New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-29
ATTACK. PRESIDENT
FOR "USURPATlON'
Speakers at Republican
Club Fear Influencing
of Legislation.
TENDENCY TO DO
SO is GROWING
Functions of Congress Being
Transferred to White House
Rapidly, Calder Asserts.

Alleged usurpation Of the legislative
functions by President Wilson wss cruz
cised Yesterday by speakers at tho iast
Saturday luncheon OF the hepuoic'h
Club. whe subject for discussion was
Are the legislative branches OF the gov
eminent in this country declining in lnhu-
ence and power as compared with the eA-
ecutive and judicial?'
Senator Albert y Cummins, OF Iowa.
and Representative William NJ Caioer'
the principal speakers, paid little atten-
ton 20 the judicial side OF the question:
but centred their attack on what they
termed the 'usurpation" Of the legislative
function w the executive. This tendency
has been increasing. they said. but has
reached a dangerous point in the present
administration. Senator Cummins said;
Il say unhesitatngly unequivocally and
emphatically that the influence 3f the
legislative department OF. the government
is not lesseninE as compared with the
judicial department and that it is lessen-
ing as compared with the executive de-
partment. / assert that the constant ef-
fort OF the judges has been 10 sustain
rather than to overthrow the acts OF Con-
gress
The President has become more than
any other man the interpreter OF MS party
platform and the expounder Of his party 3
policies. No matter how delicately he
conducts himself. he will have an infiu-
ence on legislation which is not only con-
trary to the spirit OF the Constitution bat
which is subversive OF the fundamental
principles Of representative government.
Il believe that Presidents. clothed as
they are with potential authority, ought
TO be exceedingly careful in maintaining
that separation between the lawmaking
and the law executing bodies OF the gov
eminent which the men OF l7Si earnestly
endeavored 10 create.
THE patronage OF the President has
become a menace TO legislative indie PEN
dence and gives 10 the executive a power
over legislation that no executive ought
10 possess. / believe that we ought 10
form a plan 10 relieve the President OF
the vast responsibility Of selecting admin
istrative officers and relieve him Of the
temptations which beset this power"
Representative Calder continued the at
tack in as direct a mcnner as his prede-
cessor.
mo unp-ejudiced mind" he said. can
fail to y ote how under the new interpre-
tation the legislative function is being
rapidly transferred from Capitol Hin to
the White House The danger is tina.
Congress may become a mere rstifying
body In this tolls controversy in whien
the Democratic party in its platform de-
clared for free tolls, there would not be
score OF votes against free tolls among
the Democrats were Il not for the dictum
Of President Wilson. Obedient TO his die
tum. as though spoken from the throne,
the Democrats, save a few. would reverse
action
Among the other speakers we're Senator
A. j. Palmer, Asemblyman c. T. Horton
and George McAneny. President OF the
Board Of Alderman
President McAneny, the only speaker
to defend Wilson, said that the President
could control legislation only by the force
and right Of his measures, and that If the
people were unhappy over the patronage
system they had the remedy in their own
hands.