Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-11
WILSON FOLLOWS
WASHINGTON IDEA
His Appearance Before Con-
gress Is outgrowth of De-
iberate Method.
is GAIN IN COOPERATION
Student Of His Writings Traces
Course to His Study of Eng
Iish System.
is GAIN IN COOPERATION

Wallace T. Hughes writes as fol-
lows in the Chicago Record-Herald: /
President Wilson's plan in address /
ing congress was foreshadowed by his
writings in 1897, when he was pur-
suing the quite distinguished but less
conspicuous calling of professor of jur- ,
isprudence and politics at Princeton
university.
In his work on THE State" he ex-
pressed himself quite freely upon the
habit of presidents in sending mes
sages TO congress instead of address
ing that body in person, and one
might have read between the lines
that If ever the time came when the
college professor was president he
would revert TO the earliest practice
and Washingtonlike and kinglike, ap-
Pear before the national assembly and
speak in behalf of his ideas in a sort
Of address from the throne"
Quotes FROM WILSON'S BOOK.
On page 378 of the voIue mentioned
he wrote as follows:
The sovereign BRITISH is not
member of the cabinet, because George
]. could not speak English. Until me
accession of George l. the king al
ways attended cabinet councils. George
did not do so, because he could not
either understand or be understood in
the discussions of the ministers. Since
his time, therefore. the sovereign has
rot sat with the cabinet.
a similar example of the interest
irg ease with which men of our race
establish and observe presidents is to
be found in the practice on the part
Ct presidents Of the United States of
sending written messages to congress.
Washington and John Adams ad.
dressed congress in person on public
affairs; but Jefferson, the third presi-
dent, was not an easy speaker, and
preferred TO send a written message
subsequent presidents followed his ex.
ample as of course. Hence a sacred
rule of constitutional action!
GIVES COOPER PLAN.
With less irony and more philosophy
he on page 546 gave the following sum.
mary of his theory of greater coop
Grafton between the president and
congress-:
Washington and John Adams inter
pIeted this clause TO mean that they
might address congress in person, as
the sovereign in England may do; and
their annual communications 10 con
gress were spoken addresses. But JEFF
ferson, the third president, being an in
effective speaker. this habit was dis
continued and the fashion of writer
messages was inauGurated and firmly
: established.
: Possibly, had the president not Sc
o. closed the matter against new adjust
, ments, this clause of the constitution
e. might legitimately have been made the
: foundation for a much more habitua
e. and informal and yet at the same timt
: much more public and responsible in
:. terchange of opinion between the eX
. ecutive and congress. Having beel
e interpreted, however, to exclude tn
o president from any but the most for
10 NAL and Intellectual utterance of ad
- vice, our federal executive and legis
d lature have been shut off from COOP
: Grafton and mutual confidence TO a.
= extent to which no other modern sys
= tenn furnishes a parallel.
y In all other modern government
= the heads of the administrative dc
= partments are given the right TO 81
y in the legislative body and TO TAX
= part in its proceedings. The legisla
Ure and executive are thus associate
y in such a way that the ministers c
= state can lead the houses without b.
y ing misunderstOod-in such a wa
Y. that the two parts of the governmer
I; which should be most closely cOord
le mated the part, namely, by which tn
? laws are executed, may be kept
~ close harmony and intimate cooperi
H. ton, with the result of giving cohe