The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-11

lcustomed TO. And feeling that lack of
supervision Congress ran wild and
ruined its party in enacting measure
which compelled the revision Of the
tariff downward, and this by party
that historically is opposed to the pro.
tective policy. IT was ruinous party
work, but il was clearly the Con-
stitutiopal attitude for President Taft
to take, though an attitude that had
become antiquated through disuss, and
perilous by reason of the disastrous
consequences that ensued.
President Wilson, observant of these
facts and of the historical and politi-
cal significance Of them, has assumed
the Rooscvcltian attitude toward Con
gress. He tells the members both OF
the House and of the Senate what he
wants as to tariff legislation; he holds
/ of all appointments until he gets what
be wants in this legislation. He has
won his victory completely in the
House, and the House Democratic
caucus viii undoubtedly ratify without
change the bill which he has super.
vised after its formulation by Chairman
Underwood of the Ways and Means
Committee of the House. and its ap-
proval by that committee. Tho House
caucus will unquestionably ratify this
measure Just as it stands. It is a
measure. as we have pointed out here
| tofore, that is purposely made more
drastic than what the trainers Of it
expect to have enacted, this in order
that some ground may be conceded
to the Senators who are holding out
on the matter of free wool, free sugar,
and the tariff on lead and zinc
In his conference with the Democratic
Senators, President Wilson does not
seem to be having plain sailing. 1t is
strongly intimated in the dispatches
that he is not making progress with
the Senators on any Of these points IN
dispute, and it is now intimated in the
dispatches that the President may di-
rect the House to report the tariff
revision schedule by schedule in sepa-
rate bills, so as not to cndanger the
whole proposition bv reason of the op-
,osition which Democratic Senators
make to free wool, free sugar. and de-
structive cuts in the tariff on lead and
zinc
But President Wilson has evidently
learned the secret of popular approval
as exemplifed by President Roosevelt.
That secret is the bulldozing OF Con-
gress and the compelling Of the legisla.
tive department of the Government TO
yield to the executive will on matters
of legislation. To say that there is
danger in this usurpation by the eXecu"
tive arm Of the Government, is
merely TO repeat a well grounded maxim
in governmental affairs. But President
Wilson soes that the people approve Of
this executive usurpation, and appears
determined to win TO himself the popu
larity which comes from that execu-
tive supervision and constraint Prcsi-
dent Taft fell into the slough of
despond by following the plain intent
Of the Constitution that the legislative
department of the Government should
interference, and President Wilson
notes the bad effect of this upon Presi
dent Taft and his party. President
Cleveland and President Roosevelt, the
latter especially, demonstrated the great
fact that the people want a strong
Executive, and that they want the
legislative arm Of the Government re
strained and guided by executive power
President Wilson fully senses this, and
is taking advantage Of it for the benc
6t Of himself and his party, In so doing
he Will undoubtedly win to himself a
large measure of the popular approval
which went to President Roosevelt on
the same account.
A strong Executive is clearly what
the people want, and a strong, usurpat
ing Executive is what President Wilson
appears determined TO give them. That
he will obtain popular applause in this
dominating course over Congress does
not seem TO admit Of any doubt; for
the wave of popular approval especially
in the organs Of the Democratic party
is already evident. To say that the re-
suit is very likely TO eliminate in at
tempts TO override the legislative
department Of the Government alto
gether is merely TO recite the cx-
periences of history. But where the
popular acclaim and the popular sup
port are the things aimed at, and when
this acclaim and support can be ob
tanned by pursuing certain well-de-
fined course, there is DO doubt but that
the Executive will more and more in
cline to take that course in order to
win the approval and support which it