The Forrest City times., 1913-03-21
MADE fOC|ES GASP
WtlGON'S PLAN TO VISIT THE
CAPITOL OCCASIONALLY
BREAKS PRECEDENT.
NO REASON HE SHOULDN'T
Any President Who Sought to lnfiu-
ence Legislation Could Do It Much
More Privately by Conferences In
White House.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington. n.--President Wilson s
hint that he may 60 on occasion to
the capitol where he can be in touch
with legislation, created its ten days
stir, and it will create another ten
days stir, and perhaps more. II after
the extra session convenes be car
ries out his hinted intention.
1t does not seem that there would
be anything to create special interest,
let alone undue excitement, In the
expressed desira of the president or
the United States to sit for few
hours each week under the same
dome of the capitol where he would
be- in easy reach of such members as
might like to consult him or as he
might like to consult, but anything
which breaks precedent in Washing
ton raises comment, stir and frequent
ly strong opposition. There Is moth
ing in the Constitution or laws OF
the United States to prevent the pres
ident from making his office any
where that he wishes in the city or
Washington, and If his desire is to
have a branch Office in the capitol,
nothing can be done t, prevent it, and
very likely there Is no reason except
that of tradition and precedent why
it should be prevented
Has No UlterioI Motive.
No one in Washington has been
found to say that he thinks for an in
stant Mr.. Wilson has any intention
OF coming over to the capitol to make
his will dominant" They think that
his desire In the matter Is entirely
democratic, and that it is born of
wish to be in closer and a more re-
sponsive touch with the members than
would be the case If he spent all his
time in the White House while con-
gress Is in session This feeling OF
an utter absence of any untoward in
tention on Mr. Wilson's part has not.
however. prevented criticism. and 1t
has come not only from members Of
opposition parties but from members
Of his own party. The thing probably
will prove after little to have been
only a tempest in a teapot
II the executive authority ever is
used wrongfully to influence legisla-
ton, 1t can be so used at the White
House just as readily as at the cap
itol In fact, the observer of years
in Washington knows perfectly well
that if a president wants to make his
will felt he is much more liable to
attempt it at distance rather than
from the capitol, where all the mem
bers in a way would be watching him
Every day Of the parts of the year
when congress is in session scores of
senators and Representatives go to the
White House, some on their own err
rands bent, and others called there
by the president who wishes TO con-
suit with them upon matters OF legis-
lation
When the president wants to see a
member alone he takes him into his
private office and closes the doors
What passes there no one knows. un-
less the president or his visitor
chooses to disclose it. and the visitor
never will disclose it unless the pres
ident gives him permission, for such
conferences always are held to be con
fdential
Federal Protection for Birds.
By an act of the last congress
just three days before adjourn
ment the whole system of protec-
tion of the wild birds OF the United
States was changed This bill will go
into effect at once, but the existing
state laws will remain as they are un-
til the department of agriculture has
prepared new federal regulations for
the governing of the protection OF
game and insectivorous birds in all
sections of the Union. This matter
Is of interest to every sportsman and
every market man, to every farmer
and to every bird lover. no matter in
what state OF the Union he lives
1t should be said that the fedora
laws will have no control of non-mi
gratory birds, whether they be game
birds or song birds. This limits the
action of the law very little. however
because comparatively Few birds re
main within the borders of any one
| state through the twelve months O.
the year One or two examples ma,
be given, however, of birds which
probably must depend hereafter fol
the protection of their lives and O
their families from actual extinction
on the action OF state legislatures
/ The ruifeu grouse, called the partridge
/ In many states and the pheasant il
other states. is migratory bird
At least it prCoably viii be so de
cidcd to be BY the department. Of agll
| culture. The prairie chicken also il
ron-nigratory and it probably ais,
must depend upon state protection
HuI early all the other birds OF tht
| Tcltrd Stctes- ca,mA. ,nsrc1tunrcla n ri