendous Pow
or With Congress. Il

New President Has Iremendous row.
or With Congress. S.
Taking the LONGER view Of affairs,
the most important aspect OF wash
ington politics is the ascendancy OF
President Wilson over congress. The
public has grown 30 accustomed to II
that they do not get any sensation
from 1t, nor do they realize how I'M
portant 1t Is. ANY one who can re-
member or will read the familiar
story of the wreck Of the Democratic
party for twenty years just because
President Cleveland did not have the
ascendancy over the senate when he
was making a tariff bill will realize
how important Is the whip hand which
Wilson has. 1t was not easy to get,
and there were many weeks during the
beginning Of Wilson's administration
when 1t seemed questionable whether
he would have II. The issue was ex-
actly the same as in Cleveland's ad-
ministration - whether the party
should pass an honest tariff bill, in
spired by the president and based on
the party platform, or whether the
senate should emasculate 1t into
thing of-to quote Cleveland's phrase
-perfdy and dishonor. 1t Is all safe
now, in spite Of the two senators from
Louisiana, who will vote against the
bill. Wilson has a safe majority. Prob
ably Wilson would have acquired this
ascendancy anyhow, but he was great
Iy helped by the lobby episode. Jus1
about the time the tariff bill had
passed the house and gone to the
senate, President Wilson issued his
public declaration expressing the wish
that the lobby, which was misleading
the people and harassing public men,
would 60 home. The utterance created
q sensation, and the senate, with the
rather joyful intention Of putting the
president in a hole" began a lobby in
vestigation. 1t Is no secret 10 say
that the hope and intention Of this
investigation were to prove there was
no lobby, and thereby humiliate the
president and weaken his hand. AS
events have turned out, however, the
presidents prestige has been very
greatly increased, and the senate, to
use a familiar phrase. is now eating
out of his hand. It doesn't do 1t will
lingly. The other day Senator Cum
minis made q a'speech about executive
usurpation and interference. 1t was a
strong speech, and st any other time
during the past twenty years 1t would
have made q public sensation. Now
nobody pays any attention to IT. Con-
RT6SS SuDInltS "
much more timely than 1t did when
Roosevelt created and swung the Big
Stick. Indeed, Roosevelt's hard-worn
triumph over congress in 1903 has
made Wilson's present ascendancy
easier. President Wilson Is not likely
to lose his whip hand through any
event now foreseeable. He will put
through the tariff bill, and that will
strengthen him. In all probability he
will put through the currency bill as
we'll. With respect to Mexico, the
public has perfect confidence In him.
The only events which threatened his
prestige were the case Of the japanese
in California, which was boggled
slightly, and the Diggs- -Caminetti case.
II Wilson ends the present special ses-
sion with his ascendancy maintained,
he can begin the regular session IN
December with an impressive pro-
gramme Of new legislation and a Sc
rene probability Of putting 1t through.
Golfers Weekly.