New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-07
HOW MUCH IS CONGRESS TO BLAMEl
The Presidents Course Held To Be Chiefly
Responsible for Our Predicament
To the Editor Of The Tribune

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Your leading editorial Of to-day states
only too truly that all that has happened in
the nation since the Lusitania, including the
contemplate filibuster which defeated the
armed ship bill, is but the inevitable conse-
quence of Mr. Wilson's course. Four years Of
executive weakness are undoubtedly the re-
mote cause Of yesterdays fasco.
But the sole immediate cause was not, as
the President now seems TO wish us to believe,
defect in the rules of the Senate; the i'm
mediate causes, like the remote, are to be
found principally in the sins OF omission and
commission of the President. II only he had
asked for the armed ship bill week earlier
than he did no sane man supposes that the
La Toilette flibuster would have been sue
cessful. Mr.. Wilson has never yet, IN the
rare instances when he has done the right
thing. done it at the right time; ne is always
too late.
Furthermore the President of the United
States was patiently planning, during the iast
four weeks. to infringe upon the war-ma"hs
power of Congress 1t was only too obvious
that he desired to have the power to conduct
war. under another name. delegated TO him'
then to get rid of Congress and for nine
months to handle the affairs OF the United
States in a manner not contemplated by us
Constitution.
The fact of the matter is that the fresl.
dent tried to overreach the legislature ana
overreached himself; distrusting Congress
he judged that it would not dare az the
eleventh hour and under pressure Of the
90 h.. Try
to delegate him it's powers, and he believed
that he could so take advantage of that press
ure and of the impending adjournment or
Congress that the country might be deprived
of one branch Of its government and the
legislative power of one OF its constitutional
functions for nine critical months. 1t was
An effort on the part of the executive to en-
croach upon the legislative department. me
effort met with failure because the President
moved too slowly and so delivered hlmseh
into the hands Of Stone and La Toilette
Consequently he is now left without the
mower which he desired and without any I'M
mediate means of getting IT,
Congress is to-day a better reliance imam
the President. Weak and leaderless as IL 49,
il can be spurred to action. with vigorous
man to lead Congress, and man VINO coulu
move seasonably. it would have declared war
during the month OF FEBRUARY. INth WIN"
out leadership il can be trusted TO respond
TO the rising Indignation of the country We
have never yet had any indication that the
President can be moved to vigorous action
by anything. Delay, half measures, hesita-
ton and inaction are his nature.
The present attempt of the PRESIDENT 10
blame his failure wholly upon the rules OF
the Senate is either highly disngenuous or
an unfortunate exhibition of pique. Every
body knows that If Congress were to be
promptly called together in extra session no
subsequent filibuster against the armed snip
hill would last week there would be no
need of a revision OF the rules. There would
ne no serious talk to-day of any revision had
the President done rs he should and sum
moned the new Congress TO meet on the oth
, of March. His present attitude OF inslstence
on a revision of the Senate's rules as con-
dition precedent to calling Congress WILL
IL continues. inevitably cause us to wonder
whether he is not snatching at another eX.
cuse for inaction-or for feebler degree OF
action than the situation demands. II nc
actually desires that effective measures be
taken the call for an extra session VIII not
be delayed. ALEAA.NDhN
New York. March 3, 1917.