The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-03-13
Senator Lee Takes up the Cud-
gel in Behalf Of the Admins
tration's Postal Policy.


public impression that the President is
unduly influencing Congress.
Senator Bristow had reflected upon
some Parcel Post rates in Maryland and
called upon Senator Lee to say what he
thought about them. This gave the SEN
ator from Maryland chance to expose
little by PLAY that had taken place on
previous day between three Senators.
continuing this somewhat hackneyed
effort to impress the public mind with
The aggressiveness of the present admin
istration. The amendments offered to
the Postoffice Bill were designed to take
away from the Postmaster General the
executive power which was given him by
a previous Act of Congress over the
Parcels Post The shoe was clearly on
the other foot, but the effort to suggest
Executive encroachment on Congress
went on all the same The situation is
shown IN the following extract from the
debate:
Senator Brstow had been discussing
the rates in Maryland:
| wish to ask the Senator from Mary
land-I see that he is here now-if he be-
lieves that it is just system oil rate
making to permit citizen of Philadel-
Biilh W ieHn SO'No III Tue SuDuiDS Vi Dali
timore for one-fourth OF the amount of
expense that is imposed upon the Bali.
more cltiZeno
Now we come TO the State of Mississ-
Ippi. | have been pleased to see the
Senator from Mississippi present this az
iernoon.
Mr.. Lee of Maryland. Mr.. President
The Presiding Officer. Does the Sen
ator from Kansas yield to the Senator
from Maryland?
Mr.. Brislow. yield to the Senator.
Mr.. Lee OF MARYLAND | am not very
familiar with the rates, and | certainly
would not say off hand, upon a mere
prima facie appearance of inequality, the
whole system was badly adjusted or that
the whole system was inequitable There
is certainly nothing in the individual in
equality that the Senator points out that
should in any sense justify Congress in
taking away from the Postmaster Gen
eral the power 10 arter the inequality
If | may make further remark with
the permission OF the Senator from
Kansas
Mr. Bristow Yes.
Mr.. Lee of Maryland. | was very
much impressed yesterday in listening to
the invocation of the spirit of George
Washington by the Senator from Flor
ida, Mr.. Bryan,) with which the Sena-
tor from Iowa and the Senator from
Utah seemed TO sympathze. There was
sort OF passage of sympathy and I'M
Outstanding between the Senator's There
was disapproval in the atmosphere
OF the aggressivenesS of the Executive
Department is encroaching-I think that
was the word quoted from the Farewell
Address of the Father OF his country
upon the prerogatives, so to speak, of
Congress.
Mr.. Bristow Mr. President if the
Senator will pardon me, if he will reply
to the Senator from Florida in his own
time, and just devote himself to this par
ticular question, | shall be obliged as |
wish to get through.
Mr.. Lee of Maryland | was gong to
bring the matter down to the remarks Of
the Senator from Kansas IN just one mo-
ment.
| gathered from the remarks of the
Senator. from Kansas so far as have had
the pleasure of listening to him, that far
from any encroachment by the Execu-
tive upon the Legislative, thare is prop
osltlon on foot to take away from the
Executive certain powers with which he
has been previously vested. The en-
croachments seems to come from the
Capitol, and not from the Post Office
Department. The spirit of George
Washington seems to have been invoked
too soon. If he is coming here to re.
prove anybody he must come here to re-
prove the Legislative branch OF our gov
eminent.
think that the Senator from Kansas
has dealt with this matter with wonder
full and with great interest. but | have
not gathered from Whist he said any con-
ception of this matter except that it is
clearly an executive business matter; and
yet think that he describes it as being
somewhat in the hands of a Legislative
Committee, and | understand that he
proposes very clearly to change the law,
TO take this plain, executive function
away from the Postmaster General and
restore it to Legislative Committee.
Mr.. Bristow. II the Senator will par
don me a moment, does the Senator
think that the fixing of postage rates is an
executive function?
Mr.. Lee of Maryland. | should think
that so complicated a system, involving
10 many "DETAILS ana involving possible
competitor with the other systems OF car
rage, Is clearly a matter that can be
more safely intrusted to executive action
than to legislative deliberation Further
more, | do not think that the action of
the executive in this matter should be
subjected to the regulation of Congress,
and possibly that of the Inter State Com
merce Commission as well, when the
competing carriers apparently are only
subjected to the regulation OF the Inter
State Commerce Commission.
Deer Die in the Mountains.
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