Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-05
Fear the President May Con-
stitute Himself Leader of
Legislative Program.
CONDITIONS AT PRESENT
ARE IN CHAOTIC STATE
Mr.. Wilson's Demand for Prepared
ness Perplexes the Members-Un-
able to Agree on Details.

"Needed-A car. Apply to
democratic party, House of Rep
resentatives, United States Capt.
toll.
This is the way the republicans
sood-humoredly characterize the
plight of their opponents i'll the
present legislative situation. But,
speaking seriously. there is be-
hind the taunting persifage some
basis for its use. which the demo-
Gratis admit when talking among
themselves
Here is the situation:
! President Wilson demands of his
party in Congress the enactment of
broad legislation for military prepared
| ness. That will cost money which
! must be raised by taxation. to initiate
which devolves upon the House of Rep
resentatives.
Leader Kitchin of the House says:
How much do you want. and what
| for" Then the trouble begins. The
President cannot answer. because.
while he knows what he wants and ap-
proximately how much it will cost, the
committee on naval affairs and the
committee on military affairs, which
| must report the program. cannot agree
| with the administatfon--that Is to say,
| with the President and the executive
departments.
Leader Kitchin's Attitude.
| So it falls out that Leader Kitchin
| chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee. which body has absolute juris-
| diction over the subject of raising the
money, fguratively reaches for his
| trusty pipe, fills it with North Caro-
lima sun-cured tobacco. and, leaning
| back in his chair. says: well, come
across with your program, its scope
and cost. and will see what can be
done about raising the money"
The President returns from his west :
| ern trip, and, according to credible re-
ports in the public prints, is convinced
| that he has. started something" for
| these reluctant democrats in the House.
And as soon as he gets back he finds
| the situation in the House chaotic. as
| described. There is no man to take
| hold of things and push them. That's
| why the republicans say their demo-
| cratic friends need car.
There will not be any czar, in the
accepted sense of the word, such as
ent Joseph G. Cannon did and does ac-
cept as term of high raise in all the
| understanding of the appellation, but
| there is man whose power and infiu-
| ence will be exerted not essentially and
primarily to the benefit of Woodrow
Wilson, but to the crying need and ad-
vantage of the democratic party This
mans name is Champ Clark and he
| is the Speaker of the House. Some
thipgs which are happening indicate
of this Office are likely to be restored.
Spirit of Irony Manifested.
| There is a spirit of delightful irony
in the situation. which many men in
Congress appreciate. and perhaps Mr..
Clark himself. Look al it: A few years
ago was witnessed the stirring spec
tacle of Champ Clark standing up in
the House and leading the fight which
resulted in deprivlng the Speaker of
the House of Representatives of his
century-o old power. and relegating him
| to the role of a moderator at a church
gathering. Then Mr.. Clark was elected
Speaker. and re-eiected. His was the
| lonesome job for some time. About all
| he had was the gavel, the mace and a
| white rose in his buttonhoIe, with the
! authority to summon some aspiring
| gentleman to preside over the COM
| mittee of the whole.
But things are changed. and bear this
| in mind particularly: from now on
Champ Clark is going to be not only
the titular Speaker of the House, but
| also a very active and potential lead
| er of his party. He will be working
for the democratic party first, however.
| his friends declare. though he Is quite
willing that President Wilson may get
| any personal advantage out of his ef-
| forts that may accrue after the demo-
cratic party has had the first skim
ming of the cream.
In Fear of Usurpation.
| Speaker Clark does not get his newly
asserted leadership from any change
in rules or procedure, but it is said.
from realization of many democrats in
the House that they are threatened
with usurpation by the executive of
constitutionally endowed Legislative
prerogatives unless some one in the
House steps in and asserts the rights
| of the House.
In other words, if President Wilson
| cannot find anybody in the House to
| stand by the administration. 1t is fear
| ed he may deem it necessary to be the
leader of the House himself, to deal
with individuals and factions. and the
thought is not pleasant to some of the
| older democrats who are jealous of the
Idemarkation between the executive and
Legislative branches of the government.
| Every day witnesses increasing ten
dency among the democrats to rally
around Speaker Clark, consult him and
listen to his advice. The Speaker 8
room at the Capitol is beginning again
to be a council room of the men in