The Washington herald., 1915-02-21
Political Situation.

The ship-purchase bill is dead. President Viii
son now proposes to make it political issue. He
is satisfied with the Endorsement of the Demo-
cratic majority in the House. despite the fact that
sixty of the votes given to the measure were cast
by Democrats who were defeated at the polls last
November. 1t was to have been expected that they
would stand by the administration. More than
one of them had been rewarded with public Office
tribute to their party featy and Others stood
in expectant attitude. How far this noble band
of sixty will be able to influence public sentiment
in the respective Congressional districts which
they no longer are to represent remains to be
There is another question which ought to be
fought out at the polls and to which the long and
stubborn fight against the ship-purchase bill has
given emphasis. The time has come when the
American people ought to decide whether or not
they will put curb upon executive domination.
The country has drifted far from the lines upon
founded The Constitution distinctly provides
that all Legislative powers herein granted shall be
vested in a Congress OF the United States, which
shall consist OF a Senate and House OF Represent
atives" The jurisdiction OF the President, on the
other hand. was confined TO certain limited and
specific matters His relation to Congress. so far
as both Houses concerned, consisted merely
OF qualified right TO veto legislation and
tho privilege OF communicating from time to
time information OF the state OF the Union
md recommending consideration OF such meas
.lrcS as he shall judge necessary and eN-
rcdcnt. 1t never occurred to the founders OF the
government thai the President would impose his
own personality upon Congress- On the contrary,
the great fear seemed to he that Congress would
dominate the President This plainly pointed
out bv Alexander Hamilton in his Federalist let
tiers. In his mind the danger was the tendency
OF the legislative branch, he expressed it, to
absorb the executive and judicial branches. More
than once he suggested and repeated 'the propen-
stv OF the legislative department TO intrudc upon
the rights, and to absorb the powers. OF the other
departments" 1t was supposed that the national
legislature would confne itself to making laws and
the executive to executing them. Nobody seemed
to foresec that the time would come when the
White House and not the Capitol would be the
pivot upon which the government turned
The President Now the Pivot.
The TACT is that during the past decade the
branch OF the government, represent
ed by the person OF the President has become
more and more dominant.
President Roosevelt was largely responsible
Tor this new order OF things. His attitude one
OF complete authority. More than he mani
tested his independence not to say disregard OF
Congress. One notable instance was when, Con
gress having enacted law forbidding him to ere
ate additional forest reserves without express leg
islativc sanction. he deliberately held the bill upon
his desk during the constitutional period OF ten
DAYS. employing himself in the meantime with
signing executive orders adding millions upon mil
lions of acres to the forest When he had
,I,a 81 of Ge6-
ancc he affixed his signature to the proposed law
So numerous and fragrant were instances of this
character that entire volume was written upon
the subject. The TACT that the people seemed to
not only excuse but actually applaud his supreme
undoubtedly stimulated his natural desire
to be all-poweriul. He apparently believed that
all the world loves ruler and that the largest
exercise of executive authority the sureSt
stepping-stone to popular support.
Within the past two years, however, the spec
taclc OF executive domination has been witnessed
10 hitherto unparalleled degree 1t is no exag-
geration TO say that President Wilson has held
Congress in the hollow OF his hand Hardly an
step has been taken by Congress
during the past two years. The inspiration for
action has been the Presidential demand. This
was notably true in the repeal OF the tariff upon
sugar In fact during the entire discussion OF the
tariff bill the President supervised even the details
of the measure, the leaders in the House and
Senate visiting the White House almost daily for
and then forcing these instructions
into the proposed law by the operation OF caucus
rule There was a repetition OF similar scenes
when the currency bill was under consideration
The personal view OF the President controlled
every inch OF the progress OF that legislation 1t
was as il Congress recognized in the President
al, Ia 4oI
its position as an independent body.
Shipping Bill Striking Example.
The ship-purchase bill stands the climax OF
an almost uninterrupted series OF examples of
executive domination.
1t is true that the President has been defeated
in his effort 10 force this bill through the Senate
A determined opposition, which included members
of his party, awaited itself OF the impossblity
under the Senate rules OF compelling vote as long
as a Senator indicates his desire to speak upon
the Dcudinp question The President. rcsentnp