The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-03-11
LEGISLATION BY DIcrArloN.

IGGlSlATiON BY DICTATfON.
oregnian; Woodrow Wilson on the
stump was the protagonist OF publicity
In the conduct of public affairs. Wood
row Wilson in the white House not
only uses the great influence OF his
office to induce members OF congress
to vote against their own Judgment,
but he countepances, encourages and
profits by the use of a secret caucus
to produce party unity in favor Of
his measures.
Senator Hitchcock, Of Nebraska, one
OF the Democrats who opposed the
ship-purchase bin, has taken firm
stand against Mr.. Wilson's method of
influencing senators and against Sc
cret caucuses. He introduced resolu-
ton requiring senators to remain In
the chamber during sessions and read
Ing further
They are prohibited from hold
ing ssecret party caucuses for the
consideration OF public business
They are prohibited from communal
eating with the president or cabi-
net officers for the purpose OF as
pertaining how to vote or what
measures to support or oppose.
They are required hereby. and I'M
der the constitution, to vote In ac-
cordance with their own convictions
ana judgment, and they shall not
subordinate them to the decree of
secret party caucuses or other out
side influence.
Mr.. Hitchcock said he felt he was
elected a member of the senate, not
of any particular caucus; that he was
elected "to take part openly I'm the
public discussion OF public affairs and
TO vote my convictions and not the
convictions of any caucus or the
wishes OF any public official" He
said that Democrats are invited into
conference" and continued:
After we have entered such
conference. believing 1t to be a con-
ference, At Is suddenly transform
ed into Caucus" and by a vote
| we are told that we are bound hand
and foot and denied the privilege
| upon the floor OF the senate of
either offering amendments or sup-s
porting amendments to the ques-
tion.
The Nebraska senator declared that
the struggle then going on involved
mot only the independence OF the
senator &om all control by party
machine, but also his independence
from control by a coordinate branch
of the government" He declared that
mo man under our system is great
enough or good enough to become the
whole government" and described the
various checks by which the constitu-
tion provides that "the congress is
coequal to and Independent OF the
president" This independence can
not be maintained II individuar SEN
ators and representatives give way
under presidential influence and sur
render their legislative consciences and
Individual judgments into his keeping"
When a large number have thus Yield
ed and few stand out, the next
step Is the secret caucus to overcome
individual independence" which he con-
sidered "even more obnoxious He
continued:
1t has the effect of transferring
from the public forum of the senl
ate to the secret chambers OF the
caucus the settlement OF public
questions which should be debat-
ed and voted on in public. 1t seeks
by the compulsion Of the secret
caucus to accomplish what could
not be accomplished by presiden-
tial persuasion. powerful as that
is.
He declared II "infinitely worse for |
Democratic senator's in a caucus to |
vote against their convictions and then |
seek to bind a dozen or more of their |
colleagues to suppress their convictions
Also" He said:
Democratic senators having aban-
doned their own convictions seek
to compel their more independent
colleagues also to abandon theirs.
And l say 1t now upon the
floor of this senate solemnly as my
belief that not one ah of the sem
ators upon the Democratic side OF
the chamber believe in this bin as
1t Is now before the snate.
Not only is public business transact
ed In this manner In secret caucus
speeches being limited to five min
utes and II being deemed disloyel to
reveal proceedings, but even worse
things are done. two-thirds vote is
required to make a conference a bind
ing caucus, but only thirty-flve out OF
ftfty-three Democratic senators voted
for that motion in the ship purchase
conference. One more affirmative vote
was needed. and senator who had
voted mo" changed to Eyes," sand
thereby turned the whole Democratic
party over to new and revolutionary
doctrine" He asked: as II expected
that we are to accept decisions Of that
sort as binding in a party measure?"
The men who killed the ship-pur-
chase bill are shown by Mr.. Hitch
cock to have defeated an attempt at
executive dictation which caused one
half OF the Democratic senator's to .
vote against their convictions on a /,
measure OF the highest importance
This Is the work Of the president who
believed In doing business in the open, :
and OF the party which for years in :
Weighed against BOSS Aldrich" and Z
Gear Reed" and "Cannonism."